Rent Gone with the Wind (1939)

Classic film - Gone with the Wind review by giantrolo

Loved this film! What an absolute classic. Pretty much everyone knows the classic film line - "frankly, my dear, I don't give a damn!" - but there's nothing quite like watching this 3.5 hour epic all the way through. It's clear to see why the film is a multi-Oscar winner, with an important period of history intertwined with a fantastic cast of characters, from loveable rogues to loveable no-nonsense housekeepers. Highly recommended!

A True Classic - Gone with the Wind review by AK

After so many years of putting off wathcing this film, i finally got around to watching this almost 4 hour epic film with the iconic Vivien Leigh. A truly well made film that has stood the test of time. Note: the DVD has two sides to it (Part 1 and Part2). The Part 2 side (with the continuation of the film) has a much lower audio volume overall which made it slightly hard to hear even after putting the volume to its highest. 

Southern Epic. - Gone with the Wind review by Steve

Still the biggest box office hit ever, adjusted for inflation, David Selznick's blockbuster is the ultimate Hollywood production of the studio era. It's a faithful adaptation of Margaret Mitchell's bestseller about the US Civil War and the epic romance between tempestuous southern belle Scarlett O'Hara (Vivien Leigh) and rakish soldier of fortune Rhett Butler (Clark Gable).

It's a spectacular landmark, though flawed. Scarlett survives the burning of Atlanta, but the film doesn't, and the second half is episodic and repetitive. There's a birth or serious accident or death along every five minutes like a speeded up soap opera. Characters change and then forget they've changed. The portrayal of the slaves is heartbreaking and unforgivably cruel.

Max Steiner's score carries the later scenes. Otherwise it's the performances that keep the film alive. Scarlett is an absurd archetype, but Vivien Leigh just about makes her credible over four hours through sheer star willpower. Gable has little to do other than twinkle roguishly but Hattie McDaniel and Olivia de Havilland at least make you care.

The troubled pre-production shows. There were many writers and three directors. Politically, it is hard to stomach. Towards the end it is strongly implied that Rhett and a few male cohorts join the Ku Klux Klan! Now the material is controversial it is promoted as an opportunity to reflect on the values of a vanished civilisation. But that's too much to ask.