Historical Accuracy

Rating: 9/10 (29 January 2015)

On December 20, 1860, South Carolina was the first state to secede from the Union, launching the nation into a civil war that ravaged the country for four years. Although the war officially ended in 1865, the conflict in which it stirred would cause much pain and turmoil for many years after, especially for the defeated southern states.
In the movie Gone with the Wind, a romanticized version of the old south is portrayed. Many scenes display vibrant colors and extravagant lifestyles led by the people of this civilization. The plot line follows a spoiled girl named Scarlett O'Hara and her struggles during and after the war. It shows how the south was stripped of all of the extravagance and laid to waste.
As far as historical accuracy goes, the way the south was portrayed had some truth, but there were also aspects that might have been a little twisted. Throughout the movie, the people of the southern states are made out to be faultless and all of their afflictions were caused by the "yankees" of the north. When looking at history, the south was the main instigator of the war. It was only when states began seceding the north got involved, desperate to keep the nation from falling apart.
Another aspect that was twisted is the attitude of the slaves towards their enslavement. All of the slaves in the movie seem content with their position. This attitude is obviously not historically accurate. Of course, there were some slaves that were not treated badly by their masters, but not once in the movie did a slave show animosity towards his/her position.
Despite some of these inaccuracies, some aspects of the movies did have historical significance. I felt the movie did a good job in conveying how the southerners were mistreated after the war. It was very interesting to get perspective from the characters while they were rebuilding their old home and getting their hands dirty for the first time in their lives. This was really how it was after the war was over. The southerners had everything taken from them, and many of their homes were burned to the ground. They had to start over and forge a new life from the ashes of their old civilization. I found this aspect to be true to history.
Watching the movie without taking history into account, I found it to be quite enjoyable. The engaging storyline kept me watching for more, and I thoroughly enjoyed observing Scarlett's transformation in character as the events in her life callous her. I highly recommend this movie to anyone who enjoys a strong female character, or a film with a deep plot line.