A labor of love

Rating: 9/10 (1 March 2019)

This review is less about the story line, and more about the labor of love, the level of professionalism and perfection that went into bringing this commentary of a dark time in our nations history, and the very fabric of what should be making our country stronger.
Historically, there was so much more that went into the civil war. This story was but a sliver of that time. Fleming went to great lengths to show the horrors of war, the miles of bodies, injuries, predjudices and the like. The use of the camera to tell the story of love and deception of the innermost kind. Good or bad, it all survives. Sherman takes Georgia, Atlanta burns, people turn into animals in regards to the spoils of war and the Grace of God can be found. Once you choose who the heroine is, you see they both survive-one in meekness and the other in spirit. Atlanta and Scarlett's Tara still survive! Similar to Citizen Kane's Rosebud, it comes back to Tara.. and tomorrow. This was the first color picture to win the best picture award. The strength of which was the cinematography and the ability to cut a story that saw Mammy get grey (Hattie McDaniel's Award winning supporting role award for her awesome portrayal) going from the talk of war, the act of war, and the aftermath all in 238 minutes. (It's worth noting Hattie was the first African/American to not only be nominated, but to win the Oscar, deservingly so) Olivia de Havelland was as much the star as Vivian Leigh, in this long cast of great performances. Vivian Leigh took home Best Actress, well deserved. Victor Fleming took the best director. The film also took home best cinematography and Art direction.
Sadly, Sid Howard would get his Oscar posthumously for the magnificent screenplay. That was the first time an award was given posthumously. The film took home the Technical Achievement Award. Very well deserved because Hal Kern and RD Musgrave, the film nearly 80 years later, still takes you back to Atlanta during the civil war.