Review of Gone with the Wind (1939) by Ben L — 30 Jun 2015

Gone With the Wind is a movie that romanticizes the Old South and asks the viewer to sympathize with the Confederacy. Probably not the best film to watch in June 2015 considering current events revolving around racism in the South. It took some effort but I was able to compartmentalize the vileness of the cause that the characters were fighting for and focus more on the characters' personalities and struggles. There were moments where I genuinely felt sympathy for the soldiers as they approached war with a false confidence and then came back broken and dying. Also the journeys of Rhett and Melanie were heart-breaking as they continued to do the right thing and were met with frustration and pain. Sadly this film is not about their lives, they are merely side characters revolving around the protagonist. Scarlett, played with class by Vivien Leigh, is perhaps the single most annoying heroine in film history. She consistently makes the wrong choices and has an unhealthy obsession with a house. At times it was almost painful to watch her get a third, fourth, and fifth chance to make the right decision and then botch it all over again. Perhaps it would have been redeemed if the film ended with her finally learning her lesson, but instead it's one more case of failure.

The look of Gone With the Wind is amazing. I find the vivid colors and beautiful scenery to be simply breath-taking. The burning of Atlanta was particularly captivating. The acting was solid across the board, although it's kind of hard to accept the way the slaves are portrayed (not a judgement of the actors' talent, though.) My dilemma with this movie is in the story. It is not engaging, it is frustrating. There is no beam of light or hope that this movie isn't afraid to stomp on and destroy. Happiness is not allowed to survive for more than a few minutes in this desolate drama. It's like Scarlett's wrong decision on who to love is a disease and it ends up infecting every area of her life with disastrous consequences. I might be able to tolerate all of this if it weren't so ridiculously long! In case you were unaware, Gone With the Wind is a 4-hour-long film with a full opening overture and intermission. I seriously struggled to get through this because it feels there isn't enough story to fill that amount of time. I can fully recognize the good qualities of this film, but it simply isn't one that appeals to me. Between the racism, the irritating main character, and the crazy length I have no desire to see it again.