Review of Gone with the Wind (1939) by Amanda E — 05 Dec 2012

Gone with the Wind is the quintessential story of love and loss. A story about a nation mortally divided and forever changed. The movie, made in 1939, is based off of Margaret Mitchellâ(TM)s novel about the legacy of Southern aristocracy and the idea of female independence. While inserting her own opinion of feminism and racism, the book and movie are both historically accurate about the Civil War and Reconstruction. The heroine Scarlett Oâ(TM)Hara overcomes and defies the view of women in 19th century society and represents the transformation towards feminism.

The film Gone with the Wind runs for 238 minutes with an overture, entrâ(TM)acte, and exit music. Though long, the movie includes music by Max Steiner, called âthe father of film musicâ? and is still one of the greatest film score composers. The use of the full orchestra brings to life the passion and desperation present in the scenes and in the charactersâ(TM) words. Steinerâ(TM)s score brings the story to life and evokes emotion in the audienceâ(TM)s hearts.

It was the most expensive film of its time, costing $4 million to make. The movie ended up grossing almost $200 million. It was the first film to be awarded more than five Academy Awards. Out of the 17 competitive awards then, Gone with the Wind had 13 nominations. It won Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actress, Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Supporting Actress, Best Cinematography Color, Best Film Editing, and Best Art Direction. Also, it was nominated for Best Actor, Best Supporting Actress, Best Visual Effects, Best Music Original Score, and Best Sound Recording. The Academy Awards that year also included nominations of the films Wuthering Heights, When Tomorrow Comes, The Rains Came, Goodbye, Mr. Chips, and The Wizard of Oz. The recognition of this movieâ(TM)s greatness in the Academy Awards, competing with other great movies, shows it is a masterpiece of its time and is still a masterpiece today.

In 1998 Gone with the Wind was re-released, digitally restored and the sound remastered. Warners scanned the original negative and a print for color references, which makes the quality of the film better than before. The movie can now be seen on DVD and Blu-ray. The sound track is now a stereo sound effects track which enhances the music in the movie and the emotions in the charactersâ(TM) voices. Gone with the Wind was awarded the Greatest Film in History by Best In Film: The Greatest Films of Our Time in 2011.

Then and now, Gone with the Wind is one of the best films in existence and not only brings the history of our country to life, but also shares with the world the values and the flaws of society. The movie highlights feminism and that a woman can rise against opposition and societyâ(TM)s disapproval. Gone with the Wind is truly a movie worth watching.