A good film (for it's time)

Rating: 7/10 (28 January 2005)

I was finally persuaded to see this film by my wonderful girlfriend, and for the most part I am glad I did; I did not, however, find it the awe inspiring, chest crushing, mind blowing experience that she does every single time she puts it on. The film is a little melodramatic and sentimental but this can be overlooked when we consider the date of its release. The central character, Scarlett O'Hara (Vivien Leigh) is a ruthless, underhand, devious little bitch who manages to survive the ravages of the American Civil War and Leigh plays the character with a great degree of skill.
Leigh's performance is matched by Gable's and the two certainly have an on-screen chemistry that lends a degree of realism to their highly volatile relationship; and a strong supporting cast lends a great deal of weight to the overall effect of the film.
This film however isn't a patch on the book. Whilst Margaret Mitchell's original has been treated with due care and attention, there simply isn't enough time to fit everything in; no amount of acting can do justice to Mitchell's original Scarlett O'Hara.
People are often quick to condemn this film as inaccurate and racist or jump on the other side and say that it is a milestone in film history. I think that it is both; it is inaccurate, it is racist and it is a very entertaining film. I cannot condone racism, but this film is a product of a different era, when things were different and should be viewed in that way. The time the film is set in was a highly racist time and this film helped bring black people into Hollywood.
If you can appreciate a film as a product of the time in which it was made, then you will probably like this film. It is melodramatic, it is overstated and it makes my girlfriend cry every time. If you want my advice though, haul yourself to the library and get the book out! It'll take more than 4 hours to read but it is sure as hell worth it.
Not necessarily my cup of tea, but I don't regret seeing it.
Fiddle-dee-dee, I gave this film a 7