Gone With The Wind (1939)

How to contain a plot summary for Gone With the Wind in one paragraph? This is the epic story of a love triangle set amidst the Civil War era American South between Scarlett O'Hara (Vivien Leigh), a beautiful but naive girl who is used to getting what she wants, Ashley Wilkes (Leslie Howard), the sensitive but indecisive solider returned from war and Rhett Butler (Clark Gable), a dashing take-no-nonsense rogue that counteracts the sometimes-prissy Wilkes. Scarlett goes from rags to riches and back to rags, marries three times and has to transform from southern belle to savior of her farm in Tara. When her path finally leads to marriage with Rhett, unresolved and ultimately unrequited feelings for Wilkes ultimately doom their love and force Scarlett to confront her priorities and her flaws in ways that cannot be reversed. 

If you are still unsure please refer to the Carol Burnett skit. Both one and two will give you the everything you want/need to know:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4aRMZ4ePmMM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TjhtxfSMIWk&feature=relmfu


It's hard to fully appreciate the grandeur of this movie without seeing other films of the time period. At a time when the terms "Technicolor" and "Cinemascope" actually meant something special, there was nothing that even competed with the scale and the vibrance of Gone With the Wind except perhaps The Adventures of Robin Hood or The Wizard of Oz (which was defeated by Wind at the Oscars that year, an unfortunate but unavoidable outcome). The cinematography and colors of Gone With the Wind are still very impressive today, especially the sunset silhouette scenes and the burning of Atlanta. Sure, the film is long and occasionally very melodramatic but the script, acting, characters... everything seems to fall into place beautifully in ways that Cimarron and Cavalcade could only imagine and attempt. Scarlett has moments when she takes charge and grows up, like when she decides to rebuild the Tara farm or shoots the deserting soldier that invades her home, but most of the time she is a total fail. It can be frustrating how she can't get over the unimpressive Wilkes, but it's very enjoyable to watch Gable's Rhett refuse to take her baggage leading to a very satisfying ending in which Scarlett is definitively put in her place. While perhaps not the greatest or most enjoyable of all Best Picture winners, it is such an impressive achievement that you literally have to respect and appreciate it as one of the best films of its time, and perhaps all time. 

Oh jeez.  How to describe this movie?  It is magnificent yet so completely frustrating.  I love Scarlett but then I hate her but then I love her again...  I mean it's not entirely her fault.  She is in love with a wishy-washy man who will occasionally kiss Scarlett even though he's married to his cousin (SKETCH!) Melanie (Olivia de Havilland).  Rhett describes how Ashley is tormented with his loyalty because he can't help but emotionally cheat on Melanie but he can't bring himself to physically cheat on her either.  And after that it's just Scarlett chasing after Ashley for like 200 minutes of the 238 minute long movie until Ashley's wife, Melanie, dies.  Then when Ashley's weeping about his dead wife, she realizes that she never wanted Ashley.  She wants Rhett.  But Rhett is over it.  Rhett is a badass who still takes way too much shit from Scarlett.  Then he pseudo rapes her and she realizes how infatuated she is with Rhett.  Someone in this movie needs a therapist... I swear.  However, Scarlett does redeem herself with some badass moments when she is fleeing to Tara and rebuilding the farm including slapping the hell out of the help. My favorite character is Mammy, Scarlett's slave/maid.  She pretends to hate Rhett but wears a petticoat he gave her everyday.  She usually serves as the comic relief but she is the only other person, aside from Rhett, who can keep Scarlett in line.   

Hattie McDaniel, who plays Mammy, became the first African-American to be nominated for, and win, an Academy Award. 

So many quotes!  How can we pick one??

Rhett Butler: You should be kissed and often, and by someone who knows how. 
Scarlett: As God is my witness, I'll never be hungry again.
Scarlett: Tara! Home. I'll go home. And I'll think of some way to get him back. After all... tomorrow is another day. 

But the winner is:

Rhett Butler: Frankly, my dear, I don't give a damn.