गॉन विथ द विंड

I've done so many reviews on IMDb and despite this, I can't believe I never reviewed this super-famous film. Well, much if this is because with so many reviews, I truly doubt if anyone will ever read this! I was surprised that when I perused the reviews, there were quite a few knuckleheads that gave the film a score of one!! While I do agree that the film is rather dated in the way it deals with minorities, it is truly insane to trash a film just because it offends your easily damaged sensibilities. One person even compared the film to PLAN 9! Come on, folks,...this is an amazing film. And what makes it even more amazing is that the film had several different directors because producer Selznick was so difficult to work with on this film! And, despite this, the film wins (among many other awards), the BEST DIRECTOR Oscar! While I do think that many Oscars should have been earned, giving it to just one man seemed pretty cheeky! Despite this, this is a magnificent sweeping spectacle about the South--but even more about a selfish beauty who ultimately creates chaos of her decent life. Magnificent, well-acted and memorable--this is one of the greatest films of all time.

This movie was on my watch list since 1996 or 1997 when I read its review in a local newspaper. I though it must be a dull movie as it is very old and procrastinated to watch until Dec 2019.

And friends, I can't tell you how much I am impressed with this movie - wonderful story, superb acting, mesmerizing cinematography and direction. And they did it in 1939 - which is really hard to digest.

I am stupid enough to miss this glory for so many years.

Gerard O'Hara (Thomas Mitchell), an Irish immigrant, settles in North Georgia and becomes a prosperous plantation owner… By great luck he marries young Ellen Robillard (Barbara O'Neill) of Savannah, the daughter of one of the noblest Georgian families and becomes accepted by his aristocratic neighbors… They are blessed with three daughters, Scarlett (Vivien Leigh), Suellen (Evelyn Keyes), and Carreen (Ann Rutherford).

Scarlett, the eldest, worships her mother… Yet, under her beauty and Southern coquetry, she is charming, but proud, willful and vain… She believes she is in love with Ashley Wilkes (Leslie Howard), a good-hearted young army captain… But Ashley loves his cousin, Melanie Hamilton (Olivia de Havilland), a delicate, selfless woman… He is frightened by Scarlett's energy and animation… And although he admits his feelings for her, he is afraid to marry her and decides to take Melanie for his bride…

When Scarlett loses Ashley she is more certain than ever that she must have him… On their wedding day, she meets Rhett Butler (Clark Gable), a wealthy adventurer from an old Charleston family… Rhett, a gambler—who believes that self-interest is the motive of all human conduct—is attracted by Scarlett's beauty and realizes that they are equally merciless and conscienceless…

Vivien Leigh is magnificent as the spoiled, selfish southern belle... She carries the picture, and controls it... She reproduces the spirited character of Scarlett in all its fluent complexity...

Clark Gable—with a smile and great light in his eyes—is fascinating as the elegant, heroic gentleman ... He is perfect as the ladies man... His dramatic high point is his scene crying in Melanie's presence... His love scenes with Scarlett give the picture a vibrancy that is one of its great attractions... The film begins with their first stormy meeting in the library at Twelve Oaks and intensifies at the Atlanta bazaar, when he shocks the confederacy by bidding $l00 "in gold," to dance with the newly widowed Mrs. Hamilton who cares for nothing but herself…

Hattie McDaniel gives a rich characterization as Mammy, Scarlett's shrewd black servant who was never fooled by Scarlett's airs and tears...

With a memorable music score by Max Steiner, the film was an instant classic, winner of eight Academy Awards...

I wish people made more movies like this nowadays..

Yes! The movie is LONG, but the development of the main character has you swinging from liking her to hating her, to agreeing with her, to.. all sort of emotions!! It is well worth anyone's time. These characters feel SO real! It's like a perfect summarized soap opera. Anyone studying movie-writing should check this adaptation of the book. Would recommend to anyone.

And make yourself a favor and don't watch the sequel.. the movie ends the way it does for a reason.

It is always in people's nature to put down great things and to nit-pick or sometimes just be plain mean. No matter what anyone says, this is utterly fantastic: in story, in special effects, in casting (with perhaps the sad exception of Leslie Howard as "Ashley") and in captivation. Vivien Leigh is so powerful, passionate, magnificent and beautiful that you could watch it 1000 times on that ground alone. She brings something so convincing and human to the role of the selfish, spoilt Scarlett; the character is larger than life.

Leaving Vivien's astounding performance aside, this remains a sweeping unrivalled epic. Watch it. Esther's rating: 20/10