Gone With the Wind
Director: Victor Fleming
Cast: Vivien Leigh, Clark Gable, Leslie Howard, Olivia de Havilland, Hattie McDaniel
In the gilded cradle of the Old South, no film has captured the essence of war and the vibrant complexity of Southern romance as perfectly as “Gone with the Wind”. With the beating heart of the Georgia resounding with cries of war, Scarlett O’Hara (Vivian Leigh) must find the strength within herself to transcend the darkness closing in around her and win the heart of the noble Rhett Butler.
While Scarlett is revered as the charming princess of Georgia, her true nature is that of a manipulative and self-serving narcissist who is willing to go to any lengths to ensure that her own agenda is achieved. While her fiery and independent spirit is very much present at the beginning of the film, she also possesses a certain sweet naiveté, like many in the Old South, in that she believes that the darkness and malignancy of war could never penetrate her perfect world. Unfortunately, this dream world is shattered when the war that everyone thought was impossible becomes a very real nightmare; shattering the gilded dreams of the innocent and leaving in its wake a dark shroud stained with the blood of gallant soldiers and the tears of the brokenhearted who have been left behind. As the war pierces the heart of Georgia and draws ever closer to her home, Scarlett must embrace a new identity - that of the callous and self-appointed matriarch of Tara who will do everything in her power to ensure that she and her family survives.
Survival is a powerful theme in “Gone with the Wind”, particularly when it is portrayed by the character of Scarlett O’Hara, herself. Her strength and determination are borne from the fact that she has endured both sides of life, the good and the bad, and in spite of everything she has endured from both sides, and the fact that in the end she has lost everyone she loves, she has survived. Her strength is forged not just from her own suffering, but from witnessing the suffering around her and finding the strength within herself to overcome that suffering instead of surrendering to despair.
The irony of the relationship shared between Scarlett O’Hara, and the two men in her life is that while Scarlett is fiercely infatuated with her handsome neighbor, Ashley Wilkes, he regards her with a different kind of affection; that of an older brother. While he does genuinely care for her, Ashley’s love belongs to his cousin, Melanie, and he is bound by tradition and his own honor to marry her.
Although in the beginning he is not the man who possesses Scarlett’s heart, Rhett Butler is most definitely the more honorable of the two men. Whenever Scarlett’s life is touched by tragic catastrophe, it is Rhett, not Ashley, who is always there to protect her. And even in moments when their love for each other is not apparent, it is still very much there. One illustration of this occurs when Rhett and their daughter, Bonnie, return from England. Scarlett and Rhett share heated argument and she falls down the stairs. As she lays in bed delirious, it is Rhett’s name she cries out for, not Ashley’s. The irony of their love is that it is that in the end, it was not strong enough to endure the storm. But even then, Scarlett is still determined to endure.
"Gone with the Wind" has become one of the most iconic movies of all time. The casting for this movie is perfect, particularly for Vivien Leigh and Rhett Butler who breathe life into the characters of Scarlett and Rhett. If you enjoy a good period drama, then this is one I would highly recommend.
© 2013 – 2016 Keriane Kellogg. All rights reserved.
Director: Victor Fleming
Cast: Vivien Leigh, Clark Gable, Leslie Howard, Olivia de Havilland, Hattie McDaniel
In the gilded cradle of the Old South, no film has captured the essence of war and the vibrant complexity of Southern romance as perfectly as “Gone with the Wind”. With the beating heart of the Georgia resounding with cries of war, Scarlett O’Hara (Vivian Leigh) must find the strength within herself to transcend the darkness closing in around her and win the heart of the noble Rhett Butler.
While Scarlett is revered as the charming princess of Georgia, her true nature is that of a manipulative and self-serving narcissist who is willing to go to any lengths to ensure that her own agenda is achieved. While her fiery and independent spirit is very much present at the beginning of the film, she also possesses a certain sweet naiveté, like many in the Old South, in that she believes that the darkness and malignancy of war could never penetrate her perfect world. Unfortunately, this dream world is shattered when the war that everyone thought was impossible becomes a very real nightmare; shattering the gilded dreams of the innocent and leaving in its wake a dark shroud stained with the blood of gallant soldiers and the tears of the brokenhearted who have been left behind. As the war pierces the heart of Georgia and draws ever closer to her home, Scarlett must embrace a new identity - that of the callous and self-appointed matriarch of Tara who will do everything in her power to ensure that she and her family survives.
Survival is a powerful theme in “Gone with the Wind”, particularly when it is portrayed by the character of Scarlett O’Hara, herself. Her strength and determination are borne from the fact that she has endured both sides of life, the good and the bad, and in spite of everything she has endured from both sides, and the fact that in the end she has lost everyone she loves, she has survived. Her strength is forged not just from her own suffering, but from witnessing the suffering around her and finding the strength within herself to overcome that suffering instead of surrendering to despair.
The irony of the relationship shared between Scarlett O’Hara, and the two men in her life is that while Scarlett is fiercely infatuated with her handsome neighbor, Ashley Wilkes, he regards her with a different kind of affection; that of an older brother. While he does genuinely care for her, Ashley’s love belongs to his cousin, Melanie, and he is bound by tradition and his own honor to marry her.
Although in the beginning he is not the man who possesses Scarlett’s heart, Rhett Butler is most definitely the more honorable of the two men. Whenever Scarlett’s life is touched by tragic catastrophe, it is Rhett, not Ashley, who is always there to protect her. And even in moments when their love for each other is not apparent, it is still very much there. One illustration of this occurs when Rhett and their daughter, Bonnie, return from England. Scarlett and Rhett share heated argument and she falls down the stairs. As she lays in bed delirious, it is Rhett’s name she cries out for, not Ashley’s. The irony of their love is that it is that in the end, it was not strong enough to endure the storm. But even then, Scarlett is still determined to endure.
"Gone with the Wind" has become one of the most iconic movies of all time. The casting for this movie is perfect, particularly for Vivien Leigh and Rhett Butler who breathe life into the characters of Scarlett and Rhett. If you enjoy a good period drama, then this is one I would highly recommend.
© 2013 – 2016 Keriane Kellogg. All rights reserved.