Best Picture: #12
Original Release Date: December 15, 1939
Rating: Passed
Runtime: 3 hours, 58 minutes
Director: Victor Fleming (and George Cukor)
Quick Impressions:
Probably the biggest mistake the South ever made was fighting to preserve a way of life that was not sustainable through moral methods. The second biggest mistake the South ever made was not putting Melanie Wilkes in charge! With Melanie as president, and Scarlett O’Hara out fighting all her wars, surely the South would have stood a much better chance.
Of course, I’ve seen Gone with the Wind before (though I didn’t see it until I was in high school). But the viewing experience is radically different when I was watching with my grandma (born in 1918), versus my daughter (born in 2009). Even to my own (1979 minted) eyes, the film looks different in 2020 than it did in, say, 1995. (I can’t remember exactly when I watched it first. I’m nearly positive my first viewing of it was prompted by seeing the mini-series Scarlett. And then later, my sister fell in love with the novel, and we all watched the movie again. That’s the thing, though. That second time may have been my first time. Possibly, I just asked my grandma so many annoying questions as we watched Scarlett that her plot recap of the earlier film created my first impressions of Gone with the Wind.)
But as the film opened this time, I noticed a true eeriness. Such a gulf separates us from the world of this movie! Gone with the Wind presents the South as a fallen kingdom, and, I mean, it was (except that it didn’t have a king. Maybe cotton was king or tobacco.) (Probably not Clark Gable.) The full truth of that never hit me before. It almost terrifies me now because our own way of life is not sustainable through moral methods either.
Now in fairness, few ways of life are sustainable through moral methods. (If you think the South was bad, wait until you hear about the North!) Maybe the pandemic is making things seem particularly creepy right now. But it is terrifying to think that we could be going along on our merry way, hosting barbecues and running through meadows in delight, and then the next day, razed cities, scorched land, salted Earth. Now I’m thinking, “Every society is built on sin, but some generations are lucky enough to escape the coming reckoning…maybe not ours.” (Isn’t that eerie? I probably wouldn’t feel this way if I were on the Disney vacation we’d planned back in January.)
Present thoughts of doom aside, watching Gone with the Wind certainly is an experience. We broke our screening up over three nights because four hours at once is just too long if you start as late as we do. What a controversial film this has become! As we watched, my daughter and I talked a lot about racism and rape culture. She honestly had as much of a problem with Rhett’s behavior as anything else. When I noted that some people find that staircase scene romantic, she was baffled and appalled, demanding, “Why would anyone say this is romantic?” Her horrified reaction to much of Rhett’s questionable behavior seemed reassuringly healthy to me.
Watching as an adult, I find I do agree with my grandma about one of her most emphatic (and oft repeated) points. Vivien Leigh certainly is gorgeous and a great actress. (Where we disagree is that I think Joanne Whalley is beautiful, too!) Leigh adds nuance to the character, bringing vitality, humanity, and psychological complexity to Scarlett that elevates an already well-made film. Honestly, I think this is by far the best Best Picture winner of the 1930s, but with someone else playing Scarlett, I might feel differently.
The Plot:
[Light spoilers] In the just barely antebellum South, young belle Katie Scarlett O’Hara lives in bliss on her family estate, Tara. All the men want Scarlett, but the beautiful and flirtatious coquette has her heart set on Ashley Wilkes who has decided to marry his virtuous cousin Melanie. Then the war breaks out. As Ashley goes off to fight for the South, Scarlett promises him that she will take care of his pregnant wife Melanie while he is away. Furious that she can’t have Ashley, Scarlett marries Melanie’s brother Charles, who promptly dies. Time passes. Melanie grows more virtuous and more pregnant by the day. Scarlett remains self-centered and immature. Then suddenly, the Yankees reach Atlanta.
With the whole world on fire, Scarlett keeps her promise to Ashley—to take care of Melanie. She delivers Melanie’s baby and faces great peril to take them all safely home to Tara. But Tara has been pillaged. Her mother is dead, her father insane. Scarlett makes a strange vow, calling on God to witness that even if she has to lie, cheat, steal, and kill, she will never go hungry again.
Years pass, and Scarlett keeps her vow faithfully. After marrying everyone else, she finally decides to marry Rhett Butler, the rich sociopath who loves her for her flaws. Not surprisingly, the marriage is a disaster. Then everyone virtuous dies (except Mammy). On her deathbed, Melanie asks Scarlett to promise to look after her son, to see that he goes to college. Rhett leaves Scarlett. Will she be able to win him back? We don’t know. One thing’s for sure, though, Melanie’s kid will go to college. Scarlett always keeps her promises.
The Good:
The cinematography, set design, costuming, and sheer extravagant scale of this film take the breath away, but what really makes Gone With the Wind something special is that it makes the most of its four hour runtime by giving us rich, fascinating characters in complex, intriguing relationships.
Scarlett and Melanie stand out. Vivien Leigh certainly deserved her Best Actress Oscar. Supporting Actress nominee Olivia de Havilland would have been a worthy winner, too—what a character she plays!—though, of course, I wouldn’t take the historic win away from the equally deserving Hattie McDaniel.
Scarlett wouldn’t even be palatable without the incredible performance of Vivien Leigh. Hers is by far the best performance I’ve seen in any of these 1930s Best Picture nominees (though I’ve definitely been taken by others, as I’ve mentioned). Part of the reason for this, of course, is that she has so much screentime and a part that allows her to show such range. The other thing is that in many superficial ways, the character is just so horrible. For the audience, hating her would be easy. But Leigh adds nuance—even through unspoken facial expressions—that lets us see a little more.
The (seemingly truly) immortal Olivia de Havilland is pretty fantastic, too. As played by de Havilland, Melanie Wilkes is virtuous in so many ways. Not only is she good-hearted, but she’s quick-witted, insightful, clever, resourceful, strategic, and cool under pressure. Other characters constantly talk about her, too, and they get her just as wrong as they get Scarlett.
At many moments, I thought, “Scarlett and Melanie are almost in a different movie from everyone else,” and then I read later (in imdb trivia) that fired initial director George Cukor continued working with the two of them secretly. I haven’t researched this at all, but I find it easy to believe since the two of them give us such nuanced, layered, complex characters.
My daughter and I kept wishing that Scarlett and Melanie would end up together. They’re a winning pair, perfect complements.
In fact, I’ve been thinking all night about Scarlett and Melanie. I woke up this morning still pondering their unusual dynamic. It is obvious why Scarlett likes Melanie (even though she sometimes claims not to). Scarlett has promised Ashley that she will look after his wife, and Scarlett believes that she loves Ashley. This confused love for him motivates her and sees her through unthinkably difficult circumstances. I kept wondering, though, “Why does Melanie love Scarlett?” I mean, she clearly does. Throughout the film, characters keep speaking about Melanie as if she’s some sort of precious, virtuous, naïve, imbecile. Melanie shows us again and again that this is not the case. Oh, she is definitely virtuous. But she is not naïve. In fact, she’s the best kind of canny, shrewd, and cunning.
Last night when I discovered that in the novel (which I have not read) Scarlett is the mother of Melanie’s dead brother’s living son, that explained much. (If Scarlett’s two older children were included in the film, it would change the entire movie. In fact, her about-face to Rhett after Bonnie’s birth would not make sense and would require a more complex explanation. The movie would probably be better for it.)
Just taking the movie as it is, though, there’s ample reason for Melanie to love Scarlett. For one thing, she obviously genuinely likes her. Melanie is the only person in this story with, as they might say, “a lick of sense.” She’s an astonishingly good judge of character, and a natural tactician. It’s easy to believe that Melanie would enjoy Scarlett’s personality because Scarlett displays qualities that Melanie lacks. Beyond this, though, if you are in love with your husband who is seemingly helpless and always in danger, it is quite handy to have along someone completely ruthless who is also in love with your husband. Scarlett would rather die than let anyone or anything hurt Ashley, which works out well for Melanie who also wants to keep him alive and prosperous.
Also, Melanie is extraordinarily insightful. To my daughter, I observed that Rhett prizes Scarlett’s flaws, whereas Melanie sees past her flaws. Scarlett O’Hara’s flaws are so glaring that most people around her can’t see her good qualities. But Melanie can. When she praises Scarlett, she praises her genuine virtues and commendable behavior. In fact, Melanie seems to understand Scarlett better than Scarlett understands herself.
But what does Melanie see in Ashley? He must have some amazing hidden qualities. He does seem like someone with a rich inner life, someone deeply philosophical. I can understand what Scarlett sees in him. She sees her own untarnished youth, her happy childhood, and all her sweet dreams of the future before the horrors of war permanently scarred her psychologically. But what does Melanie see in him? (A part of me wistfully thinks, “Maybe she just likes him because he keeps that delightful Scarlett around.”)
My daughter was disappointed that Ashley came home at all. She thought Melanie and Scarlett would have been just fine on their own without Ashley around, and I pretty much agree. (Frankly, though, I am troubled by the possibility that Scarlett indirectly killed Melanie. I mean, did those ugly rumors prompt a frank discussion between Melanie and her husband, and is that why they threw caution to the wind? And then, another part of me wonders if Melanie hoped that her husband and Scarlett were having an affair. Melanie is so fascinating. We need a spin-off about Melanie.)
My point here, though, is that these characters are complex, fascinating, unusual people, and the actresses breathe life into them beautifully.
Clark Gable also manages to be good as Rhett Butler, though his character seems far less complex. I’ve heard (for years) that Gable didn’t want to do this movie (and that Leslie Howard didn’t want to do it either. Howard should have stuck to his guns and put up more of a fight.) Nevertheless, Gable’s performance as the iconic Rhett Butler is immensely compelling. Gable has tremendous screen presence, and his character makes quite an impression.
It is strange, though, to reflect that this character is sometimes considered an ideal romantic lead. My daughter saw him as a dangerous, predatory creep. I agree that his seduction techniques are always deeply problematic. But my eleven-year-old even flagged sketchy behavior that I didn’t notice (giving me hope for the future). I personally do like Rhett. I find him charming, compelling, helpful, and a logical match for Scarlett. (At least, I see his point). But I wouldn’t date him. To me, he seems like an admitted, unabashed sociopath. (I mean, it’s one thing to be an anti-hero, to make your own way, going against a corrupt, insane society. But I feel like often he takes this too far. The old, “well society is all based on a noble lie, so I might as well do anything I want” trick.) He’s delightful, and he’s certainly a better match for Scarlett than her other husbands. But he’s bad for her. He keeps telling her who she is, reinforcing the idea that she’s “bad” like him. He wants her to be like him (to “grow up” and be like him). She’s not like him, though. She tries, but it doesn’t work.
I could meditate about this for hours, though. That’s actually my point. The four-hour runtime, good source material, and skillful performances by the lead actors create such wonderful, compelling complexity in these characters.
Also excellent is Hattie McDaniel as Mammy. I do think it’s an astonishingly good thing that the Academy awarded her Best Supporting Actress (especially when they could have honored de Havilland). Now, of course, in 2020, the whole thing seems like a racist disaster. (She wasn’t allowed to sit with the white cast at the ceremony!) But the award was almost certainly given with good intentions (maybe). (The road to Hell, I know!) Is it problematic to have an African American woman honored for playing an archetypal Southern Mammy? Absolutely! Does she play the part well? Without a doubt. I think McDaniel’s Mammy is definitely a big step up from other characterizations of black slaves and servants I’ve seen from the period (and even in this film). As played by McDaniel, Mammy has genuine complexity. She’s one of the most sensible, likeable characters in the film, virtuous, but flawed, no saint. I agree that the very nature of the role reinforces a regrettable stereotype. And also, of course, we get the idea that Mammy didn’t like the Yankees, either, that she was a happy member of the household, that slavery was good for some people. This is all very insidious. But it doesn’t detract from McDaniel’s performance.
Well, I mean, it shouldn’t. But it is hard not to watch the film with all of that in mind. You watch and think, “Yep, they were racist in the Old South. Yep, they were racist in 1939. Yep, we’re racist now.” I do think it’s important to watch material like this, though. Otherwise, people might say, “What do you mean talented black actresses were forced to play Mammy characters to get recognized? I’ve never seen any examples of that!” (Of course, then you can say, “Really? You haven’t seen The Help?”)
If you ask me, one of the (many) strong points of Gone with the Wind is that it prompts conversations about racism and rape culture.
I also like Max Steiner’s score, and I enjoyed the performances of Laura Hope Crews as Aunt Pittypat, Harry Davenport as Dr. Meade, and Leona Roberts as the doctor’s wife.
Best Action Sequence:
My favorite part of this entire film is the sequence when Scarlet desperately tries to keep her promise to Ashley, to keep Melanie and the baby safe, to get them home to Tara. Up until this point, my daughter and I watched, thinking, “Does Scarlett even have any redeeming qualities?” Then all at once, we see just exactly what Scarlett is capable of when pressed. It’s very stirring.
Another fantastic scene comes when the Union soldier breaks into the house and Scarlett must think of a way to stop him. The interplay between Scarlett and Melanie here fascinates me. (Now I keep thinking, “Did Fannie Flagg have Gone with the Wind in mind when she wrote Fried Green Tomatoes?”)
Best Scene:
It’s impossible to narrow it down to just one. It is possible to throw all of Hollywood’s resources into a four-hour blockbuster and have it turn out like an awful mess, but that’s not what happened here. So many scenes are excellent.
I really love the scene when Melanie decides it would be a good idea to read the entirety of David Copperfield to calm everyone’s nerves. Vivien Leigh’s face here! And then what happens next!
Melanie’s death scene is also pretty good because…I mean…boy does Melanie know how to make sure her son will go to college! Niccolò Machiavelli himself couldn’t have played that better. (I don’t mean that Melanie is insincere, just that she’s an astute observer of human behavior and has arranged her son’s future perfectly.)
Hattie McDaniel also really sells her scene on the stairs with Olivia de Havilland. The earlier scene with Rhett and Bonnie in her bedroom in England is not as moving as it could be, but this follow up is absolutely gutting. My daughter and I were sobbing hysterically.
And, of course, all of Rhett and Scarlett’s scenes together are delightful to watch. They’re a horrible couple, but they’re fun for us.
Best Scene Visually:
The iconic moment when Scarlett unsuccessfully tries to fetch Dr. Meade, then wanders out into the street in horror is pretty good.
I was also quite taken with all the shots of Vivien Leigh’s face through stair banisters and in mirrors. And I love it when she shows up in her red dress at Melanie’s! Such suspense!
Actually, once again, I find it impossible to come up with just one scene to praise. So many make an impression. I do like that staircase and all the horrible, related, eye-catching things Rhett does to Scarlett there. He carries her up, knocks her down, leaves her weeping. What drama!
The Negatives:
Well, the negatives are kind of obvious. Clearly, everybody has always known that Scarlett O’Hara is a deeply flawed character, but in 1939, I don’t think the film intended to be racist, and I don’t think it meant for Rhett’s style of romance to look so problematic. Still, I see no reason why people shouldn’t watch and enjoy the movie today. (If anything, all the deep discussions the film prompts make the experience of watching more rewarding.)
I know there was controversy recently when HBO Max dropped Gone with the Wind from streaming. I can certainly understand and respect HBO’s decision. I do think trying to erase the movie’s existence completely would be a mistake. This isn’t like Song of the South. The target audience here isn’t young, impressionable children. (I’m as big a fan of Splash Mountain as anyone, but there’s something kind of unsettling about the moral, “You can’t run away from trouble,” if you think about it, and children do form impressions of the world based on the media they’re shown in formative years.) I see no reason why more mature audiences shouldn’t watch Gone with the Wind and discuss its problematic elements. That’s part of the experience.
It is frustrating that Hattie McDaniel’s fantastic performance and Oscar win didn’t open more doors for her. And I feel horribly sorry for Butterfly McQueen! What a thing to be famous for! The Prissy character is, I feel, baffling in any era. Even my grandma had no explanation for Prissy. Scarlett’s behavior toward her is curious, too. My daughter winced in shock at how hard she strikes her. And yet, overall, Scarlett treats Prissy considerably better than she treats her own sister Suellen (Eveyln Keyes). (She also hits her, screams at her, patronizes her, insults her. Plus she makes Suellen work in the field. Prissy gets to work in the house! And then, of course, there’s the matter of Frank Kennedy.) Perhaps the novel provides greater insight into Prissy’s character (and Scarlett’s).
Setting violence, rape, and racism aside, some of the film’s performances are also not great. Well, mainly I mean Leslie Howard as Ashley. (I have no idea why Gable sometimes seems to have an accent and sometimes doesn’t, but that hardly matters.) Howard was right, of course. He is horribly miscast. He’s the one weak link of the entire film. A character so underwritten and vague simply must have a prettier face to win the devotion of two such incredible women.
Overall:
Despite its flaws, Gone with the Wind is a great film, by far the best Best Picture winner of the 1930s. Vivien Leigh is magnificent as the one-of-a-kind Scarlett O’Hara, Clark Gable is captivating as the roguish Rhett, Olivia de Havilland plays the most fascinating character, and Hattie McDaniel gives a marvelous turn as the problematic but complex Mammy. There is plenty to criticize about Gone with the Wind, but it’s still a great film. Initially my daughter was trying to decide whether to rank it sixth or seventh on our list of twelve. “I’d personally put it higher,” I said, “but don’t let me influence you.” She ended up ranking it #2 (after Wings). (I’m afraid I did influence her.) For me, warts and all, this film is the strongest Best Picture winner of the 30s. But have you checked out the other nominees in 1939? Dark Victory, Goodbye, Mr. Chips, Love Affair, Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, Ninotchka, Of Mice and Men, Stagecoach, The Wizard of Oz, and Wuthering Heights??? Wow! What a year!