3 thoughts on “Fall Repeat: Gone With the Wind, Not Just Another Frock Flick

  1. GWTW is such a frustrating film. It hits all the “right” story beats; Scarlett is a compelling character who grows from a superficial ninny to a shrewd businesswoman; VL’s chemistry with CG is incredible. But then you realize what it’s actually about…. Take the scene where Ashley and the others go out to “avenge” Scarlett’s near-rape. It took several viewings before I realized they are in the KKK and that’s a lynching! WTF!

    If this were a shlocky melodrama, the Lost Cause claptrap would not have wormed its way so deeply into the American unconscious.

  2. The comments on this post are wonderful, insightful, and fascinating. To hear the opinions of Americans from both north and south, as well as from those who reside outside the US, . . . . read it, folks! It will expand your mind!

  3. My first enounter with GWTW was as a teenager in the 70s. I was emotionally invested in the romantic aspects, but as an adult I came around to viewing Melanie as the role model to be emulated, and certainly, the issues of slavery are discomforting for any intelligent adult. I now think of it as a product of its time, in that Margaret Mitchell was the granddaughter of a CSA veteran and grew up hearing the lost cause/damn Yankee stories, so it shaped her world view. It’s certainly a beautiful film with incredible production and costume design. I love that Hattie MacDaniel reminded people that she earned a hella lot more money playing a domestic servant than actually working as one, free or enslaved. She was one of the best parts of the film. As an aside, since the academic probably wasn’t as invested in the characters of the film, the character of Rhett Butler was also part of the Southern aristocracy, however, due to what was seen as moral failings, he was no longer received in polite society and cut off from his family’s money. That he was able to make his way and become wealthy on his own could have been read as an affront to polite society. The novel charted his character development in a way that the film didn’t. On becoming a father to Bonnie, he realized that if he wanted his daughter to be part of the world the rest of his family belonged to he was going to have to mend his ways, and he’s described as taking up a job in the local bank, helping the old line families, and contributing to memorial funds, as well as letting it be known that he served at the last minute. After Bonnie’s death, he’s described as so grief stricken he descends into alcoholism, and receives sympathy from the old line families that Scarlett never receives. Part of his motivation for leaving Scarlett is to find nostalgic comfort of that world he once rejected. Both Scarlett and Rhett are far more nuanced figures in the novel. But again – this work is a product of its time, and maybe best presented as an example of why whitewashing history is not a good idea.

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