Gone with the Wind

Name: Gone with the Wind
Genre: Drama, History, Romance, War
Released: January 17, 1940
Duration: 238 min
Rating: 97
Cast: Vivien Leigh

1940

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Universal acclaim based on 18 Critic Reviews

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USER SCORE

Universal acclaim based on 231 Ratings

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8.3

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8.3	User Score Universal acclaim based on 231 Ratings

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Gone With The Wind

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Movie Details & Credits

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) | Release Date: January 17, 1940 | TV-PG

Starring: Vivien Leigh

Summary: A Southern belle struggles with the devastation of the Civil War and Reconstruction. This classic won 8 Academy Awards, including Best Picture.

Director: George Cukor and Sam Wood and Victor Fleming

Genre(s): Drama, History, Romance, War

Rating: TV-PG

Runtime: 238 min

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Critic Reviews

100

Kevin Thomas

The older it gets, and we with it, the more we're able to see in it. As few American films have, Gone With the Wind succeeds both as historical epic and as intimate drama. Read full review

100

Roger Ebert

A towering landmark of film, quite simply because it tells a good story, and tells it wonderfully well. Read full review

100

TV Guide Magazine Staff (Not Credited)

To quote Olivia de Havilland, "Everytime I see it, I find something fresh, some shade of meaning I hadn't noticed before." Read full review

100

Owen Gleiberman

To see Gone With the Wind on a big screen again is to weep for the fearlessness with which Hollywood once believed the sublime was possible. Read full review

100

John C. Flinn Sr.

One of the truly great films, destined for record-breaking box office business everywhere. The lavishness of its production, the consummate care and skill which went into its making, the assemblage of its fine cast and expert technical staff combine in presenting a theatrical attraction completely justifying the princely investment of $3,900,000. Read full review

The Telegraph Serena Davies

Overblown and melodramatic, it somehow achieves more than the schmaltz of its parts, thanks to a spirited modern heroine, the spoilt Scarlett O'Hara, and its refusal to give us the neat conclusions you'd expect from a 19th-century saga of "cottonfields and cavaliers." Read full review

Joe Walsh

Rather than confront the guilt related to the sins of the past it paints over them in vivid colours, hoping the viewer will collude in its melodramatic muddying of the water. Read full review

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User Reviews

back_in_1939

Jun 20, 2017

The Best Chemistry between Actors of all time. extremely and actually amazingly well-constructed and conceived, without ever losing track of the core story – indeed, there’s almost no hope that any modern film , it’s almost pitiful – could ever hope to match the grandeur and brilliance ofThe Best Chemistry between Actors of all time. extremely and actually amazingly well-constructed and conceived, without ever losing track of the core story – indeed, there’s almost no hope that any modern film , it’s almost pitiful – could ever hope to match the grandeur and brilliance of it, let alone reach it without seeming pretentiously overblown and just bad. Still, that’s the magic of it – this film is the quintessential American classic, and that’s the way it should and will stay forever.… Expand

5 of 7 users found this helpful52

anielahome

Jul 18, 2021

8 Academy Awards totally deserved I think this movie is one of the most beautiful, wish there are more movies like this now!

1 of 1 users found this helpful10

aprilmlane

Mar 3, 2019

Absolutely the greatest film ever made. Even after 80 years, Vivien and Clark are magnetic, the story of a strong heroine is still resonant and the relish with which the performers play their roles is something that still takes your breath away.

1 of 2 users found this helpful11

CriticalExtra

Jul 21, 2018

Flawless, deeply moving, beautifully envisaged, spectacular and for its time, a revelation of technique and acting bravura, this now ancient movie shines through the ages like a diamond in a dark mine. Vivienne Leigh, aided and abetted by a brilliant Hattie McDaniel, and despite garnering aFlawless, deeply moving, beautifully envisaged, spectacular and for its time, a revelation of technique and acting bravura, this now ancient movie shines through the ages like a diamond in a dark mine. Vivienne Leigh, aided and abetted by a brilliant Hattie McDaniel, and despite garnering a lot of negative flack from her jealous contemporaneous peers, gives a stunning central performance; even acting Gable clean off the set, as she hijacks the movie with her amazing southern belle accent and her stellar acting ability - which garnered her a well earned Oscar and many other awards.
Easily, this epic film deserves it's top spot at the greatest movies ever made list; it really is that good. And with some superb performances and solid direction and production values, it will remain one of those truly great cinematic masterpieces. Highly recommended.… Expand

2 of 5 users found this helpful23

kman5473

Feb 9, 2018

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. One of the best produced feature films ever made, the historical epic Gone With the Wind is sure to stand the test of time evermore for its technical achievements, historical significance, and most importantly its ability to give an unfiltered and unaltered look into the xenophobic and racist subconscious of American culture. No matter where you stand politically and ethically, there is no denying the continued cultural and artistic merit this film maintains. The writing, the directing, the cinematography, special effects, editing, acting, character development, and score all maintain a sense of timelessness even today--nearly 80 years after this film first premiered. The film itself is very empathetic to the Confederacy and Slave culture as a whole. By all means, the film seeks to glorify and romanticize one of the darkest chapters in American history. Yet, the more socially progressive our society becomes the more important the film remains to be seen. Not as a celebration of our racism, but as a monument to never forget how messed up our culture was and continues to be. If anything, the film becomes almost a camp satire of itself--completely unaware of just how unethical and messed up it really is. This does not diminish its cultural relevance at all, but instead solidifies its importance.
Slightly muted by the over-arching theme of slavery is the theme of a woman living in a society with a significant personality disorder that has gone diagnosed, and thus untreated. To many, including the society in which this story was written into as well as produced into a film, Scarlet's character can be immediately perceived as nothing more than, "the typical woman; the stereotypical woman." She is not supposed to immediately be easy to empathize with; she is, in fact, supposed to represent the audience member that immediately does not care about history--she is the self-centered, privileged white woman in the enslaved south with only frivolous pursuits of social dominance and courtship to occupy her immediate head space and concerns. This works on many levels to really expose her character, and in turn something about the human condition as a whole: Scarlet starts from the absolute top of societal privilege--she is young, beautiful, and so immensely wealthy that she literally has no concerns in the world other than the one she chooses to makeup in her own head. On top of this, you've got Rhett--for all intensive purposes, the primary actual love interest of Scarlet throughout the movie. The two, in fact, do belong together because have how morally corrupted the both of them are. They, if anything, represent the two most morally corrupted people in all Confederate society. Willing to compromise loyalties for the sake of getting ahead. Then, of course, you have Ashley Wilkes and his wife that represent to Rhett and Scarlet the, "idealistic, morally centered" role models. However, nowadays this is the point where the satire comes in for screenings 80+ years later. EVERYONE is a slave owner, EVERYONE is fighting for the continued rate to use and profit from slave labor, so EVERYONE is already damned. If anything, Gone With the Wind is now a great representation of how an entire culture of people can be morally corrupted from the get go, but when you're surrounded by **** the debate comes down to which person's **** smells less bad. When it comes to that final line exchange of dialogue between Rhett and Scarlet at the end--at one time, the audience was supposed to side solely with Rhett who is now completely fed up both with himself, Scarlet, and the relationship as a whole. No one is truly, "innocent" in this mess--but, now with the added awareness of people with personality disorders, if anyone, Scarlet remains the most sympathetic character. Rhett is just a piece of **** unable to get over himself for anyone but the reflection of himself he saw in his daughter. But still--no one can actually be empathized with anymore because everyone owns slaves! It's a hilarious conundrum of already being damned by birthright.… Expand

0 of 3 users found this helpful03

Mglovesfun

Feb 9, 2020

While it's quite easy to watch for a four hour film, the plot and the acting aren't exception. This film actually isn't that well rated by modern reviewers.

1 of 2 users found this helpful11

Movieman5000

Dec 19, 2018

This is without a doubt the worst movie ever made. It boring Bad acting No Talent. The Movie need to Be destroyed & forgotten. 100% worthless

1 of 13 users found this helpful112

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