Review of Gone with the Wind (1939) by Wayne K — 01 Jun 2018

A movie of epic proportions, both visually and emotionally, which still dwarves even the biggest pictures Hollywood produces these days, Gone With The Wind is as lauded as it is controversial. Its take on female empowerment and race relations are sketchy at best and downright appalling at worst.

The black characters are depicted as either simple minded servants or sassy, jive-talking maids. It's true that they're never shown to be horribly abused or even insulted by their white owners, but it still looks like they were using what people would recognise as the most popular stereotypes of the time.

As for its depiction of women, Scarlet O'Hara starts off as a pretty big annoyance, and if she had carried on that way then she would have become utterly insufferable by the end. But her characters evolution, driven by circumstances beyond her control, is the most interesting and rewarding part of the movie.

We see her shift from a spoiled Southern Belle into a tough willed business woman who will do anything to provide for her family. As has been remarked many a time in the past, Vivien Leigh is absolutely perfect for the role, throwing herself into every look and every line.

There's never any doubt that she is Scarlett, and her Oscar is well deserved. Clark Gable is also on top form, and for me was a much more interesting lead character. He's a charming rogue, well-aware of his faults but determined to make the best he can with his wealth and the rest of his life.

He dominates the screen whenever he's on it. The film itself is close to 4 hours long, and there's plenty which could be removed to get it down to a more reasonable length. There's one too many talky scenes, an over-enthusiastic score which frequently drowns out the frequently frantic and histrionic dialogue, and it truly baffles me that the editing won an Academy Award.

Maybe it's something to do with the accolade being in its relative infancy, but the film is actually hampered rather than enhanced by its editing process. Scenes are cut off abruptly, and some last only a minute or so before it fades to another.

It often appears that the characters are in mid-conversation or about to ay something when we jump to another place and the film carries on without scenes having proper resolutions. But no amount of criticism can diminish the sheer scope and grandeur of the movie as a whole.

Everything looks and feels massive, and rarely has a movie packed so much into what is admittedly a generous runtime. It might frequently sag under its own weight, but Gone With The Wind is a movie for the ages, and whether or not you agree with its themes, its morals or its questionable portrayals, you can't deny that its legacy exists for a reason.