Rhett, too, is a symbol of hope and recovery. Self-reliant and cynical, he is beaten down by war and love but still helps his fellow man. This spirit was embodied in the strength of people living in Europe during the s. Gone With the Wind gave Europeans hope that they too could overcome the fear and hardships of war. Gone With the Wind is an engaging story told well. It became the highest-earning film made up to that point, and held the record for over a quarter of a century.
When adjusted for monetary inflation, it is still the highest-grossing film in history…. Gone with the Wind film. She noted that Gone With The Wind is still very popular among readers today, but it is seldom marked by critics in literary history and literary history of criticism.
Therefore, Gone With the Wind is never considered to be a masterpiece. Not only was a plantation and post-war state capital constructed, but many of the stunning backdrops were hand painted matte and combined with live action shots during the editing process. Those vibrant sunsets at Tara? Hand painted. The facade of Twelve Oaks plantation? Yup, hand painted. It was that good. My friend Tatiana can testify to the validity of this statement. The film was scored by famous film composer Max Steiner Now, Voyager, Casablanca, Mildred Pierce , and true to melodramatic form, it barely lets up throughout the entire film.
The results were definitely worth it. Steiner may have lost out on the Academy Award for best original score which went to Herbert Stothart for The Wizard of Oz , but in terms of popular consciousness of the music in Gone with the Wind , he definitely emerged the winner. Everyone has probably heard of the countless problems that plagued the production of Gone with the Wind.
But the one who got all the credit and an Oscar was Victor Fleming. However, Fleming was a no-nonsense director who managed to pull together a film that was already over budget and behind schedule.
Has there ever been a leading couple as right for the parts they were playing as Clark Gable and Vivien Leigh in Gone with the Wind? Talk about perfect casting! So spot-on was the casting of the two leads that it remains nearly impossible to imagine anyone else playing the roles. Clark Gable may have given one of the best performances of his career in Gone with the Wind , but there is no denying that Vivien Leigh owns this film.
Scarlett is a dynamic character and the expanse of the film allowed Leigh the space to bring her to life. Over the course of four hours we see Scarlett change from carefree coquette to world-weary woman. In addition, Leigh is one of the only principal cast members who took mandatory voice lessons to perfect a southern accent.
This coming from a girl who, when she made her initial screentest for the part, had never heard a southern accent before. Gone with the Wind clocks in at a running time of close to four hours. An epic movie with an epic story to be told. There are many three-four hour films that feel like four hours. There are even many two hour films that feel like four hours. Not Gone with the Wind. Why has Gone with the Wind remained so popular for so long?
We both agreed that the answer was probably the universal themes of the story. We can all relate to the characters on some level or another. In this way, it is difficult to pigeonhole Gone with the Wind as belonging to any one era. It is certainly a product of its time, but the themes make it a product for all time. As mentioned above, Gone with the Wind is nearly 75 years old, but modern technologies for film restoration have made sure it continues to look fresh.
If film restoration was like plastic surgery, Gone with the Wind would probably be the equivalent of Joan Rivers. But instead of being an old, hot mess, Gone with the Wind looks amazing. Thanks to Warner Bros. The vibrant colors look incredibly natural and the intricacies of costumes and sets can be seen in stunning detail.
If you thought the latest DVD looked fabulous, wait until you see the Blu Ray which is where the screencaps in this post were grabbed from. Last, but certainly not least, Gone with the Wind remains a pop culture phenomenon. Continuous theatrical screenings, events and DVD re-releases have ensured that this film remains above the radar.
It seems like there is always something Gone with the Wind -related going on somewhere. You can find out more about the festivities here. Tags: gone with the wind lists. Kendra has been the weblady at vivandlarry.
Follow her on Twitter kendrajbean , Instagram at vivandlarrygram , or at her official website. View all posts. Notify me of follow-up comments by email. Notify me of new posts by email. This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed. My favorite thing about GWTW has to be your point 5: the casting of the 2 leading roles.
Both Gable and Leigh are awesome in their individual roles, but together…whew, they positively sizzle!! Their scenes together are always vibrant, electric, dynamic, — and at times funny, dramatic, romantic, subtly erotic… Yeah, talk about on-screen chemistry!! The Costumes for one, Vivien and Clark gables performance. I almost know word for word in this movie. I have watched it so many times. I wish there were more movies like this, more of a Scarlett and Rhett butler.
I know what you mean, Anna. A feat in itself! I had not seen it in almost twenty years until a few years ago and once again the first half completely blew me away. An annual presentation at a golden age cinema in Memphis Tenn was cancelled last summer and, alas, it may never again have a theatrical screening due to PC. I loved reading this post, Kendra! GWTW has been one of my favorite films since I was a teenager, and I try to watch it every year sometimes more than that!
Thanks, Brandie! I watch it about once a year, as well! I agree with number five — the romantic pairing of the fabulous Clark Gable with Vivien Leigh is absolutely unparalleled in cinema history! But for me, numero UNO would have to be the tour de force put forth by Vivien.
There has been and never will be a performance like it! It is amazing how many dolls and figurines and various kinds of memorabilia are available and still bought and sold today. I collect some of the dolls and the outfits, and the Franklin Mint still sells them! To me that is quite a testament. And Tonner does as well, Mattel, and Madame Alexander.
There are more I am sure. Were they real tears or glycerin tears? One scene was Christmas… Ashley leaving to go to the depot… the kiss scene.
I adore both the Christmas dresses btw! Five and eight are my biggest reasons for loving Gone with the Wind. Leigh and Gable are so impossibly perfect to me as Scarlett and Rhett. I love it for the themes because I always feel more hopeful about life after watching it. Tomorrow is another day so you can never run out of hope. I agree. No surprise here, but I completely agree that Vivien is irreplaceable as Scarlett. But I do think Flynn could have done it.
The character of Rhett was often compared in the book to a pirate, and Flynn reputedly was something of a pirate prior to his film career. He and Vivien would have looked great together as a film couple, in my opinion, and I suspect they would have had great chemistry. I very much wish that Leslie Howard had not been cast as Ashley. I think you agree with me on this, Kendra?? If you do, who from that generation of actors would have been your choice for that role?
I realize that the idea of replacing Gable with another actor is probably as offensive in some quarters as the idea of replacing Vivien would be to me, and for that I do apologize in advance! Clark was also a trained personality. I think it would have been much easier than to recast the leads.
Gable was pretty flawless, and the more I see him the more layers I discover in his performance. I wish they had done a film together. Leslie Howard has a few moments but all in all he is not on the tier that the other big three are, or Hattie McDaniel for that matter. Hi Rebecca … I always love your comments!
I also imagine they would have had great physical chemistry, and the sparks would have flown! Bette Davis? Oh come on…she was great actress but she was ugly! And the best part of the story is how Vivien walked off with the part out of nowhere at the very last minute. In my opinion the behind the scenes story of how GWTW came together — and the legacy it has left — is every bit as exciting as the plot of GWTW itself.
Thanks, David! I also agree with your assessment of Vivien. Oh I so agree, David! When Vivien is onscreen it is almost impossible for me to keep my eyes off her and concentrate on other players or goings-on!
There are few performers with that much magnetism. I find James Dean to be that way. In the scant three films he made. He is so compelling that I cannot look away — I have to watch his every expression. Vivien had that same quality. Brando was that compelling but Vivien more than held her own next to him in Streetcar — nobody else could have done it. That was another great pairing in a completely different way. It is my one of favorite pieces of music anywhere from any time, and that says a lot, from a classical musician.
I wish I had the whole thing on a CD but have never found it.
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