Review of Gone with the Wind

Rating: 10/10 (4 May 2016)

Watching this movie in 2016, it's still easy to see how great of a film Gone with the Wind is. This film winning a total of eight Academy Awards and two honorable awards, is truly a classic. The use of Technicolor along with sound in this film is quite amazing. Being able to see the effect that the American Civil War had on not only living during that time but also the way the films were being done. This war had a huge effect on the film as you watch it you get to see the way that the war has changed the lives of these Southerners. The film shows how life was before during and after the war for them. This amazing adaptation of the 1936 novel Gone with the Wind by Margaret Mitchell tells the love story of Scarlett O'Hara. Living at her parents' plantation in Georgia, Scarlett learns about the engagement of Ashley and Melanie Hamilton. The next day at the Twelve Oaks party, despite warnings from her parents Scarlett reveals her feelings for Ashely, he refuses because of his love for his cousin Melanie Hamilton. Although she's not in love with him, Scarlett accepts the engagement from Charles, which is Melanie younger brother. They go on to marry, and Scarlett is left widowed when Charles suddenly passed away.
After the auction, Rhett buys Scarlett a green hat which she loves. Surprisingly, Scarlett still seems to be thinking about Ashley and wants to be with him. She says that she has never loved anyone besides him. The acting in this film is outstanding. The chemistry between Scarlett O' Hara played by Viven Leigh, Rhett Butler by Clark Gable is undeniably alluring. It's no wonder how both actors won Academy Awards for best actor and actress. War and poverty propels Scarlett into adulthood, giving her no time to mature. Even though she has matured throughout the film, she still has some characteristics of a spoiled young girl. Clark Gable's character is the supremely confident male, and he portrays that very well. These acting techniques definitely were different than the current techniques. It turned out to be a great thing because of the fact that this film has won plenty of awards for the acting, also that even all of these years later it is still looked at as one of the greatest films in cinema history. Viven Leigh (Scarlett) was an English actress and did an amazing job with the southern accent used in the film. Scarlett sees Ashley and gives him a scarf that she made for him. She says that there is nothing that she won't do for him. Ashley then breaks the news to her that he has to leave to fight in the war. He says his goodbyes and shortly after, the two share a passionate kiss and Scarlett reveals that she's never loved anyone but him. Something that's also noteworthy is the camera shots. In the scene when Scarlett leaves out of her house after delivering Melanie's baby, she walks past a bunch of wounded men from the war. This is one of the most memorable scenes in the movie. She's walking and the camera zooms out to show the men on the ground and captures an amazing shot from the distance creating one of the most iconic crane shots. Contrast can be found between characters, lighting, and the way the color is presented providing a soft silky look. The brilliance of its camera-work extends from its beautiful moving shots to the effects of lighting and camera placement. This film could easily be looked at as an asset to the history of film. Watching this, you can see the change in films that enhanced the film industry. Things such as the Technicolor, films have progressed so much going from no sound and just black and white shots in the beginning of the film making. Technicolor expanded and was most frequently used in Hollywood from 1922 to 1952. This played a huge part in the growth of the film industry. At the time of this film, Technicolor wasn't widely used. This film was amazingly shot in 3-strip Technicolor. As Scarlett is working as a nurse for the wounded men that was fighting in the war, she decides to leave because she can't see deal with seeing people in pain that way. As she leaves out, she walks into Rhett where he tells her about Melanie Hamilton's pregnancy and that she is expected to have her baby in the next month. Once Scarlett returns home she tries to run away and is stopped because they needed her to help Melanie deliver her baby, as she went into labor. Melanie becomes ill after she delivers the baby and needs to be taken care of. The life after the war for these Southerners was much different from the life prior to war. When Scarlett returns home, she finds out that her mother has passed away. Through the roughest period of the Reconstruction, Scarlett struggles to maintain ownership of her estate while resisting and eventually succumbing to her most ardent suitor. Rhett and Scarlett later marry and have a baby named Bonnie Blue, Scarlett still being very much in love with Ashley. Gone with the Wind is truly a classic film. With its use of amazing Technicolor, you get to see how this film exemplifies the growth of the film industry. This classic lets you see the affect of the Civil War, and life before the war. This is one of the greatest films of all time.