Frankly dear, I don't give a damn? No, actually we all do.

Rating: 8/10 (21 July 2014)

"Do not squander time. This is the stuff life is made of." This inscription is seen early on in the movie and Victor Fleming surely adheres to that. Though the four hour movie length would be a deterrent to some, the movie was almost perfectly paced (except maybe the last hour) with impeccable character development. This is what most modern Hollywood movies lack. The characters have no depth. By the end of the movie, whether you like the actions of the characters or not, you at least care for each one of them. Frankly dear, I don't give a damn? No, actually we all do.
The movie is an adaptation of Margaret Mitchell's novel of the same name who never told anyone about her book until she had completed it. is about the effect of civil war on south. Though it deals about the civil war, no real combat is seen. Rather the movie focuses on the life of the spoiled daughter of a Irish plantation owner, Scarlett, played by Vivian Leigh. She is in love with Ashley Wilkes (Leslie Howard), who marries his cousin Melaine. Melaine is the only ill sketched person in the movie who is unassuming on the intentions of Scarlett and so kind at times it borders on stupidity. As time passes by and the war rages on, Scarlett tries to make the best of the times, while courted by a playboy Rhett Butler (Clarke Gable). He finds her meanness, contempt for society and devil may care attitude very similar to his own. After the war, having previously married twice (once to make Ashley jealous and the next time for monetary reasons) and widowed both times, she marries Rhett Butler. Still she feels her heart still belongs to Ashley. The complex love story gets resolved in the last half an hour, which is to be seen for its impact.
The best thing about the movie is Vivian Leigh. She is fabulous as Scarlett, among the most well conceived characters ever made. She got the role from 1400 applicants and we can see why. She is the heart of the movie. While another movie would have kept upright characters like Ashley and Melaine as the protagonists, this movie instead chooses Scarlett and Rhett Butler. Scarlett is not a hero. Most of the times her actions are more akin to villains. As the movie progresses, she slowly transforms from a harmless spoiled girl to a calculated, greedy and vicious woman who only cares about herself and her father's land. The war turns her so cold that even though she still believes she loves Ashley, her words sound shallow. Her heart has stopped feeling love for someone for a long time. Even with her daughter, she seems distant. Would she be happy with Ashley? Probably not. If she even would have married him, he was way too common to make her happy forever. The only person she can be happy with is Rhett Butler. He understands her complexity and her desires. Just like her, he wants to live the life on his own terms. The only trouble is that the concept of "love" has gripped her so much that she does not realize it.
The direction of Victor Fleming is highly unconventional for its time. A lot of time has been given to character development which did not go down too well with the critics of its time, but watching it today the impact would not had been the same otherwise. The cinematography is so breathtaking at times, you cannot take your eyes off the screen. It gives the movie a place of mythical proportions.
On the more troubling issues, there is no doubt that the movie is overly generous to the cause of south. The Union (Yankee) army is shown as a bunch of rogues disturbing the peace of the land. The arrogance of confederate army makes them go to war with the better equipped union army. Eventually they get beaten and the old southern life has ended. The film glorifies slavery to a large extent. All the blacks are happy being slaves. All of them seem to be simpletons not ready for emancipation. A trouble scene takes place when Scarlett is walking with Mammy in town and she sees two African Americans walking in free man's clothes and she gives them a look of disgust as if it is something abnormal. Later on, in the same scene the free slaves are lured by politicians with monetary benefits. Apart from slavery, there is another troubling scene in the movie that could have been dealt with differently. After being drunk, Rhett forcefully takes Scarlett into her arm saying she belongs to him for the night. Such an instance of marital rape is a shame to be kept in a movie that is otherwise very feminist in nature.
Though this movie is not perfect, still in its imperfections, it remains a very remarkable movie to watch for any movie lover. There is hardly any moment of dullness even in its 4-hour length. It is more about the lives of people with faults in an imperfect and unjust world, trying to find any semblance of happiness. Seeing the desolation around them, it is heartening to see that they even try