User reviews

I've seen the film many times, have always enjoyed it. But I've been reading the book for the first time. It's a very long novel, and you have to stay with it if you want to see the ending. It's a good read, but Margaret Mitchell, former newspaper reporter, is very thorough in her description of both Southern culture and the changes that the Civil War brought to it. It's the size of the book that was the biggest challenge for David O Selznick. Not what parts to film, but which parts to leave out. So many characters that appeared in the book couldn't be introduced in the movie without extending the film's length to well over four hours. So he had Sidney Howard write the screenplay, then cut that down to a filmable length by hiring several more writers to further pare the script, and was still rewriting it himself while it was being filmed. Selznick was close to running out of money, so he asked his angel, millionaire Jock Whitney, to loan him enough to finish the film. The film was finally completed and edited, then was test-marketed at a theatre not far from LA. The viewers were excited about having seen it and said so on their preview cards, which allowed Selznick to rest easy, knowing he had a hit on his hands.

The year 1939 was a busy year for the Hollywood industry. Large-scale, majestic epics were front and center that year. You should look up the list of films released in 1939. It was a very, busy year, with huge titles from the golden age. Lots and lots of entertainment for a pre-WW2 audience. The Wizard of Oz (1939), Stagecoach (1939), Son of Frankenstein (1939), Drums Along the Mohawk (1939) and this little film, are just some of the titles on that list. Everyone was competing for perfection in the film industry. The first two hurtles, being sound and color film, had been implemented into the technical side of the filmmaking process, to this point in film history. Technicolor had been utilized for, about, five years to this point and it was perfectly utilized in this film too. Technicolor always was a good film stock, rich with colors, that pop on the screen. Head cinematographer, Ernest Haller's camera, captures images, not seen before on film and blazes colors across the screen, in Gone With the Wind (1939).

I'm sure everyone knows the basic premise of the film. It boils down to a story about the life of woman, a daughter of a rich cotton plantation owner in 1860s, Georgia, who's life interweaves with the real life events of the American Civil War and the recovery and reconstruction years. It is a fictitious story utilizing events from the real world. Of course, most of us remember the picture on the movie posters of Scarlett O'Hara (Vivien Leigh) and Rhett Butler (Clark Gable), locked in that emotional, romantic embrace, plus it's on the cover of every DVD and Blu-Ray out there these days, but the film is really about Scarlett and all the other characters come into her circle. And, the film needs to be about Scarlett in order to be successful, because it is her spoiled, selfish, smug demeanor that energizes the whole film. Everyone who comes into her circle feels her wrath, even Rhett. Rhett isn't really a very likeable character either and watching these two unlikeable characters square off, through various parts of this film, is something to see. These are the reasons, that make this film so good. A plot involving two unlikeable characters, who eventually, reach a certain amount of maturity, that they earn some respect from the audience, doesn't deter from the overall quality of the film, because it is such a unique character study, while chaos is happening all around them.

The film does contain many sub-plots, involving politically, socially, culturally and racially charged tones, which would be expected, considering the time this period piece takes place. Which, brings up another interesting point to this film. Even though this film is approaching 85 years old now in the 21st century, it is still considered a period piece. The interesting part is the filmmakers had a more recent memory of the events used in the film, being only 75 years before, as opposed to our view, which is roughly 150 years later. In fact, there probably were a couple of Civil War veterans still alive in 1939. Another amazing thing about this film is, they started shooting this thing in January, 1939 and released it just before Christmas that same year. That is impressive, considering the massive runtime of this film. It is the runtime of this film that really hurts it from being a perfect film.

The images the filmmakers (I would list names, but you should see the Crew List on this film), are able to show us on the screen, is incredible. The color you will have stuck in your head, for a week after viewing this film, will be the color of orange, red fire, that is seen throughout the movie and obviously, mostly comes from the burning of Atlanta. A technical achievement, that hadn't been seen in the movies yet. The special effects, art direction, costuming and lighting is fantastic. You still don't notice, even today, that most of this movie was just filmed, out in the Los Angeles countryside and on sound stages. So much is going on in this film, you don't notice it. The performances by the cast is perfect. This is an epic journey about redemption and maturing. A maturity that helps the characters and a nation begin to grow. This film would roll through the Oscars in 1940, including winning the Best Picture Oscar.

9.3 (A MyGrade) = 9 IMDB.

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.

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.

At first you would think, the main theme of the film is the horrors of war and the idea that both sides suffer , but that is not the only case in "Gone with the Wind", the war is just a background... Scarlet lives almost her entire life in an illusion of love... She has a target she want to achieve and she thinks if she achieves it she will be happy, while missing the point on the way to that target... Something that I realised on a 2nd viewing is that Scarlet is a pretty selfish person with sociopaths behaviour. She can easily manipulate men and sometimes women in order to achieve her goal. She can kill a person and not feel that bad about it,she can exploit prisoners rather than hire free men. The goal is what pushes her forward and sometimes makes her do good things, but these deeds are never done out of big heart, they are usually done in self interest. You would think she ends up achieving everything she wanted, but she does not. Scarlet lives in a personal hell which partially she created herself and only when the last obstacle to her big love, the female friend that loves her is gone, she realises that all this time, she lived the illusion of love, she was hurting the people that loved her. Is scarlet a horrible person? Probably... Does she pay for her sins? She does more than anyone... Does she understand what true love is? Yes in the end she does... What makes this film so great, it's a tragedy like "War And Peace" with monumental character development ...Any scenes of war and racism fade compared to the tragedy of Scarlet which lives in personal hell...

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 film shows the best of the American cinema. Whether we like the film, or not, one has to recognize the greatest achievement, perhaps, of the creative talent of the people working in the movie industry. "Gone with the Wind" represents a monumental leap, as well as a departure, for the movies, as they were done prior to this film.

The vision of David O. Selznick, the power behind bringing Margaret Mitchell's massive account about the South, before and after the Civil War, pays handsomely with the film that Victor Fleming directed. This movie will live forever because it reminds us of how this great nation came into being, despite the different opinions from the two stubborn factions in the war.

"Gone with the Wind" brought together the best people in Hollywood. The end result is the stunning film that for about four hours keep us interested in the story unfolding in the screen. Of course, credit must be due to the director, Victor Fleming, and his vision, as well as the adaptation by Sydney Howard, who gave the right tone to the film. The gorgeous cinematography created by Ernest Haller gives us a vision of the gentle South before the war, and the Phoenix raising from the ashes of a burned Atlanta. The music of Max Steiner puts the right touch behind all that is seen in the movie.

One can't conceive another Scarlett O'Hara played by no one, but Vivien Leigh. Her beauty, her sense of timing, her intelligent approach to this role, makes this a hallmark performance. Ms. Leigh was at the best moment of her distinguished career and it shows. Scarlett goes from riches to rags, back to riches again and in the process finds an inner strength she didn't know she possessed. Her impossible love for Ashley will consume her and will keep her away from returning the love to the man that really loves her, Rhett.

The same thing applies to the Rhett Butler of Clark Gable. No one else comes to mind for playing him with the passion he projects throughout the movie. This is a man's man. Captain Butler was torn between his loyalty to the cause of the South and his sense of decency. His love for Scarlett, the woman he knows is in love with a dream, speaks eloquently for itself.

The other two principals, Olivia de Havilland and Leslie Howard, give performances that are amazing to watch. Ms. de Havilland's Melanie Hamilton is perfect. Melanie is loyal to the woman that does everything to undermine her marriage to Ashley. Mr. Howard's Ashley gives a perfect balance to the man in love with his wife, while Scarlett keeps tempting him.

The rest of the cast is too numerous to make justice to all the actors one sees on the screen, but omitting the contribution of Hattie McDaniel to the film would be sinful. Ms. McDaniel was such a natural actress that she is excellent no matter in what movie she is playing. This huge talent is a joy to watch.

Comments to this forum express their objections to the way the race relations play in the movie, but being realistic, this movie speaks about the not too distant past where all kinds of atrocities, such as the slavery, were the norm of the land. While those things are repugnant to acknowledge, in the film, they are kept at a minimum. After all, this film is based on a book by one of the daughters of that South, Margaret Mitchell, who is presenting the story as she saw it in her mind, no doubt told to her from relatives that lived in that period of a horrible page in the American history.

Enjoy this monumental classic in all its splendor.

Margaret Mitchell's Gone with the Wind, in its true essence, is a case study on the Old American way of living where pride and honor were the very essence of human existence. Victor Fleming's rendition of the classic novel, a classic within its own right, does full justice to the themes propagated by Mitchell's evocative masterpiece. In the words of Mitchell herself, Gone with the Wind is the story of the people whose gift of gumption gave them a definitive edge to endure the tribulation and throes of the American Civil War vis-à-vis those who lacked an inner resolve and determination needed for survival.

Scarlet O'Hara, the well bred, haughty, tempestuous and opportunistic protagonist of the saga, is an ostensibly flawed individual whose inexorable urge to placate her ego and realize her fancies appears far stronger than her adherence to any credence pious to her people and relevant to her time. Her scintillating charm and unrestrained zeal not only make her an object of desire for her male counterparts but also an object of envy for the girls around her.

Vivian Leigh perfectly fits into the caricature of Scarlet O'Hara. She makes full use of her talent, courage and guile to portray a part that requires subtlety, brusqueness and poise in equal parts. It may sound like a hyperbole, but no other actress seemed better equipped to play the part a southern belle than Leigh herself, who won not one but two Oscars while playing one: first for her portrayal of Scarlet O'Hara and second for portraying Blanche DuBois in A Streetcar Named Desire opposite Marlon Brando. In fact, her portrayal of Scarlet O'Hara, in which she perfectly blends panache, poignancy and peremptoriness, is arguably the greatest portrayal by a female lead in cinematic history. Leigh uses her on-stage experience to improvise in order to add new dimensions and complexities to Scarlet's caricature, which according to the novel was mostly one dimensional: out-and-out bad. Scarlet's stubbornness and her impish obsession for a conformist like Ashley, who is not only indifferent to her feelings but also incapable of reciprocating the passion and zeal with which she pursues him, represent just one dimension of her multifaceted self, which is revealed layer by layer with the progression of the narrative. The viewer is gifted to see Scarlet in various avatars: a usurper, an egomaniac, a damsel, a nemesis, a menace, a guardian, a savior, a patriot, a fighter and most importantly as a quintessence of womanhood.

Clark Gable as Rhett Butler perfectly complements Vivian Leigh's larger than life portrayal. He is an outright reprobate, an unscrupulous opportunist whose life revolves around making money and pursuing carnal pleasures. However, behind this facade, just like Scarlet, there is a human capable of love, and worthy of being loved. These unobtrusive yet obvious similarities make Scarlet and Rhett a perfect match for each other. The subtle chemistry and tension between the two protagonists give the story its impetus and resonant charm. The rest of the cast has given exemplary performances with a special mention of Olivia de Havilland, who as Melanie is a paragon of love, humility and forgiveness. She provides a striking contrast to Scarlet's caricature and represents a more traditional picture of womanhood.

The movie's direction, cinematography, editing and music are all top notch and it is the great synergy of all these elements that makes the movie an extravaganza and an undisputed master piece, one to be savored till eternity. The movie is an amalgam of scenes, high on emotion and drama, which keeps the viewer absorbed throughout. The scene in which Scarlet's father tells her the importance of mother land, deeming it as the only thing worth fighting for, is pure gold. Other scenes that come close to matching its brilliance include the one in which Scarlet performs the duties of an obstetrician to help Melanie give birth to her child, and the one in which Scarlet pledges to protect Tara till her last breath. The movie also has an amazing repertoire of dialogs that are delivered with a nice mix of finesse and accuracy. Butler's famous dialog in which he says to Scarlet, "You should be kissed and often, and by someone who knows how," also happens to be one of all time favorite.

The movie, especially its anti-climatic ending, brings tears to eyes and leaves the viewer overwhelmed as he experiences a rainbow of different emotions, being awestruck by the tremendous impact of the journey that he is vicariously made to undergo.

PS. Gone with the Wind is undoubtedly one of cinema's greatest marvels and is a living testament to cinema's timelessness, and its limitless potential. A must watch for everyone. 10/10

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It was way back on New Year's day of 2014 when I got myself a copy of this movie and watched it for the first time, in total awe; that one hadn't got an overture, intermission and exit music and ran at about 3,5 hours but I didn't feel the time at all. What's 4 hours of time when the story is timeless?

What can I tell you about the movie that you don't already know? That it is the highest grossing movie of all times? That it got eight Oscars including the first ever given to an African-American, Hattie McDaniel (whose Mammy was an adorable character and I'm totally in love with her performance)? Or that I love this movie to the moon and back? Yes, that's what I'm going to say.

This 1939's masterpiece is a perfection of a movie and frankly my dears I don't give a damn about what you have to say about it. Excellent performances (especially by Clark Gable and Hattie McDaniel) and lovable characters, impressive war and hospital scenes, plot and storylines that leave you fidgeting on the edge of the seat until the end, beautiful music, astounding cinematography, colorful set pieces, splendid direction by Victor Fleming and the list goes on and on. It's easier to say bad things about the movie because there are none.

Sometimes we all feel like Scarlett: that we are living a lie, believing the things that are untrue, making other people miserable and thinking there's no one out there who truly loves us the way we are but missing it all because of the blindfold on our eyes. But once we take it off everything changes. You change. I change. And I hope every new day will bring positive changes for all of us because after all tomorrow is another day...

I'm sorry, I generally don't like this film. Expansive, epic, picturesque, an achievement for its time ... OK. A compelling story about the devastation, hardship, suffering and brutality of the Civil War, and the courage and resilience of its survivors ... OK, but credit the novel for all that.

A key problem is the heroine, Scarlett O'Hara, who remains insufferably selfish and inhumane throughout this long movie. Are we supposed to admire her? I cannot. Another problem is that the film drags in many places. Too much screen time is focused on men professing love for Scarlett and Scarlett expressing her hopeless adoration for Ashley. Gosh, move on with it!

Even for its time, I can't see how its flaws failed to overcome its grandeur.

The film claims in the opening credits to have a historian as a consultant, Wilbur G. Kurtz. And, at the time of its making, what he did sufficed as history.

The Old South was claimed to be a "pretty world," "a dream remembered," and full of gallantry. There are innumerable problems with the film the greatest of which is racist sentiment.

The portrayal of "Mammy" is particularly racist. Manny has no name and her entire life is invested in Scarlett's. She says the happiest day of her life is when Scarlett has her child. She is always worried about the family's reputation and lives vicariously through them. She becomes terribly upset and emotional when Rhett and Scarlett fight. Most outrageously, Mammy is seen pushing USCT soldiers aside to allow Scarlett through as if Mammy and other former slaves have no interest in their own freedom.

If the portrayal of Mammy is bad, the portrayal of Prissy is even worse. Mammy is at least portrayed has having some sense whereas Prissy plays "the simple-minded darkie" with no courage at all. Her high pitched voice serves to emphasize her inanity.

Mammy and Prissy's characters are part of a larger lie that the movie attempts to tell: the myth of the "loyal darkies." In the scene where Atlanta is under attack by Sherman, some black men say, "Don't worry! We'll stop them Yankees!" When one slave is given a watch he refuses to accept it and insists that Scarlett should keep it as if to say, "Look! These white people were so great to us we want nothing from them!" The film also advances the myth of benign slavery. Scarlett's father tells her to treat slaves gently, as if the only problem is a few bad masters who commit excesses. When Ashley complains of misgivings about white prison labor, he says that he kept all of his slaves well-fed and would have freed them when his father died if the war had not done so first.

Finally, the film advances the myth of the evil carpetbagger. "Carpetbaggers" are shown to be terrible and vicious people who kick injured Confederates off the road and ride with nicely dressed black men sitting in a position of equality. One night, the white southerners "clean out the woods to protect their women," which is just code for organizing the KKK and committing murder.

The film is rife with faux sentiment, posturing, and social strategizing. Scarlett O'Hara is simply a terrible character. She is screaming, crying and whining. She's weak, flirtatious, boy-crazy, and hopelessly in love. She slaps Prissy and tells her she will sell her south. Scarlett is manipulative, lying, deceptive, lovesick, and obsessed with looks. And all her tribulations are emphasized by melodramatic music and foreboding weather.

Even scenes which would otherwise be wonderful must be condemned because of the vicious intent behind them. The contrast of the tree, Scarlett, and her father against the setting sun is simply perfect. But, it intends to advance the myth of the idyllic Old South. After the attack on Atlanta, the camera shows the land covered with soldiers and pans back up to the Confederate flag. While expertly shot, the scene is used to evoke sympathy for the Lost Cause.

This film competes with Birth of a Nation for the title of "Most Celebrated Terrible Film of All-Time." Gone with the Wind is less racist, but much more celebrated than Birth of a Nation. Given the two criteria, it is difficult to say which is worse. Birth of a Nation has been kicked off AFI's Top 100 Films while Gone with the Wind still sits perched at #4. Whereas films like Christmas with the Kranks are unequivocally awful, Gone with the Wind is worse. The reason being that it is much worse to be shitty and pernicious than it is to be shitty and harmless.

To paraphrase a quote from Scarlett, "As God is my witness, I will never watch this film again!"

The setting is a Georgia plantation. The year is 1861, and sixteen-year-old Scarlett O'Hara is infatuated with the blond, drowsy-eyed Ashley Wilkes - the problem is, Ashley plans to marry another woman. Little matter that every other man in the county is courting Scarlett and that a charming scoundrel named Rhett Butler is staring at her with questionable intent - she cares only for Ashley.

Suddenly, the Civil War brakes out, changing the fates and fortunes of all. Scarlett, clever, manipulative, and charming, proves an adept survivor - but what will she have to do to survive? And will she ever learn whom it is that she really loves?

GWTW is one of the most meticulously cast films ever; with the possible exception of Leslie Howard as Ashley (in his forties, rather old to be playing a man half that age), every role was perfectly assigned. After you watch Vivien Leigh you will be unable to imagine anyone else playing Scarlett, and Hattie McDaniel's strong, unforgettable performance as "Mammy" netted her an academy award (the first for an African-American actor).

GWTW's backdrop is the gruesome Civil War, and in the end this film is the story a woman and a civilization (the Old South) going through a war that will not leave either of them unchanged.

The cinematography is beautiful, memorable. Gone With the Wind was shot entirely in gorgeous technicolor; the scene of the fire in Atlanta required the use of all eight technicolor cameras in existence at the time.

The pragmatic may think Gone with the Wind overly dramatic; the restless may find it too long; the action-stimulated, too subtle. None of this, however, detracts from the fact that GWTW retains a lasting appeal as one of the crowning cinematic achievements of the 20th century. Those who see its ending as depressing - tragic, even - perhaps miss the point - which Scarlett O'Hara makes in her very last instant with us, tear-stained eyes uplifted in a sudden, curious burst of hope beneath all the turmoil; that .. . "After all, tomorrow is another day." 10/10

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

I believe that when one views a film, one should consider the context in which it was made.

Barely 10 years after talking pictures were first created; less than that after the first full-length color feature film was created; near the end of the greatest depression this country ever experienced, and in which pretty much the only entertainment available to most was radio or the movies; David O Selznik decided to turn the biggest pot-boiler blockbuster novel into a movie.

And what a movie. Stunning color, the most popular mail actor of his time, perfect music score, incredible action scenes, story line only 70 years removed from when it happened, and on, and on. Can you imagine what a store-clerk or a farmer, or a teacher experienced in that world, seeing Gone With the Wind? What was there to compare with? 1939 was a watershed year for great movies, and this one was the greatest produced. Try watching this movie as if there were no TV, no DVD's, only a few radio stations, spending maybe the second to the last quarter you owned, never having seen such a movie before, and you get what I mean. Masterful for its time, and still timeless today.

When a film is consistently recognised through the wisdom of the crowd, over so many years, as being great and epic and, for the duration of that film to run close to four hours - it really does suggest something a bit special. That something a bit special is a timeless story set during some of the darkest times in American history but it isn't the setting that makes this special, it's the story, the story of a cruel, selfish and manipulative opportunist performing her craft to perfection, it's the story portrayed through one of the greatest cinematic performances the world of movies has ever seen. While the leading man and the supporting cast are outstanding, you walk away from this with only one person holding and controlling your thoughts, just like the character she plays, just as she does through the whole of the picture - the incredible and sublimely talented, the beautiful and vivacious, the tempestuous hurricane of a tornado that is Vivien Leigh. Setting the bar so high it remains unparalleled, even to this day.

Every time I watch this film, and I've seen it more times than I can remember, I'm always astonished by the freshness of the story, the power of the emotions it conveys and the beautiful, detailed images of a time long gone. That this film was made in the 1930's is almost incomprehensible to me. The challenges that had to be overcome in order to bring it to life must have been monumental. But come to life it did, and still does! A triumph of film-making ingenuity and genius, that will live on for many generations to come.

I watched GWTW for the first time in the late 90's. I have to admit that as teenager I was quite disappointed. This is considered one of THE movies of all time and I found it hard to enjoy for a number of reasons.

The lead: Scarlett O'Hara is not a likable character. She is selfish and egocentric and just mostly annoying. Since then I have to a degree learned to enjoy a little bit her will power but the character will always remain a disappointment to me.

"Edit 210810: Since writing this review I have realized that Victor Fleming wanted Scarlett to be depicted in a quite bad way since she was a Southerner. I never thought of that before and that makes sense.. It doesn't change my opinion about the movie but I understand why its lead is what she is. End edit"

The acting: I know it was the melodramatic way in those days but it's just not natural. First few scenes I watched I could hardly believe it since they felt SO overplayed. Since then I have watched a lot more old movies and learned to accept it but still..

Ashley: Leslie Howard was a great actor but miscast here and he felt so himself. According to several sources he was also completely indifferent. To this day I can't understand that David O'Selznick thought that was the best choice for the part.

But there are of course also reasons why this probably is the most famous movie of all time.

The photo/scenery: for 1939 nothing short of absolutely sensational. Hard to believe really and decades before it's time.

The soundtrack: also, put into context, one of the greatest of all time.

To a degree, the story: yes it is a "civil war soap opera" but the story is quite ok and some of the characters rather interesting.

So.. since that first viewing I have actually come to enjoy it for what it is. It will never be a favorite but it fascinates me more than many other movies.

Of course I have to finish talking a little bit about the racism issues because of BLM as well.

I get it. I get what annoys people about this movie. Still.. I feel that the criticism is exaggerated and IS exaggerated because of the fame and praise for this movie.

Because I don't feel blacks are badly portrayed or mistreated in an unacceptable way. Ok, I know they complain about stereotypical portrayal and "happy slaves" but I don't really agree actually.. loyal servants more than slaves, absolutely, but happy? Was that kind of relationship never the case in any household? Were slaves always treated badly by their owners and beaten etc.? In some cases, absolutely, but who wanted to watch that in 1939? Would it have been a better option to show the owners torturing their slaves than showing a decent relationship? To me, I doubt it.. And the movie is still set during the civil wat so there WERE slaves.. as tragic as that fact is.

I know that Selznick put a lot of effort in trying not to affend anyone and I think he did a decent job no matter the criticism of today.

By the way, you can also argue for the fact that Southerners were portrayed as naive and smug going into that war with such limited resources and also that the Yankees were bloodthirsty barbarians who just killed everyone in their way. About that there is not much talk..

Finally.. to put things in perspective there is one other classic movie that I will never watch because of its obvious racism and that is "Birth of a Nation". From what I have learned it's unacceptable even by 1915 standards. GWTW has its flaws but it's not even close to that level and again, considering it was made 1939 I think it is a decent watch on all levels.

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...

An absolute classic of a film that everyone loves. Can't believe its effectively been banned now because some people get upset at everything.