So, I finally watched
Gone with the Wind (#6 on AFI's top 100 Films of all time). I must say, while it isn't my particular cup of tea in regards to the genre, it's hard to admit that it isn't a good movie.
When one reviews a movie that was filmed decades ago, one cannot simply judge the performance by today's standards. After all, at the time when this movie was filmed, the transition from Stage to film was fairly recent, so a lot of what the actors' experiences were likely from theater.
By today's standards the acting was very corny and felt like an amateur's performance, but one should not hold that against the film as it was a different time. Now that I've gotten that out of the way, here are a few notes on what I liked and disliked from the film starting with...
Dislikes:
(WARNING: SPOILER ALERT)
1. Civil War with no war?
The film takes place during the entirety of the Civil War, yet not a single battlefield was shown. What's up with that? Maybe it's the fact that over the generations since this film's release, more and more films portraying the gruesomeness of war have made me feel that a battle scene in movie taking place during a war is essential.
2. Scarlet O'Hara gets on my last nerve!
I get that the character was always meant to be portrayed as a stuck-up southern bell that does whatever she needs to accomplish her intended goal... but did Vivien Leigh have to portray her so whiny and annoying?
3. It was just too stinking long!
Admittedly, I didn't watch the movie all in one sitting. It was too long and I can't justify sitting in front of the TV for 4 hours straight for the same movie. Again, I understand that it was a different time, but just like "Dragon Ball Z" came up with "Dragon Ball Z Kai" BECAUSE they realized there was too much fluff in the stories, why can't they make a "Special edition straight-to-the-point-21st-century-edition" Gone with the wind? I mean, I can think of several scenes that I would eliminate and the story would work just as well.
4. Was the writer of the film a Confederate?
Granted, I really don't know very much about the history of the script, but it seems to me like the North is constantly portrayed as a bunch of looting, raping, savage, unmerciful bunch of scoundrels. There is hardly any talk regarding slavery during the film. Even after the emancipation of slaves, most of them stay on to serve in the house as employees (which may or may not have been the case in most house-holds of the time), the confederacy is portrayed as the noblemen and the northerners as invasive conquerors that are there only to gain the favor of black people so that black people would vote republican. It made me raise an eye brow more often than I'm used to during a historic flick.
Now onto the "Likes":
(Again, WARNING: SPOILERS!)
1. The story itself was great!
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| "That's a good movie" |
I mean, talk about a roller coaster. You get the feeling that things are going well, then BOOM! War breaks out and Scarlet is left a widow... things start to improve, then BOOM! Atlanta is attacked and O'hara has to flee back home to Tara which has been desolated... She resolves to do anything it takes to help her and her family's situation and she's actually shown as a mature, intelligent young lady... then BOOM! She steals her sister's fiance and marries him for his money... She Marries Rhett and they have a daughter, things are shaky but when she miscarries a baby, it seems like they're going to try to make things work.... then BOOM! Their daughter falls of her horse and snaps her neck (I almost got choked up at this point in the film).... I mean, the entire story line really does keep you interested.
2. Talk about a quotable movie!
I can see why the top rated movie quote in AFI's "100 years... 100 Movie quotes" number one quote is from Gone with the wind. I mean, there are several quotes from the film that are themselves part of popular culture. From "After all, tomorrow is another day" to "I'll never be hungry again" to "Frankly my dear, I just don't..." this movie has several memorable dialogues that have cemented their place in film history.
3. For lack of a better word, the film is timeless.
The film is quite frankly one of the most relateable movies I've ever watched. Who hasn't experience the heartache of having your romantic feelings not reciprocated? Who hasn't felt the pain of financial trouble? Who hasn't had struggles in marriage? And how many of us don't cringe at the thought of losing a child? While many of the themes in the film are specific to the time, many of its elements are still situations that people encounter today. From social status, to infidelity, there is something for everyone to relate. But how many movies do we know that are 75 years old and are still being referenced in popular culture and being memed.
4. Rhett Butler is an OG!
After everything he's seen his wife do, after all of he went through to get her to be his... when it came down to it, the fact that it took rejection from the man she always loved EVEN AFTER HIS WIFE DIED in order for Scarlet to realize that she would never have this man that she adored and Rhett Butler was the man for her, he'd had enough. His daughter was gone, and Scarlet put him through so much, that he basically said "screw this. I'm out."
What are your thoughts on the film? Let me know in the comment section.
