The scope of this film is incredible. The filmmakers spared no expense to bring this tale to life. It’s a nearly four hour long period piece, in Technicolor, and utilized studio and on-location filming. The cost of production was historic but worth every penny. Some scenes may come across as a little stagey, but the world looks believable thanks to all the immaculate set details.
Some people criticize the writing and characters of this film. I’ll grant them that Butterfly McQueen’s Prissy is more caricature than character, but everyone else in the cast nails their performances and the writing is old school Hollywood at its best. Clark Gable and Vivien Leigh ooze with sex appeal and light up the screen every time they are on it, together or individually. They bring Rhett and Scarlett to life, realizing the characters’ true potential and power.
On their own, neither is particularly likeable. Scarlett is a manipulative little tramp who uses her playful sexuality and beauty to get what she wants. Rhett is an opportunistic scoundrel who thinks he has it all figured out and takes what he wants when it comes down to it. A movie about either character would fail but they somehow form the basis for one of the greatest love stories of all time. These two are just made for each other. They’re beautiful, egotistical, and drive each other mad. It’s so perfect yet unlikely an arrangement that you can’t help but want them to be together.
The film does lag a little bit in the third hour, as Scarlett skanks her way up the societal ladder. This is usually where people trail off on enjoying Gone with the Wind. The first half is exciting, powerful, and has just about everything you could ask for in an epic period piece romance. That third hour is necessary though because it makes the sparks fly even hotter when Rhett comes back into the picture.
Others will complain about the ending but you’ll get no such complaints out of me. Things end badly for Scarlett and Rhett but you know that it is not really the end. Scarlett’s stubbornness got her from destitute to affluent after the war. How could she not end up with Rhett again now that she knows in her heart that they were always meant to be together?
The ending may not tie things up in a nice neat bow, but it doesn’t have to. By the end of the film you know the passion and determination these characters share for each other. You know how this cliffhanger is going to end, which makes Gone with the Wind something special. It leaves you hanging narratively but not emotionally.
Gone with the Wind has sass, attitude, romance, drama, thrills, chills, and laughs. For my money, it is the complete package because it is delivered so smoothly by its leads. This film proved to be one for both the record books and the history books. Who am I to disagree? Since the first time I saw it, this film was, and still is, at the top of my list.
Original Rating: 4.75 out of 5
New Rating: 4.75 out of 5
