Ladies and Gentleman, this is a work of FICTION!

Rating: Null/10 (14 May 2006)

If you're going to watch GWTW as part of historical research, don't bother. You'd be better off watching The History Channel or going to the library. I LOVE this movie because of the color, the costumes, the over-the-top drama, the perfect casting. It's a feast for the eyes and the imagination. I watch it and for almost four hours, I am sucked into a world that didn't really exist. It's the perfect Hollywood movie. Let's get one thing straight, people - it was a best-selling book before it was a movie. In fact, it was a worldwide phenomenon. The reason being - IT WAS A HUGE, ESCAPIST SOAP OPERA! Published in 1937, it was a great escape for those in the midst of the Great Depression and about to enter another world war. As for historical accuracy, you have to know that it was written by a white southern woman, who likely grew up with family that lived through the Civil War. Of course she was biased. She wouldn't have been thinking PC - there was NO SUCH THING BACK THEN! No wonder the story has such stereotypical undertones, when it's author was likely a racist. Let's just love this movie for what it is - a huge, overly dramatic spectacle bursting with color and unforgettable characters.