Scarlett O'Hara (Vivien Leigh) is the daughter of a rich man Gerald O'Hara (Thomas Mitchell), a self-made hacienda man of Irish origin who has become very wealthy. Scarlett likes having fun and flirting, for example with the twins Brent and Stuart Carleton (George Reeves and Fred Crane). They are awaiting the next ball, while also keeping themselves expectant about the oncoming war, although Scarlett yawns at the latter topic.
John Wilkes (Howard C. Hickman) is throwing out a barbecue and the Twelve Oaks plantation. Scarlett longs to meet there the love of her life, Ashley (Leslie Howard). At the party, Scarlett flirts with many boys, which is criticized by her sisters Suellen and Carren (Evelyn Keyes and Ann Rutherford). While everybody is having a nap, Scarlett hides away in order to talk to Ashley, and she declares him her love. However, Ashley insists in marrying his cousin Melanie Hamilton (Olivia de Havilland). In anger, Scarlett breaks a vase throwing it against a wall. Rhett Butler (Clark Gable) appears, having overheard while hiding behind a sofa. He asks if the war has just begun. Scarlett is outraged about his cheeky behaviour, and defends Ashley when Rhett mocks him. Rhett laughs about Scarlett's defence of his supposedly abhorred lover.
News of war arrive. All young gentlemen run to enlist. Melanie's brother, meek Charles Hamilton (Rand Brooks) who is thought to marry with India Wilkes (Alicia Rhett), but after Scarlett flirts with him, he asks Scarlett to marry him straightaway. Broken-hearted because Ashley has rejected her, Scarlett agrees.
They get married in a small private wedding quickly, because he has to leave for the front immediately. Scarlett offers herself to Ashley, but he just gives her a cold kiss in her cheek. Scarlett cries, not because of her husband, but because of Ashley's second rejection. Soon afterwards, Charles will die because of an illness at the front.
Scarlett's mother Ellen (Barbara O'Neil) wants to cheer up the young widow. She suggests that Scarlett would go to Atlanta and live with Melanie and Aunt Pittypat (Laura Hope Crews). She agrees as she realizes Atlanta might mean a chance to see Ashley.
In Atlanta, everybody is going to give money to finance the South's army. Scarlett is not even supposed to attend, as she is such a recent widow. At the ball, Scarlett tries to hide the fact that she's dancing in her stall. To her shock, Rhett approaches her when it's anounced that he is responsible for bringing the ball decorations through the blockade. Melanie talks to both and when a soldier appears asking for a contribution to the war, she offers her wedding ring. Egotist Scarlett feels pressured by such a generous act to followsuit, and Rhett prises her generosity sarcastically. It is also anounced that there is going to be an auction: the gentlemen will offer money for a girl whom they are going to dance with and open the ball. Aunt Pittypat is outraged about that, and when the winner is Rhett, and he declares he wants to dance with Mrs. Charles Hamilton, that is, Scarlett, everybody thinks that she's going to refuse. But she accepts, creating a scandal and Aunt Pittypat has a fit. While dancing, Rhett tells her that someday he wants to hear her say I love you to him. She proclaims confidently that will never happen as long as she lives.
Soon it's Christmas, and Ashley returns home for some days to spend time with Melanie. Scarlett is still in love with him, but Melanie doesn't realize that. Melanie and Ashley head upstairs wishing good night and close the door behind the sad-eyed Scarlett. It's Ashley's departure day, and finally alone with Ashley, Scarlett gives her Christmas present to Ashley. He makes Scarlett to promise to take care of Melanie. She begs for good-bye kiss and they share a passionate kiss. She also confesses with tears in her eyes that she married Charles only to hurt him. Ashley returns to the front, knowing that the war is lost.
The situation grows worst and worst. Food is scarce, all families have lost somebody, Melanie is pregnant with Ashley's child and Scarlett has to take care of her, because she is the only capable person around Aunt Pittypat's home. Scarlett is now a volunteer nurse at hospital, a role which she hates, but she has no other option than following the social roles assignated to her. A soldier (Cliff Edwards) reminiscences about his brother Jeff. Finally, Scarlett leaves the hospital in desperation when she watches the cries in agony of a patient who is having a leg amputated (Eric Lindon) without any anaesthetic. She can't stand the dying soldiers, the suffering, the pain, the blood and just leaves...
Ridiculous Aunt Pittypat leaves the city because the noise of the bombs is "getting to her nerves". Scarlett can't leave because of Melanie's state. The actual birth is going to be complicated, Melanie is weak and problems may arise during childbirth. Scarlett counts on Dr. Meade (Harry Davenport) to tend to Melanie's hour of labour, and he has agreed to that. However, when the time arrives, she has to look for the doctor herself. He's at the train station, where hundreds of Confederate soldiers are wounded, dying or dead. Dr. Meade can't leave everything to take care of Melanie, so Scarlett and the house slave Prissy (Butterfly McQueen) must attend it. That's what Scarlett tells Prissy and at that very moment, Prissy confesses she doesn't know anything about childbirth. Scarlett would have beaten her to death, but Melanie's cries of pain prevents it. Labour is long and complicated and eventually a son (Ricky Holt) is born leaving Melanie really weak.
Scarlett sends Prissy in search of Rhett. He's having fun at Belle Watling (Ona Munson)'s brothel. Rhett mocks Prissy, but he finally decides to help Scarlett and Melanie. The former insists in returning to Tara, her family's plantation in the countryside, where she thinks they all will be safe. Rhett steals a horse and a crumbling cart. The five, Melanie and her child, Scarlett, Prissy and Rhett, leave. On their way they see the last regiment led by (Tom Tyler). They have to go through the burning buildings.
Rhett leaves them half-way, and although Scarlett gets hysterical, he persists. He's going to enlist because "he only likes lost causes when they are really lost." Before leaving he proclaims to Scarlett that "he loved her more than he has ever loved any woman and he has waited for her longer than he has ever waited for any woman". He kisses her passionately and she repays him with a slap saying that "Everybody was right about you. You're no gentleman". He puts on his hat laughing and when he has disappered, Scarlett brokes down to tears.
Scarlett goes on her way to Tara. The journey is long and hard. It's cold and rainy. They must hide from view from the Northern troops and travel mainly at night. They are hungry. They find an stray cow and use it to feed the baby, as Melanie is not able to do so. They pass through the Wilkes' plantation, which is completely burnt-down an dereclit. The horse dies just when they arrive Tara. Lit by weak moonlight, they gaze at proud Tara still standing.
But in Tara everything is horrible. Scarlett's mother has died, her father has gone mad, the building was not destroyed because Northern troops used it as headquarters, there are no animals or any vegetable food, many slaves have ran away, others joined the troops compulsorily, there is no money whatsoever, the fields' harvest has been lost... The bad news is told by house servants Mammy (Hattie McDaniel) and Pork (Oscar Polk), one piece after another. Scarlett goes out to clear her thoughts, and decides not give up. Scarlett gives out her renown speech "As God is my witness, I'll never be hungry again." The intermission starts.
Scarlett forces herself to make the best of it and work the land. Little by little, they repair Tara, although it's not as luxurious as it used to be, and they take care of the fields. She makes her sisters work the fields, which they do begrundgely. Melanie is the only one who can't work because of her weakness. One day, a renegade (Paul Hurst) appears with intention to rob everything valuable at Tara. There is no much, but he threatens the women, so Scarlett kills her with an old rifle. Her father and sisters think that she was cleaning the weapon and that it went off. Only Melanie knows the truth. She gives her nightdress to wrap the body of the Yankee deserter and they bury it somewhere after having searched into his pockets.
The weather gets better, and Confederate soldiers start coming back to their hometowns, and with them, Frank Kennedy (Carrol Nye) and some of Tara's former slaves. Some soldiers eat at Tara while passing-by. One of them, (Phillip Trent) talks to Melanie about her husband, who was still alive but in a tough prisoner camp. Finally, Ashley appears really down-beaten. Melanie runs to hug him, but Mammy won't let Scarlett do the same. Ashley will stay to live at Tara.
Taxes increase, and Scarlett doesn't know how she's going to pay for it. Scarlett searches comfort from the dispirited Ashley. She begs him to go way with her to Mexico and leave everything behind. He embraces her and they share yet another forbidden kiss. While he admits that he loves her and admires her courage, because of honor he can't leave Melanie and the baby. Ashley reminds to the crying Scarlett that she still has Tara which she loves more than him, and thrusts the red dirt of Tara into her hand. Tara's former overseers, rags-to-riches Jonas Wilkerson (Victor Jory) visits her offering to buy Tara. Scarlett humiliates him and throws some of the red-clay earth to his face. He leaves with his wife in outrage. Mr. O'Hara runs after him in a horse. It hits a leg against a fence when jumping, the riders falls off and breaks his neck. He must be buried without much ado.
But the problem remains: Scarlett knows that she won't be able to pay the taxes. Scarlett decides to visit Rhett in jail and ask him for the money she needs. He's hidden the remains of the funds of the Confederate money in gold, but he won't say where it's. Scarlett dresses up to the nines for the occasion using the green-coloured curtains of Tara to sew herself a wonderful dress to Mammy's dismay. Mammy is the most loyal of her servants, and she accompanies Scarlett wherever she goes, even to the jail.
Scarlett is admitted into Rhett's cell, who was playing cards with his guardians. She presents herself as elegant, rich, talks non-chalantly and laughs a lot. Rhett welcomes her and wonders if she "really has a heart". She tells her that she was bored at Tara and had decided to visit him. Rhett discovers her lie when notices Scarlett's rough hands from working on the fields. He gets angry at her. She asks for the money, doesn't mind to be humilliated by Rhett and offers everything she can: a mortgage on Tara and even herself, even without being married. Rhett dismisses her without a penny.
On their way back to Aunt Pittypat, Scarlett and Mammy come across Frank Kennedy. He's a successful business, selling the wood which the city is being re-built with. Frank is saving money to marry Suellen and has plans of living with her in the city. Scarlett tells him that Suellen has decided to marry another man, and she tries to seduce shocked Frank.
The next scene, gloomy Scarlett is back at Tara, dressed as a lady, after having anounced her already-performed wedding to Frank. Suellen goes frantic. Everybody knows that she will make Frank pay Tara's debts, and that's the only reason why she married him. Ashley, who talks about his lost civilization, mentioning the title of the film, tells her that he's soon moving to New York with Melanie and the child, because he's been offered a job in a bank. Scarlett wants to hold onto the love of his life, and she cries until Melanie hears her. Melanie tells her husband not to be an egoist and help Scarlett because she can't be left alone. Ashley gives in.
Frank's hardware store florishes under Scarlett's command. She doesn't give credit to the poor Southern people, her old friends, and makes business with Northern new-money businessmen. They expand their interests and on Scarlett's insistance they buy a sawmill and Tara becomes a bit luxurious again. Scarlett hires hungry convicts which are exploited by a cruel overseer (John Wray). One day, Rhett comes across her. He laughs saying that she could have married him if she had waited until he was freed. She talks dismissively to him and leaves alone for the sawmill. When Rhett mentions it's dangerous because of runaway deserters from both sides, she shows him a gun.
Never sooner said than done: a gang of deserters attack her. She can't fight them all, but Big Sam (Everett Brown), the old field foreman at Tara saves her. He had been living in a shantytown. That night Frank leaves Scarlett with Mammy at Wilkes'. Scarlett talks Southern men off in front of Melanie, India, Mrs. Meade (Leona Roberts). Melanie reads Charles Dickens' David Copperfield... Suddenly, Rhett appears. He tells them that Northern officers are going to ambush their Southern males. Melanie tells him where they have gone, in spite of India's advise. Rhett leaves immediately. The men wanted to take revenge on Scarlett's attack.
Tom (Ward Bond), a Yankee captain who had kept Rhett in prison forces his entry and decides to wait for the men. Rhett, Dr. Meade and Ashley finally appear, completely drunk. They say that they have been at the brother with Belle, knowing that she will back him up. Frank has been shot and is left dead. Ashley appears wounded, but as they are supposedly drunk, the soldiers mistake his dizziness because of loss of blood for tipsiness. Mrs. Meade doesn't realize it was all a lie and asks her husband if it's true that all of the walls at Belle's are covered in velvet, and her husband tells her to have some dignity.
Ashley seems to recover nicely. At dusk Belle pays a visit to Melanie. Melanie thanks her for helping to save Ashley's life. They have a friendly conversation, and Belle admonishes Melanie not to talk to her if they ever meet again on the street, as it would damage Melanie's reputation as an honest woman.
Rhett visits Scarlett surprisingly. She had been drinking and he realizes that. Rhett asks her to marry him. Scarlett admits she's in love with other man, but she'll marry him because of his money. Scarlett will spend a lot of money in returning Tara its old splendor, and Rhett also buys a mansion in Atlanta for them. Soon, they have a child, Bonnie Blue Butler (Cammie King). Scarlett decides not to have more children. Rhett is distraught and, realizing she still loves Ashley, kicks open the door seperating their bedrooms and goes to find love somewhere else (meaning at Belle's). Bonnie remains the only link between Rhett and Scarlett now. Rhett sticks to his marriage to give Bonnie the best social background possible.
India and Mrs. Meade discover Scarlett hugging Ashley. He's taken charge of the sawmill, and when Scarlett is advising him not to remember the bad times, they are found out. That night there was Ashley's birthday party. Rhett, who had heard the gossip, forces Scarlett to go in a scandalous red taffeta dress. Melanie is the only person who welcomes Scarlett. Back at the Atlanta mansion, Scarlett finds Rhett completely drunk. They have an angered conversation with unrequited love, and Rhett forces Scarlett to their bedroom.
The next morning, Scarlett is visibly sexually satisfied. Her good mood is soon gone, when the apologizing Rhett proposes a divorce. He also wants to have Bonnie and promises to take care of Scarlett financially. Scarlett rejects his offer as it would be a disgrace. The row ends with Rhett deciding to take Bonnie to an extended trip to London.
In London, Bonnie has many nightmares and can't sleep in the dark, something that her nurse (Lillian Kemble-Cooper) would force her to face. Rhett and Bonnie return to Atlanta, where Scarlett was left alone. She tells him that she's pregnant again, but Rhett dismisses her. In the ensuing row, Scarlett falls down the stairs and loses her baby. Melanie tries to offer some consolation to Rhett.
Rhett tries to reconcile himself with Scarlett, and suggests giving out the sawmill to Ashley so that he can become independent. At that moment, Bonnie is riding a horse and stubbornly jumps over a fence, dying just like Scarlett's father had.
Rhett is utterly shocked by Bonnie's death. It's Melanie who convinces him to let the young body go to be buried. The burden is too much for her, as she collapses in labor soon afterwards. Beau (Mickey Kuhn) is shunned from her deathbed. Melanie dies, leaving Ashley completely broken. That's when Scarlett realizes Ashley has never really loved her. Scarlett runs after Rhett, who left Melanie's home without saying anything to anybody.
Scarlett goes after him and gives him the bad news in their freezinly cold and empty Atlanta mansion. Rhett wants to go back to Charleston on his own. Scarlett insists that she loves him, but he won't listen. She tries to stop him but he coldly answers: "Frankly, my dear, I don't give a damn!" and steps into the heavily foggy street.
Scarlett is left alone. She talks to herself and admonishes to pull a brave face. She remembers the words of several characters and she decides to go back to Tara where "I'll think of some way to get him back! After all, tomorrow is another day!"
The last shot presents Scarlett nearby a tree with Tara in the background
Synopsis by Veletaa
