Truly one of the greatest films ever made

Rating: Null/10 (8 March 2012)

Having seen Casablanca earlier and liking it enough, I decided to give Gone with the Wind a go. After all, tonight I had six hours to spare, and seeing how long it was, this would be one of the only recent times where I would be able to watch it in the comfort of my own home without anyone to bother me. Well, I put off watching it this long because it never seemed that interesting. As it turns out, I fell in love with it.
The film's plot summary doesn't do it enough justice. This is really the tale of a woman in the turn of the Civil War and onwards. It is interesting to note that it's told from the perspective of her and many others living in the South, and the historical background of the film also gives it a deeper meaning. It's intriguing to see the different events in history take place, but also how they affect a small group of characters. But the film is essentially a character study of Scarlett O'Hara. Because of the iconic scenes already known all too well, even I knew the infamous ending line said by Gable, and also how the lead female was, "unlikable", to say the least. But I thought a film with a female like this would center on the male, and then be about how he meets her. Much to my surprise, it is the female's story, and how she meets several people throughout this time. It is her film, and it's not until about two-thirds into the film that Rhett Butler (Clark Gable) becomes a lead character.
Since I don't want to get into much of the plot and actual events that take place, I want to talk about the performances. The supporting cast is fantastic. Olivia De Havilland and Hattie McDaniel give the film the two most noble and giving characters, in their own ways of course. I knew McDaniel looked familiar, and sure enough she's the famous first- time African-American winner. She's fantastic really, nothing else to be said. But It's Clark Gable and Vivien Leigh that are the film's central power and focus. Vivien Leigh gives the single greatest female performance I have ever seen, and no, I don't use that term lightly. I have never seen her in any other film, but she's completely mesmerizing here. All of her flawed traits also make the character the best female character I have ever had the pleasure of witnessing on screen. One doesn't know if we should like her or not, but damn is she a joy to watch. She isn't merely "acting" here, she embodies the character in a way that feels completely effortless. Because the film's script gives her a whole lot to work with, she injects humor, sadness, frustration, empathy, and even sympathy, maybe all at once. Every single facial expression, every single gesture is easily visible and perfectly portrayed. And really, it's not such an easy character to bring to the screen. In order for this to work, even if we don't like her all the time, we must still feel something for her and be intrigued by her. Leigh doesn't fail once. Clark Gable has a much more sympathetic character to work with, and he also does it naturally. His charm, wit, and humor mixed with the darker moments in his role create perhaps the best romantic male lead ever on screen. The way he sees Scarlett, the way that he communicates with her in the first two hours are refreshing and unique, to say the least.
Like I mentioned before, the characters, and the script of course, are really grade-A stuff. Technically, it's also amazing. From the opening shot to the last, it sweeps you off your feet. You have probably seen many single shots of the film many times before, but all in the context of it they all work perfectly. It's really impossible to find any glaring flaw in the cinematography, or even the incredibly passionate and soaring music score. The editing is brilliant, and must be congratulated for making a nearly 4-hour film go by so quickly. I know someone saying that seems like an exaggeration, but it's really not. It's incredibly entertaining for the simple reason that it's just so incredibly interesting and intriguing.
I did take a long time to see this, and normally epic films like this don't ignite anything in me, but this did... oh, it really did. The only other time that a classic film that was deemed among the "greatest ever" left me speechless by the end was 2001: A Space Odyssey (which I do consider my favorite film). Oh, and what about that ending? One of the best endings ever, and that final line is as perfect as I could hope for. Don't put off watching it like I did, you won't regret it. One of the greatest films ever made, indeed.