 |
| Gone With The Wind - 1939 |
Coming up next we have 1939's epically sweeping romance/saga "Gone With The Wind", where Scarlett O'Hara and Rhett Butler trade pointed barbs and fall in love with each other at opposite times in their lives.
The film's cast includes Vivien Leigh, Clark Gable, Leslie Howard, Olivia de Havilland, Hattie McDaniel, Butterfly McQueen, Barbara O'Neil, Ann Rutherford, George Reeves, Laura Hope Crews, Harry Davenport, Cammie King, Jane Darwell, Rand Brooks, Isabel Jewell, and Irving Bacon.
In the 1860s, Scarlett O'Hara lives with her family on the Tara plantation in Georgia. She's a stubborn, high-spirited young woman, as the woman who helped raise her, Mammy, knows.
At a barbecue at the neighboring Twelve Oaks plantation, Scarlett only has eyes for Ashley Wilkes. But she soon becomes upset when he announces his engagement to the shy and retiring Melanie Hamilton.
During the day, Scarlett notices that she's caught the eye of the wildly scandalous Rhett Butler.
But he's not the only one. Practically every man there wants to eat barbecue with Scarlett, and she relishes the attention.
Scarlett later has a run-in with Rhett Butler and she doesn't have a high opinion of him. "You, sir, are no gentleman," she tells him. "And you, miss, are no lady," he retorts. He makes no secret of the fact that he likes her.
The Civil War commences, and to get back at Ashley for getting engaged, Scarlett gets married to Melanie's brother Charles. After Ashley wishes her good luck on her wedding day, Scarlett watches him go, her eyes full of tears.
Before he can get involved in any fighting, Charles dies of an illness. Scarlett, now a widow, is very depressed at having no social life. Her mother arranges for her to stay with Melanie and her aunt Pittypat in Atlanta. Scarlett jumps at the chance. She knows Ashley will visit.
In Atlanta, Scarlett causes a minor scandal when she attends a Confederate benefit. Rhett Butler is there and he "bids" for her. Scarlett brazenly defies the social norms and dances the night away.
This isn't well received by the society matrons, in particular Aunt Pittypat, who faints clean away.
Rhett takes the opportunity to call on Scarlett, and he continues to let her know that he's interested. She, however, only wants Ashley.
Ashley does come home on leave. Scarlett throws herself at him, but Ashley tells her to take care of Melanie in his absence as she's expecting a child. Scarlett agrees for his sake.
Scarlett also takes up work at the local hospital until she can't stand the sight of death any longer.
When Sherman sweeps through Georgia, Scarlett is helped by Rhett. However, Scarlett can't leave the city as Melanie is in labor.
With no doctor to help, Scarlett finds she's got to deliver the baby herself as the maid she brought with her, Prissy, "don't know nuthin' bout birthin' babies."
After Melanie has her baby, Rhett comes to the rescue just in time. He evacuates them and sets them on the road to Tara. Before he leaves them to join the army, he kisses Scarlett.
Scarlett's return to Tara is anything but joyful. She finds that her mother is dead, and this has caused her father to lose his mind. She also finds out that there is no food but radishes. Scarlett vows never to go hungry again if she has to lie, cheat, steal, or kill...as God is her witness.
Ashley eventually comes home from the war, and Melanie rushes out to greet him. Scarlett is eager to greet him too, but she's held back by Mammy, who doesn't want her to spoil the reunion between husband and wife.
When it's time to pay the taxes on Tara, Scarlett gets an idea for a new dress and hurries back to Atlanta to see the only man with money that she knows: Rhett. However, his funds are not available to him, and he can't help her.
To get the money, Scarlett steals her sister's boyfriend, and she tells a whopper of a lie to get him to marry her. Mammy can't believe her ears at all.
Scarlett's new husband, Frank, has a store, which Scarlett turns into a thriving and prosperous business. She's later visited by Rhett, and she can't stand the sight of him.
After Frank dies, Rhett comes calling on Scarlett again. This time, he proposes marriage. "I can't go all my life waiting to catch you between a husband," he says. Scarlett agrees to marry him. The promise of money and a great big diamond ring is too much to resist.
With a great big new house in Atlanta, Scarlett and Rhett seem set for life. Then, they celebrate the arrival of a child, Bonnie Blue Butler. Melanie and Mammy join them in their happiness.
Still, Scarlett can't keep her mind off of Ashley. She goes to visit him alone one day and the two are observed embracing one another. The town gossips hurry to tell Melanie.
Rhett forces Scarlett to go to Ashley's birthday party that night so that Melanie can have the pleasure of tossing Scarlett out onto the street if she wants. However, Melanie does nothing of the kind and warmly embraces Scarlett as if nothing has happened.
Rhett and Scarlett come to the point in their relationship where they can't stand the sight of each other. Rhett passionately loves Scarlett, but he hates the fact she can only think of Ashley. Scarlett just plain can't stand Rhett. When she finds out she's going to have another baby, Rhett insults her. Her attempt at getting back at him results in an accident which causes her to lose the baby.
Sadly, little Bonnie dies in a horse-riding accident. Rhett threatens to kill Scarlett if she even thinks of arranging a funeral for their daughter. It takes Melanie to come over and smooth things over.
The ordeal proves too much for Melanie and she also dies. While Scarlett is talking to Ashley about his wife, she realizes that she loves Rhett. She rushes home to be with him.
But, Rhett has had enough and has packed his bags. As he's departing, he leaves Scarlett with some famous last words.
Stunned, Scarlett begins to formulate a plan to get Rhett back. Then she decides to think about it the next day, because "after all, tomorrow is another day."
Cast rundown:
Vivien Leigh.................................Scarlett O'Hara
Clark Gable..................................Rhett Butler
Leslie Howard...............................Ashley Wilkes
Olivia de Havilland........................Melanie Hamilton
Hattie McDaniel............................Mammy
Butterfly McQueen.........................Prissy
Barbara O'Neil..............................Ellen O'Hara
Ann Rutherford.............................Careen O'Hara
George Reeves.............................Stuart Tarleton
Laura Hope Crews.........................Aunt Pittypat Hamilton
Harry Davenport...........................Dr. Meade
Cammie King...............................Bonnie Blue Butler
Jane Darwell................................Mrs. Dolly Merriwether
Rand Brooks................................Charles Hamilton
Isabel Jewell................................Emmy Slattery
Irving Bacon................................Corporal
And that's it for Gone With The Wind. This was the first colorized film to win the Academy Award for Best Picture. It is also the longest film to win that award at nearly four hours long. This film is also unique in the fact that it has never been cut, and has always been presented in its original form.
No comments:
Post a Comment