Gone with the Wind

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) | Release Date: January 17, 1940

8.2	USER SCORE Universal acclaim based on 263 Ratings

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zlatanmazuidiApr 1, 2018

one of the most racist movies i have ever witnessed in my entire life
The New York Post film critic Lou Lumenick has called for Gone with the Wind, the 1939 multi-Oscar-winning epic, to no longer be screened in cinemas.
“If the Confederateone of the most racist movies i have ever witnessed in my entire life
The New York Post film critic Lou Lumenick has called for Gone with the Wind, the 1939 multi-Oscar-winning epic, to no longer be screened in cinemas.

“If the Confederate flag is finally going to be consigned to museums as an ugly symbol of racism,” writes Lumenick, “what about the beloved film offering the most iconic glimpse of that flag in American culture?”

The film, which is still the most lucrative of all time when figures are adjusted for inflation, screens on 4 July in New York’s Museum of Modern Art as part of its centenary of Technicolor celebrations. “Maybe that’s where this much-loved but undeniably racist artifact really belongs,” writes Lumenick.

Adapted from Margaret Mitchell’s Pulitzer prize-winning 1936 novel, Victor Fleming’s film stars Vivien Leigh as the daughter of a Georgia plantation owner who falls for her cousin’s husband before marrying Clark Gable’s gambler-turned-soldier. Set during the American civil war and told from the perspective of white Southerners, the film has long been felt to be one of America’s finest. It took 10 gongs at the 1940 Oscars, including one for Hattie McDaniel, who was the first black person to win an Academy award.

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The book, as well as the film, says Lumenick, “buys heavily into the idea that the civil war was a noble lost cause and casts Yankees and Yankee sympathisers as the villains”. It also, he writes, goes to “great lengths to enshrine the myth that the civil war wasn’t fought over slavery — an institution the film unabashedly romanticises”.

Lumenick speculates that many in the Academy likely feel the same way, noting that The Wizard of Oz – which was defeated as best picture by Gone with the Wind in 1940 – received a special 75th anniversary tribute. But during the same ceremony (in which 12 Years a Slave was ultimately named best picture) Gone with the Wind was all but ignored.

The critic concludes: “What does it say about us as a nation if we continue to embrace a movie that, in the final analysis, stands for many of the same things as the Confederate flag that flutters so dramatically over the dead and wounded soldiers at the Atlanta train station just before the intermission?”… Expand

4 of 11 users found this helpful47

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kmdukeApr 12, 2019

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat.

1 of 3 users found this helpful12

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SuperflySisterJul 20, 2019

Although it’s well-filmed, this is Basically a slavery-apologist movie.Hattie McDaniel’s Academy Award was well-earned.

1 of 3 users found this helpful12

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FreddoFazbeardoApr 12, 2020

I hate this movie, and the people, all, I hate it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

1 of 3 users found this helpful12

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peregrineFeb 13, 2019

An apology for one of the most pernicious myths in American history--the Lost Cause of the Confederacy. Includes some scenes and characters almost as morally perverse as D. W. Griffith's "Birth of a Nation" but without the virtues of thatAn apology for one of the most pernicious myths in American history--the Lost Cause of the Confederacy. Includes some scenes and characters almost as morally perverse as D. W. Griffith's "Birth of a Nation" but without the virtues of that film's cinematic innovations.… Expand

1 of 4 users found this helpful13

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Movieman5000Dec 19, 2018

This is without a doubt the worst movie ever made. It boring Bad acting No Talent. The Movie need to Be destroyed & forgotten. 100% worthless

1 of 15 users found this helpful114

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royalguy07Jul 29, 2023

Technically proficient and has a wonderful main score. It's issues are well noted (mainly blatant and one note racism) and its characters insufferable, particularly the lead, who is a real drag for 4 hours.

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

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zcat5Jun 26, 2023

"Gone With the Wind" is a piece of cinematic history that insists on clinging to relevance through sheer stubbornness and an uncritical audience's selective memory. This film, often masqueraded as a cinematic 'classic,' does nothing but spit"Gone With the Wind" is a piece of cinematic history that insists on clinging to relevance through sheer stubbornness and an uncritical audience's selective memory. This film, often masqueraded as a cinematic 'classic,' does nothing but spit in the face of ethical storytelling and modern film-making sensibilities. It's not just the abhorrent racism that plagues this film, but its supposed 'groundbreaking' cinematic techniques and storytelling, which have long been surpassed, render it as nothing more than a languishing relic of Hollywood's early years. The film's racist depiction of the Antebellum South is beyond redemption. It peddles a romantic vision of plantation life, blithely ignoring the brutalities of slavery that underpinned this 'era of grandeur.' If one perceives this setting as a nostalgic, desirable period, it is a clear testament to the film's successful, albeit perverse, manipulation of history. Furthermore, the portrayal of Black characters is inexcusably demeaning. Characters like Mammy and Prissy are offensive racial caricatures, serving as mere props to their white 'masters.' Hattie McDaniel's Academy Award win, while a historic moment for Black actresses, remains a bitter reminder of Hollywood's systemic racism, rewarding a portrayal that propagates harmful racial stereotypes. Unfortunately, this disgraceful narrative doesn't solely tarnish "Gone With the Wind". Its cinematic techniques and storytelling, once touted as revolutionary, now appear amateurish and archaic. The film's long, bloated runtime, melodramatic performances, and ham-fisted dialogue make for a tedious viewing experience, completely devoid of the subtlety and nuance that define modern cinema. Any merit that the film might have once held has been eroded by the relentless passage of time and the evolution of film-making techniques.

There are three kinds of people who like "Gone With the Wind". Firstly, those stuck in a romanticized vision of a bygone era in cinema, unwilling to confront the film's glaring inadequacies compared to modern standards. Secondly, those who haven't seen it at all, blindly accepting its 'classic' status based on hearsay and Hollywood legend. Lastly, and most alarmingly, those who are either willingly blind or disturbingly comfortable with the racism that permeates the entire narrative.

In an era that demands critical viewing and responsible storytelling, "Gone With the Wind" holds absolutely no value. It is an example of how not to portray history or make a film, a blemish on the face of American cinema. The film is an irrefutable 0/10 - a testament to Hollywood's shameful past that should be consigned to the dustbin of history rather than paraded as an untouchable classic.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

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