Reviewing - Gone With The Wind
I’m glad I finally watched this. And I’ll probably never watch this again.
“There was a land of Cavaliers and Cotton Fields called the Old South. Here in this pretty world, Gallantry took its last bow. Here was the last ever to be seen of Knights and their Ladies Fair, of Master and Slave. Look for it only in books, for it is no more than a dream remembered. A civilization gone with the wind.”
That is the opening crawl for what is one of the biggest films of all time. Adjusted for inflation, Gone With the Wind made a billion dollars more than Avengers: Endgame. A BILLION. That’s nuts. This was a film deeply engrained in the pop culture of the time, and it’s had such a lasting impact that even as a child I knew about it.
But boy, is it problematic for today’s audiences.
From the opening crawl, I knew that this film’s sense of morality and mine were going to be largely incompatible. I don’t think ‘the last days of Master and Slave’ were a dream to be remembered or a gallant era. I really shouldn’t have to say it, but the kind of slavery that African Americans were subjected to in the United States was not - and never will be - okay. And when the movie gets going, you witness the exorbitant opulence that Scarlett O’Hara and her family get to enjoy on the backs of slaves. It’s definitely interesting to hear a narrative told from the losing side of history, but a natural side effect is that you have to watch something you really disagree with being glorified to some extent.
To the credit of the audience of the time, one of the film’s more prominent black actresses, Hattie McDaniel, ended up winning an Academy Award for ‘Best Supporting Actress’. It was the first Oscar ever won by a person of colour. Then again, there would be no more black people winning Oscars for twenty three years after her. So maybe there’s not too much credit we can give after all.
If you can find it in your heart to put aside the blatant and glorified racism that is all too prevalent throughout this film, don’t worry. There’s still plenty to be mad about. The romance between the film’s two central characters is rife with misogyny, manipulation, and a whole bunch of what would easily be called abhorrent behaviour by today’s standards. Rhett Butler, the male love interest of this film, makes so many horrible remarks at Scarlett’s expense that it’s hard to just highlight one for you. He tells her “you’re not worth $300” when she basically offers to prostitute herself to him. He threatens to strangle her at one point while he’s drunk, wrapping his fingers around her neck. And of course, it’s not long after that moment that he commits marital rape. Evidently, this was the kind of love story that people were interested in back in the 30s.
Don’t misunderstand me – I don’t mean to say that this is an uninteresting love story. It’s definitely anything but that. And whereas the film idolizes the era of ‘Master and Slave’, it’s a bit more of a gray area as to which of Scarlett’s and Rhett’s behaviours are meant to be admirable. They’re the leads, yes, but they’re also both certifiably despicable people. And when the film paints our leads as deeply flawed, it makes it a bit harder to tell which of their actions we’re meant to aspire to. Personally, watching these two lost souls bounce around each other without ever really landing in a satisfactory position was very intriguing, as was the way that their relationship was more than romantic. The financial aspect of marriage is very important in this film, as Scarlett finds her luxurious life crumble to ash (literally). When we see the dysfunctional relationship that she and Rhett have, we can take some comfort in the fact that this relationship is deliberately dysfunctional.
But man, it’s impossible to get on board with Rhett’s treatment of Scarlett, no matter how messed up of a character she is. She’s manipulative, spoiled, racist, a gold-digger, and an attempted adulterer. She’s not wholly irredeemable, mind you, but she’s certainly not a character we’re meant to emulate. But throughout the film, Rhett is always in a position of power over Scarlett. Try as she might, she never has the advantage in their conflicts. He’s always the one in the driver’s seat, and he never lets her forget it.
Here’s an example. There’s a bit during their married life where Scarlett decides she’s not going to sleep with Rhett anymore. Admittedly, that’s a tough sentence for a husband to face, but it’s a moment where Scarlett tries to exert some sort of authority over Rhett. Instead of Rhett making amends or trying to reach an amicable solution, he ominously growls, “If I wanted to come in, no lock could keep me out.”
And then he kicks a door down as he leaves.
Ladies and gentlemen, that’s not the behaviour of a heartthrob. That’s the behaviour of a villain.
Let’s change gears. I’m certainly saying a lot of negative things for a film I gave four stars. Here’s what’s cool about this movie. First of all, the scale is simply incredible. The sets are stunning and massive, and the scenes set in the heart of the Civil War are both ambitious and effortless. There’s an extreme long shot where Scarlett walks through a street of wounded soldiers that’s simply baffling. The musical themes throughout the movie are pretty cool too. And even though the movie is basically four hours long, I really wasn’t bored for any of it. The plot moves from scene to scene and from one year to the next without losing momentum. There’s always something that makes you wondering what’s going to happen next – even the final shot of the film. Scarlett was a thoroughly intriguing character because she was so despicable and yet so torn. There’s at least a dozen moments in the film that made me like her less, but there’s so many terrible things that happen to her that it’s impossible not to pity her to some extent. Although I disagree with many of the decisions that she makes, I admire her tenacity and her unwillingness to accept a life she’s not content with. Her relationship with Melanie Hamilton is one of the most crucial relationships in the whole movie, and it’s interesting to see how all the characters adapt and re-adapt in the ever-changing landscape they inhabit.
As a snapshot of history (both literal history and simply cinematic history), this was very interesting. That said, I don’t think I ever need to watch this again. For one thing, it’s four bloody hours long. For another thing, the racism of the characters and the toxicity of Rhett and Scarlett’s relationship doesn’t really excite me. If you’re a movie buff or if you like vintage films, I’d definitely recommend giving this a shot. But I don’t think everyone needs to watch this movie, and I think many people will have a decidedly negative experience if they do. And hey, if you feel otherwise…
Well, frankly, my dear…
That’s fine, I guess.
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