31 July 2010

Gone with the Wind (1939)


Trailer

If I have to lie, steal, cheat or kill. As God is my witness, I'll never be hungry again.
So basically: Before the American Civil War, Scarlett O'Hara is a young Southern belle looking for love. She is passionately in love with Ashley, who is getting married to his cousin, Melanie. Rich man Rhett Butler is down from Charleston. Through the war, losing her first husband, and witnessing the atrocities of the Yankee soldiers, Scarlett learns to be tough and to stand on her own two feet. Even after the war, she must fight to keep the thing she loves more than anything, her plantation Tara.

See! This is a movie that's totes long but doesn't feel like it. To be fair, I've never seen both parts back to back, but still. There's just something about this movie that pulls the audience into the world of late 19th century Georgia and keeps you there. I'm really glad it's in colour because it's one of those movies that rely on the backgrounds and costumes and some of it would be lost in B&W. My only problem with this film is the ending. I mean, I kno it's supposed to be this grand love story between Scarlett and Rhett, but Scarlett totes does not need a man. Sure, she manipulates them for her own gain, but at the point where she wants to win Rhett back, she is independent. It should have ended with her by herself with her plantation, Tara. Not wanting to make Tara grand to get Rhett back! I mean, the character has been laid out to say she doesn't need a man and love isn't what she's after. If it was strict romance, without any of the awesome Scarlett, then it would be fine for her to want to end up with Rhett; but that's not what I got from the character at all.

Yes, this deserves to be on the list.

Ziggi seal of approval!

2 comments:

  1. I disagree with your complaint. You don't have to be co-dependant to love someone, this was a man she'd had a daughter with, lost a daughter with, the only man she really didn't have under her thumb. Scarlett is a strong female lead something that wasn't really heard of in those days, strong willed maybe but never actually strong. As such she feels things strongly, a strong person with strong emotions wouldn't really be able to say good bye to the love her life. Despite not needing a man to define her, she wanted him there, not to lean on but to be a co-captain, a partner in life. Her love for Rhett and desire to have him was not a sign of weakness or an out of character flaw. And when he left "Frankly dear, I don't give a damn" She was crushed yes. But she loves strongly and would feel regret strongly, but would she stay down there in the dust going shit what do I do without him? No. She'd get back up, she'd say "There goes that." and I doubt severely that she'd ever seek love again. It ended the way it would have, because she did love him, and would always love him. But need him? No. You are correct, she did not.

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  2. I don't have a problem with being independent and wanted to be with someone ... It's just the way they did it, I think

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