BLOG: Why Gone with the Wind will never go away…

By milliganstampede | March 28, 2013 at 9:45 am | One comment | BLOGS

By Lindsey Campbell Photos by: Lindsey Campbell

Over spring break I had the opportunity to visit Atlanta. Being such a fan of Gone with the Wind, I made my way to Jonesboro, Ga. where I visited the “Road to Tara Museum.” It was all things Gone with the Wind. Dresses, paintings, jewelry, replicas, a model of Tara, and the best part — the actual sign from the premiere in Atlanta.

You would think Georgia owned Gone with the Wind (GWTW). There were references everywhere. Turns out, although the movie is set in Atlanta, it was filmed for the most part in Los Angeles. Sorry.

First of all, here is the reaction generated when someone says to me, “I’ve never seen Gone with the Wind.”

Now, why does this reaction happen? It is just one of those movies that people just see. It’s in that category with It’s a Wonderful Life, The Wizard of Oz, or I don’t know, E.T. GWTW is a classic that is still raved about in 2013 (74 years after its release in 1939). Can anyone even name five movies from that year, excluding The Wizard of Oz?

Oh fiddle-dee-dee, here’s why I think GWTW has still got it:

The acting is superb. There is not a better example of questionable characters that get the sympathy of the audience. Every character is flawed. Let us keep the focus narrow by discussing the two lead characters. Scarlett O’Hara, the heroine, is ruthless, cold, and slick. Even slicker is Rhett Butler’s hair, in addition to his taking-care-of-me-mentality. Yet somehow, the audience tends to still long for their perseverance. We want them to survive the war and the trials that come after the war is over.

In general, the audience wants a protagonist to cheer on and become invested in. If there is no connection with the protagonist, the movie is no good. I do believe that Vivien Leigh could not have played this role of Scarlett O’Hara any better. How can I despise how Scarlett acts and yet still like her and feel sorry for her when she gets caught or is extremely rude?

And what good is a movie without a romance? Enter Captain Rhett Butler, played by Clark Gable. The man knows how to play this part: the role of a lifetime. The two together? Impressive. They played off of each other so well. They belong together. Both looking out for themselves, they might as well be miserable together. I cannot explain the dynamic chemistry between these two in this short blog. Only watching the film can truly do them justice. It is a treat.

The sets and costumes are absolute delight for the eyes. In true 1939 Hollywood style, everything is grandeur. The barbeque at the beginning is a great example of how the costumes and the sets are just exploding with color. Throughout the movie we see vivid colors – whether that be through big parties, Scarlett’s wardrobe, or raging fires. This could be attributed to the fact that color films were semi-new. It was the first color film to win an Oscar.

People flocked to the theaters to see this epic film. It stands today as one of the most popular films of all time. According to the Box Office Mojo website, GWTW has grossed $400,176,459 worldwide to date. That’s a comfortable amount of money. Talk about never being hungry again. Scarlett would be pleased.

GWTW has some questionable themes and stereotypes, but keep in mind that it is representative of a different time and place. It was during the Civil War, and many of the principles in the film were ultimately changed in real life.

Nonetheless, GWTW was a remarkable work of art, and still is. It has left an undeniable mark on American cinema. I cannot help but wonder if Margaret Mitchell (writer of the GWTW book), David O. Selznick (producer), Victor Fleming (Director), or any actor or actress involved, everyone involved – right down to the script supervisor — thought this movie would consistently rank high on most all “Greatest of All Time” movie lists?