Warner Bros. | 1939 | 238 mins. | Rated G
Adapted from Margaret Mitchell’s 1936 novel of the same name, the theatrical version of Gone With the Wind (GWTW) turns seventy this year. Still largely considered the prototype for the Hollywood blockbuster, when adjusted for inflation, GWTW remains the highest grossing film of all time in North America and the UK. When the Civil War drama made its network television debut in November, 1976, it became at that time the highest-rated television program ever presented on a single network, watched by 47.5 percent of the households sampled in America, and 65 percent of television viewers. Ironically, it was surpassed the following year by the mini-series Roots, an epic about slavery in America.
While many aspects of GWTW may appear antiquated to modern audiences, like The Wizard of Oz, most will see the film at least once in their lifetime. Most are familiar with the story: At the start of the film, Scarlett O’Hara (Vivien Leigh) is a pampered, fiery, teenager in love with Ashley Wilkes (Leslie Howard); she becomes angry when announces plans to marry her cousin Melanie (Olivia de Havilland). Scarlett’s father (Thomas Mitchell) tries to teach her that Tara, the family plantation, offers something more enduring than the finding of a husband, but Scarlett can only think of her broken heart. To add insult to injury, a cocky miscreant named Rhett Butler (Clark Gable) has witnessed Ashley giving her the brush-off. But then the war breaks out, and nothing will ever be the same for her—or the South.
Produced by David O’ Selznick and helmed by no less than three directors—George Cukor (The Philadelphia Story), Sam Wood (The Pride of the Yankees) and Victor Fleming (The Wizard of Oz), who directed the final product. Production designer William Cameron Menzies apparently had a hand in things as well. Selznick’s pursuit of perfection when it came to GWTW has been discussed and written about extensively through the years and clearly it paid off. The film won eight Academy Awards, for Best Picture, Director, Actress, Supporting Actress, Writing, Art Direction, Cinematography, and Film Editing. It was producer David O. Selznick’s crowning achievement and a film that stands up as one of the screen’s most enduring classics.
At 238 minutes, GWTW is a narrative of truly epic proportions. Every scene is larger than life, begging the audience to become part of Scarlett’s experience, rather than just watch it. The opening picnic at Twelve Oaks, the lavish balls, the crane shot of War victims sprawled for miles, the burning of Atlanta; even seventy years later, the scope of the production is nothing short of amazing. Then of course there are the actors: Vivien Leigh is excellent here; from her first moment on screen, grinning like the Cheshire cat, and sing-song “fiddle-dee-dee,” the British born actress seems to embody Scarlett’s various phases. She effortlessly moves from egotistical teenager, to free-spirit and finally an independent woman. This was Leigh at her best, and despite the big name actresses that wanted the role, it’s hard to imagine anyone else as Scarlett O’Hara. Clark Gable’s Rhett Butler is among the screen’s most-enduring characters. Gable just seem to look, act and sneer like the perfect film rogue, and how often have you heard Rhett Butler’s oft quoted line, “Frankly, my dear, I don’t give a damn,” stated as convincingly as he did it?
Some of the other casting isn’t as strong. The biggest issue is probably Leslie Howard as Ashley Wilkes. Howard was a fine actor, however, the character is written as such a weak, unsure, stuff shirt, his moments on screen are dwarfed by Leigh and Gable’s powerful personalities. Olivia de Havilland’s shy Melanie is lovely, but she too, sometimes gets lost in the shuffle. Not to be forgotten, there is Hattie McDaniel’s strong-willed nursemaid, Mammy, a role that landed McDaniel an Academy Award, making her the first African-American to do so; and there is Thomas Mitchell’s convincing Pa, Gerald O’Hara, and Butterfly McQueen’s endearing but harebrained house servant, Prissy.
There is no denying that GWTW is a largely sentimental view of the Civil War, not so much as a battle between North and South but as a setup for Scarlett to get her just desserts, and finally, grow up. Yes, the film avoids any discussion of the fact that the gentility of the plantation was purchased with the labor of the slaves. Surprisingly though, Hattie McDaniel and Butterfly McQueen are afforded a higher degree of humility then most African American actors were given in the 1930’s.
It’s important to remember that when GWTW was made, segregation was still law in the American South, and an everyday reality in the North. The Klu Klux Klan was written out of one scene, for fear of offending elected officials of the organization. For those and many other reasons, GWTW will always be a controversial film, but in the end, the thing that makes David O’ Selznick’s production so memorable, is the fact that he provided audiences with a lavish story and told it unbelievably well.
Warner Bros. digitally restored and remastered the film for their 2005 edition, and this time they have scanned it at an even higher resolution before downscaling it to standard-definition DVD. The results are nothing short of astonishing. The Technicolor is vivid and lifelike, producing more natural, facial tones than before, slightly richer, more textured colors, and better contrasts. The film radiates a freshness and clarity that is simply amazing for a source seven decades years old. Warner Bros. has done a first rate remastering job.
This edition has both a Dolby Digital 5.1 soundtrack and an original monaural track. The monaural is for those seeking historical accuracy, but the newer track, especially Max Steiner’s magnificent music, is distinctly preferable in 5.1 multichannel and will undoubtedly please everyone but purists. While it’s not up to par with the sonics of a full 5.1 Surround Sound experience, viewers will feel rather enveloped by the action throughout, and dialogue is clean and crisp.
The set includes: English, French, Spanish, Portuguese, and Japanese spoken languages; French, Spanish, Portuguese, and Japanese subtitles; and English captions for the hearing impaired.
In this movie-only edition Warner Bros. present the film on two discs, and an audio commentary by film historian Rudy Behlmer. Behlmer’s knowledge for all the historical, cultural and scenic aims of the film is second-to-none, but even a die-hard GWTW devotee will have trouble getting through this track. Yes, there’s a story behind each and every shot here, but while Behlmer is well versed in all things Tara, some of the commentary can be a bit dull.
For fans wanting more than just the remastered movie, Warners also make the film available in a deluxe, five-disc standard-definition box and a two-disc Blu-ray box, both of them containing documentaries, interviews, trailers, booklets, and a slew of other goodies. Hopefully, I’ll be able to offer my thoughts on one of those sets soon.
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