Gone With The Wind is one of those absolutely essential films that all movie lovers must see before they die.

Rating: 10/10 (23 December 2008)

Gone With The Wind is one of those absolutely essential films that all movie lovers must see before they die. This Civil War epic romance/drama centers around a rather spoiled and selfish young Southern belle named Scarlett. The story follows her through the blissful paradises of plantation dances and pretty dresses to the bitter, cold realities of war and scraping up the pieces afterward. During these trials and tribulations, many very complex relationships and people are examined, all the while using Scarlett as the catalyst. Victor Fleming's visual interpretation of Margaret Mitchell's famous novel is nearly flawless and represents, in my opinion, exactly how a story like this should be told. The lavish sets and costumes burst from the screen in an explosion of color. The cinematography and visual effects evoke a certain dream-like fantasy at certain times and offer stunning realism at others. It's hard to believe this movie was made 70 years ago and it's easy to see why this movie was considered so far ahead of its time upon its release. However, as great as these elements are, the aspect that makes Gone With The Wind a timeless classic is the great performance by the cast. Most have heard of Vivien Leigh's career-defining performance as Scarlett and the way she makes the viewer both love her and hate her with equally burning passions, or of Clark Gable's equally good role as Rhett Bulter, the self-reliant, and some might say, self-centered man who comes to understand the value of integrity and character. But sometimes these two giants overshadow very underrated performances by Leslie Howard, Hattie McDaniel, and Olivia de Havilland. Leslie Howard does a tremendous job of relating to the viewer the inner torment of love versus lust that his character deals with everyday. McDaniel offers a lovable toughness, wisdom, and discipline as the house servant. De Havilland's performance is the most pleasantly surprising, however. In every scene, her character emits purity and goodness in abundance. She truly demonstrates an unconditional love to all those around her despite the difficult circumstances she often finds herself in and is the perfect example of the model that other humans should aspire to become. Through and through, Gone With The Wind is a story that will probably never grow irrelevant, and this 4-hour movie is an astonishing masterpiece that is able to bring deep-buried emotions out of even the most hardened of hearts.