generally hopeless

Rating: 2/10 (27 February 2006)

Not sure where to start. To save my reputation, I have to say I read the book only because I was ill, and there was nothing else in the house I hadn't read. The lead character Scarlett is thoroughly offputting - bitchy spoiled, without real intelligence (beyond a good business sense, I suppose that's a nicer name for greed). Melanie is so very good you can't possibly believe or like her, most of the other characters not worth much attention either. The only half likable person was Rhett Butler; no, not for his masculinity (heroic males are bad enough, but needy useless females flocking around them are worse). No it's because he essentially respects nothing and doesn't take part in the pretentiousness of the time.
As for the film, the acting was on the whole so ludicrously poor that the participants of a school play would be hard put to be less convincing. Again Rhett Butler's character is the only one you can believe and enjoy watching (the scene where they have to leave Atlanta, and he turns up saying "I hear you want to take a trip" just ideally portrays his laid back coolness). Other than that characters from the book which help you understand the setting are missing. For example the gossipping spying busybodies in Atlanta. Not that that sort deserves any airtime, but those small-minded essentially unoccupied women just set the general tone and illustrate the mentality. On the other hand I'm tempted to speculate if the seeming falseness of the film actors is in fact a faithful portrayal of those times. Even in the book nobody is ever straight forward, so maybe the lack of believability in the film quite accurately represents the general hypocrisy of that society.
Either way, it is beyond me to understand why everyone is so moved by this story. Or are they? Or is it just generally accepted that this is "a masterpiece", and all follow this established truth like sheep? (Like religious doctrine really, yours not to question.) Anyway, sorry I simply can't oblige the public by agreeing.