Review of Gone with the Wind (1939) by Nathan E — 21 Nov 2012

Definitely not the movie I thought it was going to be. I was expecting a sprawling, schmaltzy romantic epic and got a very interesting character study. Much like Citizen Kane, this film is about a character's selfishness and eventual self-destruction. It was very interesting. The only difference between Scarlett's story and the tale of Charles Foster Kane is that Scarlett's story played out in real time rather than flashbacks. The two characters are ambitious and self-centered to the point of alienating all those around them - including the ones they love.

One cannot underscore enough this film's important place in cinema history. Many storytelling techniques still used to this day are derived from this film. There are several shots in this film that are brilliant and iconic in their execution. One specifically was the sweeping pull-back of thousands of dead and dying soldiers, flanked by a tattered Confederate flag. In that one shot, the audience can see the impact the war has had on the South, and what a truly lost cause they had.

The film also captures the foolish fervor many Southerners had going into the war, and the seeming loss of innocence through all the hardships. But the South did bring it upon itself. Slavery was an abomination, and any economy built upon it was destined to collapse. The film is set from the Confederate point of view, and treats the Union as villains, when the opposite was true.