Gone with the Wind (1939)
Some people will hate Gone with the Wind for its dated, even problematic viewpoint. Its nostalgic glance at the pre-Civil War era has drawn particular ire recently. It should. The film barely glosses over slavery and due to its protagonist's worldview is mostly spent lamenting a bygone, carefree era forged at the expense of others. Gone with the Wind does not meet the sensibilities of the 21st century. It would be a relief if this meant it was bad... but it isn't. It's a historically important picture and - assuming you can set aside how you feel about the ideologies it perpetuated - a great film.
On the eve of the American Civil War, Scarlett O’Hara (Vivien Leigh) pines after her cousin’s fiancé, Ashley (Leslie Howard). As the men leave for battle we witness Scarlett's ruin, recovery, pursuit of Ashley, complex relationship with her cousin Melanie (Olivia de Havilland), and even more complicated romance with Rhett Butler (Clark Gable).
This film deals solely with people who profited from slavery and none of the atrocities blacks suffered at the time or afterward are shown. It's insensitive. No one would tell this story as-is today. Gone With the Wind has a different objective. It shows the war from the perspective of someone who never understood what was happening or what the conflict was about. The young men's biggest concerns are pretty girls. The women, the latest fashion. It's about the hubris of the South and the rich. No one who spends their time indulging as much as they do has any idea what kind of storm is headed their way. The film comments on the south by zooming in so close that all it sees are the lives of Ashley, Rhett Butler, Scarlett, and Melanie. Their suffering is ultimately trivial but it doesn't feel trivial. You get to know them so intimately you're simultaneously aware of what it's omitting and oblivious to it.
At 238 minutes including the entr'acte, intermission, and end credits, you spend so much time with Scarlett O'Hara you come to know her inside and out. She’s not a meek southern flower. She's a person capable of loving, of being afraid, of changing and of making mistakes. She's conniving, manipulative and petty but also sharp and clever. She’s a survivor. The rich material gives the actors every opportunity to show off and the performances are exceptionally strong. You connect with everyone. Even side characters, like Mammy (Hattie McDaniel, who earned an Academy Award for her performance - the first by a black woman) stick with you. It certainly helps that there are many memorable lines, including the all-time best parting words ever exchanged by a couple.
Now we come to the visuals and lavish production. Through the wide shots of a world which no longer exists but has been recreated expertly you feel the devastation of war, the determination needed to rebuild, the desperation of trying to scrape together means of living, the will to do more than just survive. It’s not just one story, just one thing. It’s a criticism of the South’s arrogance and belief that what it was doing was justified. It’s also a romantic drama and the story of a strong woman who refuses to let others step over her.
Many aspects of Gone with the Wind make it a daunting enterprise. Even if you like the film you can't exactly pop it into your machine on a whim - it's too long an investment for that. The subject matter and viewpoint from which it's told make it an uncomfortable watch but it would also be wrong to pre-emptively judge it. Like many older films, you can't just watch it passively. You need to think about what you're seeing and ask questions. You need to consider what it meant then, what it means now, and what impact it will have in the future. No work good or bad is immune to the ravages of time and society's changing views. Despite everything, there's a reason why people are reluctant to let go of Gone with the Wind 75 years later. On top of being historically relevant as a landmark in filmmaking, it's important to show how times have changed and how you don't have to approve of a story's message to enjoy it or recognize it as great. (On DVD, April 9, 2016)
