AN OLD CLASSIC

GONE WITH THE WIND

 

                                     

DIRECTOR: Victor Fleming

STARRING: Clark Gable, Vivian Leigh, Leslie Howard, Olivia de Havilland, and Hattie McDaniel.

This film set on the backdrop of the American Civil War and Reconstruction is regarded as one of the classic movies of all time and set the American Cinema to a completely different level. The film is set in the 19^th century American South and is told from a Southern Point of view. The film is richly entertaining as it is a sumptuous spread of costume drama, sets, and some of the famous Hollywood stars of all time. The film remains quite basic and faithful to the blockbuster seller of Margaret Mitchell. It tells the story of a selfish, headstrong Southern Belle Scarlett O` Hara portrayed by Vivian Leigh whose strength is her land. She is secretly in head over heels in love with neighboring plantation owner Ashley Wilkes portrayed by Leslie Howard. Again Ashley is already pledged to marry his sweet smiling and lovely cousin Melanie portrayed by Olivia De Havilland. Just before the Civil War, all the wealthy families organize a gathering at the Wilkes plantation Seven Oaks where for the first time Scarlett comes across Rhett Butler portrayed by Clark Gable. Rhett Butler becomes clearly interested in the pampered Southern Belle and is the only rakish, confident, and slightly disreputable gentleman who is of the belief that North will any day conquer over the South and clearly that very night war is declared. After Ashley rejects the proposal of Scarlett she vengefully marries Melanie`s brother Charles tying the two families together. As both Ashley and Charles both go off to war and Charles dies of pneumonia there, it starts the portrayal of the struggle of Scarlett, the way she reluctantly protects Melanie, the fall of Atlanta, the ruin of Tara and she almost dies out of starvation. In Part Two she marries Rhett Butler but continuously rejects him as her stubborn and overwhelming love belongs to Ashley, though relies on Rhett throughout the film. The English actor Vivian Leigh was excellent as the selfish, self-absorbed Scarlett O'Hara. She is as delicate as the rose and as strong-willed like the iron. Clark Gable was exceedingly charming as the rustic, irresistible, masculine Rhett Butler. Havilland was just perfect as the sweet and strong Melanie and Howard was pale just like the mild Ashley. Hattie McDaniel was totally appropriate as the family servant of O’Hara’s who knew all about the scheming plans of Scarlett and was full of zest. She was the first African American to be nominated and won an Oscar.  David O Selznick gathered talents from all around (including editors like F. Scott Fitzgerald) and invested about 4 million in the making of the film. The costumes, the sets, and especially the visual effects, the burning of Atlanta, the smoking ruins of Georgia after the war was the most memorable scenes of all time.

Overall the film can be called an epic but it is also more than an epic. Most of the epics focus on wars and historical references so much that they fail to inform us about the personal lives of the characters. Gone with the Wind was based on a historical backdrop along with the characters stood out for themselves informing us about their mental complexities, yearnings, attractions, feelings, and their lives.