Gone With The Wind Reaction: 

Gone With the Wind is not only a critically acclaimed movie, it is a movie that has transcended time. It was made nearly 100 years ago and the cultural relevance this movie still has is astounding. 

From the first sweeping notes of the score we are swept away into the opulent world of the pre-Civil War South. The backdrops, the sets, and the costumes especially are absolutely stunning. Not only are they masterful, they display a sort of excessive frivolity that only a plantation owners daughter could experience at the time. They truly highlight Scarlett's many character flaws, and the frills and ruffles and enormous hoops truly indicate their wealth, and how out of touch they are with not only their slaves, but the working class white Americans. 

This is juxtaposed beautifully with the costume Scarlett wears at the end of Act 1, where she is rundown. The plain colors, and lackluster fabric showcase not only how much the world is changing, but how Scarlett is developing as a character as well. 

Scarlett begins the movie as a spoiled, rich, entitled brat, and to be honest, she doesn't really change all that much. However, she does develop a sense of responsibility and grittiness about her. Of course, she is only doing it for a man who doesn't love her and is married to her alleged best friend, but nevertheless, she does what she has to do. She also realizes at the end of  the Act that she will do anything to avoid being in that destitute and desperate position again. 

In one of the most famous and powerful scenes, Scarlett goes out to the fields at her old plantation, Tara, and gives a powerful soliloquy claiming she will never be hungry again. 

Perhaps the most controversial aspect of the movie though, is the portrayal of African Americans as slaves. Hattie McDaniel gives an Academy Award winning performance as Mammie, but the performance given by the character of Prissy, has had people up in arms in recent years. They claim that she is portrayed as too dumb and airheaded which is offensive. 

In my mind, I didn't particularly see anything much too wrong with it other than her voice and the scene where Melanie's baby is being born and Scarlett slaps Prissy pretty hard across the face. That is obviously disquieting and unacceptable behavior, however it is historically accurate. A lot of slave owners at the time treated their slaves much, much worse than that, and I simply cannot see why people want to completely erase that reality. As uncomfortable as it is, it is a blemish in our nations history that if we try to get rid of, it will just come back bigger and uglier. 

Overall, the movie is a stunning visual and auditory spectacle that, I think, truly showcases the time in history in an accurate manner with compelling characters and a good plot. That is why, despite people trying to cancel it and it being quite outdated, the movie has stood the test of time.