May this movie NEVER be Gone...

Rating: 9/10 (10 March 2000)

I'll try not to gush. I really will. GWTW was indeed, a banner movie in a banner year. Despite it's four-hour-ish length, despite the fact that some performances were indeed a bit 'over the top' and despite the fact that, by today's standards, the movie is cliched and trite...it continues to WORK as few movies do. I've lost track of how many times I've seen it. Dozens. Each time, I thoroughly enjoy it. Gable is the single sexiest male to ever grace the silver screen. Vivien Leigh is phenomenal, even though she completely over-acts. Like I said...it works! (Let's face it: Scarlett O'Hara is a larger-than-life character, and playing her any other way simply wouldn't work.) Moreover, the vibrant, eye-catching cinematography is still the standard by which I judge most films. Certain scenes...particularly Scarlett in the long pan-back at the Atlanta hospital, and some of the early scenes of Tara, are mind-boggling in their intensity. This, indeed, is a melodrama. So what? It is the MELODRAMA of melodramas! It is not just a "movie" but a film experience!