Gone with the Wind

Gone with the Wind represents one of the pinnacles of American cinema. Released with much anticipation in 1939, it went on to win 10 Oscars including Best Picture; a first for a colour film. At the box office it took over $390 million (equivalent to over $3 billion if adjusted for inflation; more than either Titanic or Avatar). Today, it is arguably the best known films of its era and is still seen as one of the great epic romances.

Gone with the Wind tells the story of the manipulative but driven Scarlett O'Hara (Vivien Leigh) and the disreputable but charming Rhett Butler (Clark Gable). Their story is set to the backdrop of the fall of the American south in the civil war and the following years of reconstruction. As their lives interweave with others we gradually learn more about these complex characters, their motivations and who, deep down, they really are.

Clark Gable defines the stereotype of the lovable rogue with Star Wars even drawing comparisons between Rhett Butler and Han Solo in its poster art. Vivien Leigh also deserves to be recognised for her outstanding portrayal of Scarlett O'Hara. Despite her self-centred and manipulative nature, such depth is brought to her character that we cannot watch her without some sympathy.

With some of the most iconic scenes and dialogue in American cinema, Gone With the Wind is a classic that should not be missed. You'll find yourself enthralled by the film from its innocent pre-war beginning to the final immortal line:

“Frankly, my dear, I don't give a damn.”