DATE REVIEWED: 7/17/24
TITLE: Gone With the Wind
BOX OFFICE RATED: G (This is not suitable for GOD’s children and this is not G content)
PRODUCTION YEAR: 1939 Warner Bros. Pictures / Selznick International Pictures / MGM / Loew’s Inc.
RATING [1 LEAST FAVORITE TO 5 HIGHLY RECOMMENDED]: 1
REASON: This movie takes place in the South in 1861, where everyone was preparing for the start of the Civil War. In Clayton County, Georgia, was the Tara plantation, owned by Gerald O’Hara the Irishman who believed that land was the most important thing. Tara’s neighbor was the Twelve Oaks plantation, owned by John Wilkes. John’s son, Ashley, had planned to marry his adult cousin Melanie Hamilton. Gerald’s eldest sixteen-year-old daughter, Katie Scarlett, was upset because she was in love with older adult Ashley.Gerald’s wife, Ellen Robillard, delivered young teen (13-14 years old) Emmie Slattery’s baby (from a poor family that lived nearby). Ellen returned to Tara and told hired help (adult) Jonas Wilkerson, the overseer at Tara, that his baby died in childbirth. Ellen had Jonas fired because he was a Yankee enemy and Emmie was white trash. Gerald, Ellen, and their three daughters, Scarlett (16), Suellen (15) and 13-year-old Carreen attended a jubilee at Twelve Oaks. All the men swooned over Scarlett. Scarlett was all about being the center of attention and she gave the women compliments that she didn’t mean and then shamelessly flirted with their boyfriends so much so that they swooned over her and did Scarlett favors as though she were an ungodly celebrity like creature, and ignored the other females who were decent and lived in the real world. The women gossiped amongst themselves about Scarlett’s obscene and offensive behavior. Captain Rhett Butler (in his early thirties) from Charleston was present and he had a bad reputation for getting expelled from West Point, being ousted from his family and taking a girl out without a chaperone and then ruining her by refusing to marry her. The Southerners believed that they would win the war, but Rhett argued that the Union States were better equipped, had the waterways, and would beat the Confederate States. Scarlett and her sisters fought during their daytime nap about Scarlett’s behavior while in a shared room. Scarlett pretended sleep but then she got dressed again and snuck out and professed her love to Ashley. However, Ashley didn’t feel the same way about Scarlett and was insistent that he would marry Melanie. Dramatic Scarlett hated on Ashley then and slapped his face in a crazy performance, and it was after Ashley left the room and Scarlett threw a fit for not getting her way and a vase that she discovered that Rhett was in the room and overheard. Rhett told young Scarlett that her passion was more suited to his and not dull Ashley. The ball that night never happened because Lincoln declared war and all the men rushed off to enlist. Melanie’s brother, Charles, professed his love to Scarlett and proposed to her, so even though she had no romantic feelings for Charles Scarlett agreed to marry him after seeing Ashley and Melanie kissing. Ashley and Mellie married and so did Scarlett and Charles before the men left for the war. Scarlett later got a letter from Wade Hamilton that Captain Charles died of pneumonia and measles. Scarlett wasn’t upset about the death of Charles and she didn’t want to wear black and pretend to be in mourning for Charles. Mama Ellen suggested that she go to Atlanta with the maid Prissy and stay with Mellie and her Aunt Pittypat and Uncle Peter. Mammy, the housekeeper slave who helped raise Scarlett since birth, knew that Scarlett’s intentions in Atlanta were to get ahold of Ashley. A fundraiser was then held in Atlanta after Scarlett arrived to raise money for the Cause and the soldier hospital. Melanie gave up her wedding ring out of love and Scarlett gave hers up because she never wanted it in the first place and still wished it were Ashley’s ring. Dr. Meade led the men to bid on the women for dancing rights to help raise money. Rhett bid $150in gold for Scarlett and danced with her as Scarlett wore her black mourning dress, causing more gossip about her wicked ways. She accepted and shocked everyone with her actions because it was inappropriate to act so gay. Rhett wanted Scarlett to love him like she loved Ashley, and she refused. Rhettlater wrote a letter to Melanie from another of his extravagant travel destinations and returned her wedding ring and Scarlett’s, knowing Melanie would be the only one who appreciated his gesture and not Scarlett. Rhett brought Scarlett gifts and clothes from Paris and told her what to wear and what not to wear. Scarlett wanted to pay for the gifts by kissing Rhett, but he didn’t want to and was upset that Scarlett was still pining away for Ashley. Stuart and Brent died in the Battle of Gettysburg, and Scarlett and Melanie were glad that Ashley was still alive. The soldiers were granted a short Christmas holiday to return home to their families, and Scarlett begged Ashley to profess his love for her but again he wouldn’t and left. Belle Watling from the local cathouse and gambling place arrived in Rhett’s carriage and offered Melanie money in gold for the hospital (with a Jesus stain glass window inside). Melanie took the money when no one else in the area would because they didn’t want Belle’s dirty brothel money, where Rhett frequented. Dr. Meade cared for the wounded soldiers at the hospital, and Suellen’s boyfriend, Frank Kennedy, was one a patient. Scarlett volunteered as a nurse but ran out after a soldier’s leg was amputated and she didn’t want to be around war or hear the screams of the wounded soldiers. Big Sam, the foreman of Tara, was there in Atlanta as a digger and informed Scarlett that her mom, Ellen, was ill. Rhett told Scarlett that Mellie would have Ashley’s baby soon, even though she was warned there would be complications and doctor advised not to have a baby. Everyone in Atlanta was in a panic to leave town before the Yankees invaded because canons went off close by. Rhett wanted Scarlett to leave with him but she refused and wanted to leave with Aunt Pitty. Dr. Meade convinced Scarlett to stay and deliver Melanie’s baby, and Scarlett did after she remembered her promise to Ashley that she would take care of Melanie. Prissy claimed that she had delivered babies before and could help. Melanie went into troubled labor and wanted Scarlett to have the baby if she died. Prissy went out to get Dr. Meade, but she returned without him because she was scared of the dead people he was treating. Scarlett left Mellie to fetch Dr. Meade herself, but the doctor refused to leave the hundreds of dying and suffering men for one female having a baby. Prissy then revealed that to Scarlett upon her return that she lied and never birthed a baby so Scarlett slapped Prissy across the face and then planned to do the delivery with Prissy’s help. The two females were able to successfully deliver the baby boy named Beau. Scarlett sent Prissy to tell Rhett, who was with Belle at the whorehouse. Rhett went to see Scarlett, and she was hysterical and wanted to go back to Tara to her mom so she insisted that Rhett help Scarlett move everyone there. They encountered scavengers in town who tried to steal Rhett’s horse and carriage, and he fought them off. The warehouses full of explosives was set on fire, and the horse was afraid so Rhett blindfolded the horse and led the carriage through the warehouse and out of town before it went up in flames. Rhett then left the women to travel to Tara alone while Rhett left to join the army. He announced that Scarlett was the only woman he ever loved and kissed her, but she wished him death. Scarlett drove the carriage through fields of dead men and arrived at Twelve Oaks, which was destroyed and long-abandoned. John Wilkes was dead. However, when she arrived at Tara, it was still standing. It was revealed that the Yankees had used Tara as their headquarters and burned the barn for firewood, and they stole everything including the rosaries, clothes and rugs. All the O’Hara family had left were useless Confederate bonds. Mammy and Pork were the only remaining house slaves after the others ran away to the war. Suellen and Carreen came down with the typhoid and so did Ellen when she went to nurse Emmie. Ellen died the previous night so Scarlett never got to say goodbye to her mom. Gerald couldn’t accept his wife’s death and believed that his wife was still alive. The eldest daughter Scarlett then declared that with God as her witness, she would never go hungry again even if she had to lie, cheat, steal and kill her remaining days. The Yankees continued to burn down everything in their path, but Scarlett in charge of everyone since her dad was incapable started growing cotton at Tara to survive. Suellen and Carreen were unhappy to work the fields, and Suellen said she hated Tara so Scarlett slapped her sister across the face and said hating Tara was the same as hating their parents. Gerald told Scarlett to be firm but gentle with the darkies. Melanie wanted to help but was still too weak so Scarlett sent her back to bed. A lone Yankee deserter then broke into the Tara plantation house to rob them, so Scarlett used the pistol Rhett gave her and shot the Yankee dead in the head. Melanie opened a window and lied to Scarlett’s family outside in the fields about the gunshot so they wouldn’t come inside. The two women went through the soldier’s belongings and took his money that would help them all eat. Scarlett had Melanie remove her nightgown (naked underneath it) in order to wrap the soldier’s bloody head in so it wouldn’t leave a trail when they dragged the dead man away to bury him where nobody would find him. Riding fast and recklessly on horseback, Gerald announced that General Lee surrendered and the civil war was over. The inhabitants of Tara took care of the wounded and hungry soldiers returning from war on their travels back from the warzone areas. Ashley was supposed to come home but one soldier said that the Yankees captured Ashley and his whereabouts were unknown. Frank Kennedy wanted to propose to Suellen, and Scarlett gave her blessing (in place of her mentally unstable dad). Frank planned to go start a business before the wedding and make something for him and his bride-to-be. Ashley then returned and walked the path to Tara. Melanie ran to greet her husband while Mammy held Scarlett back and reminded her that Ashley was Melanie’s husband. The stranger soldiers babysat little boy beau. In Georgia, the black people were offered 40 acres, a mule and voting rights, while the carpetbaggers from the North came and raised the taxes on Tara to $300, in order to force the already poor families out of their homes. Scarlett went to her beloved Ashley for help, but he had no money and lost everything. He was despondent because he saw his friends killed and he took the bloody lives of others in the war. Scarlett wanted to run away to Mexico with Ashley, where he would enlist in the Mexican army and Scarlett could give him more children since Melanie couldn’t. Scarlett accused Ashley of not loving Melanie and then kissed Ashley. However, Ashley declared that he didn’t love Scarlett and wouldn’t forget his wife and baby, so Scarlett agreed that she would live for Tara instead of Ashley and not try to seduce him anymore and told Ashley that he and his family could keep on living with her. Jonas Wilkerson and his new wife Emmie came to buy Tara, but Scarlett refused and threw dirt in Wilkerson’s face. Gerald was angry and chased after the Wilkerson carriage on horseback, and dad fell off and was killed when his horse jumped a fence. Scarlett gave Pork her dad’s watch. Mammy made Scarlett a new dress out of the drapes so she could go to Atlanta and ask Rhett for the tax money that Tara needed. As it turned out, Rhett told Scarlett that the Yankees trumped up a charge that Rhett stole millions from the Confederate treasury, so he was ended up in a Yankee jail playing poker with the Yankee captains. Scarlett tried to fool Rhett into thinking she had grown into the kind of woman he wanted, but he realized that she hadn’t and she was just after his money after he saw her calloused hands. Scarlett offered her hand in marriage and then offered herself as collateral, but Rhett didn’t want any of it. Rhett admitted that he couldn’t give Scarlett money anyway because his stolen funds were hidden in Liverpool and he would get caught if he tried to go for the hidden stash in England. Scarlett left Rhett in his temporary horse stall jail and decided to do whatever it took to keep Tara. She soon bumped into Frank Kennedy in Atlanta so once Scarlett discovered that Frank owned a general store in Atlanta and would soon be rich, she told Frank that Suellen decided to marry one of the country boys instead of Frank. Scarlett then married Frank herself and got the money to pay the taxes on Tara. Scarlett returned to Tara, and her sister Suellen wanted to kill her for stealing and marrying Frank Kennedy for his money and not love. Ashley blamed himself for Scarlett’s behavior and thought he should have committed robbery to get the scornful female the money she craved and that second hapless innocent male soul wouldn’t have fallen victim to the wicked witch Scarlett and her scheming. Ashley then announced to Scarlett that he was going to New York for a bank job and taking his family with him. Crazed Scarlett didn’t want Ashley to leave, so she fake cried and lied to Melanie that Ashley was hateful. Melanie believed Scarlett and owed Scarlett her life since Scarlett took care of Millie, so Melanie convinced Ashley to go to Atlanta and help Scarlett with Scarlett’s new business venture lumber business. Ashley agreed to go to Atlanta. In Atlanta Scarlett was in control of everything and Scarlett sent her husband Frank home to take his medicine. Ashley wanted to hire darkies instead of prisoners to work in the mill, but Scarlett insisted that darkies were too expensive so she hired prisoners and had the questionable Johnnie Gallagher oversee the prison workers using any means necessary to accomplish what Scarlett dictated. Scarlett insisted that Ashley help her befriend the carpetbaggers so she could then beat them all at their own game. Rhett soon got out of jail and wanted to know why Scarlett kept marrying men she didn’t love. Scarlett alone in a horse and buddy traveled to the mill through the shady part of town, and two men tried to steal the wagon on a bridge in the wooded area. Scarlett’s screams for help brought Big Sam running to help her, and he fought off the men after Scarlett fainted from the attackers. Sam took Scarlett to Frank’s where Sam was given payment money for his help with Scarlett and sent back to Tara. Frank pretended he didn’t care about what happened to Scarlett as she was in tears from the ordeal of travelling into the woods alone. Frank said he had to leave for an important political meeting. Rhett learned from playing poker with the Yankees that Ashley and Frank went into the woods to hunt down the homeless people living there so no one else would be attacked. Rhett warned Scarlett, Melanie, Ashley’s sister, India, and Mrs. Meade that Ashley and Frank were walking into a trap. The Yankees figured out that the two men lied about having a political meeting and went to the house to question the women about their husbands’ whereabouts. Rhett arrived at the house with Ashley and Dr. Meade, and they all pretended to be drunk so the women played along to fool the officers. The head soldier, Tom, wanted to arrest Ashley for burning down shanties and killing the homeless people in the woods and taking the law into their own hands, but Rhett told the story that the men went to visit Belle’s prostitutes (which the men did only for an alibi on their way home), and officer Tom also visited the place. Rhett gave his word as a gentleman that it was true, so the soldiers left but not before Rhett took it a step further to make it more believable and told Tom now the wives would be mad at their husbands for quite some time for Rhett having to tell on the men’s infidelities. Once free from the authorities, everybody scrambled to take off Ashley’s coat because it covered his blood from having been shot in the shoulder and the sober Dr. Meade doctored him. Rhett revealed to the women that Frank Kennedy was now dead, after Kennedy was shot in the head. Belle went to see Melanie so she wouldn’t have to go to the whorehouse and thank Belle for helping her Melanie’s husband. Belle said she respected Melanie for taking her hospital money when others turned their back on her, but she despised Scarlett. Melanie thanked Belle for saving Ashley’s life. Belle (claimed she was a parent and sent GOD’s child off to boarding school while she had a business and ran the nasty whorehouse) believed that Scarlett killed her husband by behaving the way that she did. Scarlett drank her guilt away with hard alcohol and had hiccups when Rhett came to visit. Scarlett in her usual theatrical way cried out her sorrows to Rhett, and he knew she was faking it. Rhett still proposed to Scarlett anyway since the two of them were suited for each other with always craving the rich and famous lifestyle even though they would never love each other. He passionately kissed her unlike Frank, Charles or Ashley ever did, so Scarlett agreed to marry Rhett for fun and his money. Rhett promised Scarlett a big fancy diamond ring and a elaborate New Orleans honeymoon. While there, Scarlett refused to get Mammy a gift before they left because Mammy thought the two were scoundrel mules but Rhett got old maid Mammy a red petticoat to win her over because he said his Mammy always dreamed of one. Scarlett had nightmares and asked Rhett to take her back to Tara, where he let her spend unlimited amounts of money to fix up the plantation up like it was before the war. Mammy finally wore the red petticoat, and Scarlett’s sisters were angry with her again because the eldest sister sold herself again to get what she wanted while they had no suitors, better morals, and were stuck in poverty since their parents died and Scarlett took everything. Scarlett and Rhett’s daughter was born soon after, and they had planned to name her Eugenia Victoria but Melanie and Rhett discussed the baby’s eyes so Rhett thought Bonnie Blue because of her blue eyes was a better name. Scarlett’s 18 ½’’ waist increased to 20’’, so she decided that she wouldn’t have any more children. Again Scarlett stopped being nice to Rhett, neglected her newborn baby, and kept thinking about Ashley and kept Ashley’s photo with her. Rhett found out. He decided that he would seek pleasure elsewhere since Scarlett no longer wanted children and that could be a means for divorce. Rhett stormed out and talked to Belle, who told him that little Bonnie was worth 10 of Scarlett. Rhett and Scarlett then walked baby Bonnie in town and pretended to be friendly to everyone they didn’t like so they would respect Bonnie and she could have a place in society. The old biddies gossiped and argued about the parties they were throwing for Bonnie and how Rhett donated loads of (stolen money no doubt) money to societies around town. As Bonnie grew up, Mammy was displeased that Rhett taught her to ride astride so he agreed to teach her sidesaddle. Scarlett put on another show to get into Ashley’s arms and she didn’t want to bring up the past about the war. Melanie was upset to see them together, so Scarlett refused to go to the surprise birthday party for Ashley. Rhett dragged his scandalous wife out of bed and made her go to the party alone so she wouldn’t ruin Bonnie’s chances and had her wear a revealing red dress and wear extra rouge to show everyone what she was about. Scarlett and Rhett had drinks that night and argued as usual, and then he took her to bed and they had sex. Scarlett woke up the next morning in a great mood and happy about her husband pleasuring her but Rhett showed up and wanted to get a divorce and said he would take Bonnie since Scarlett was a worse mother than a cat and rarely spent time with Bonnie. Scarlett refused but Rhett announced that he and Bonnie were leaving for London (to retrieve his hidden Confederate gold now that things cooled down and the officers were no longer investigating him) that day. Bonnie didn’t like London and had nightmares about a bear sitting on her chest. The nurse abroad had turned off the lights to help Bonnie get over her fear of the dark and not be cowardly, so Rhett fired the nursemaid. Bonnie wanted to go home to her mom and pony, so Rhett gave Bonnie a kitten and they returned to the USA. Scarlett announced that she was pregnant again as Rhett and her were at the top of the large staircase. They argued as usual and Scarlett said she would rather have anybody’s child but Rhett. He suggested that maybe Scarlett would have an accident, and then she fell down the stairs and lost the baby. Rhett told Melanie his troubles, and she told him not to blame himself because Scarlett would have more children. Melanie planned to have another child even though Dr. Meade told her it would be life-threatening, so Rhett prayed to God that it worked out for Mellie. Rhett wanted to take Scarlett and Bonnie on a second honeymoon and told Scarlett to give the mill to Ashley because the Butlers didn’t need the money. While the parents talked on the patio, Bonnie was outside with her pony. The under six year old had just learned to ride sidesaddle and wanted to show off her limited jumping skills on her pony. Scarlett told Bonnie not to after she remembered that Gerald died while jumping and asked her husband to stop their spoiled daughter. Bonnie jumped anyway and broke her neck on the fence and died, so Rhett shot the pony dead. Melanie came to visit because Mammy called for her and Mammy cried hysterically as she explained that Rhett locked himself in the nursery for days and wouldn’t let anyone bury Bonnie because she was afraid of the dark. Mammy prayed for Rhett, and Melanie talked him into having the funeral for the young child of GOD. Melanie then passed out and was put on her deathbed, where Scarlett promised to look after Ashley and Rhett and give Beau college and trips to Europe. Scarlett left Mellie’s bedside and walked outside into Ashley’s arms so disgusted Rhett stormed out. Ashley admitted that he couldn’t live without Melanie and he loved her and not Scarlett. Scarlett couldn’t believe that she wasted all her years away longing for Ashley when he never loved her at all, so in that instant she was completely over Ashley. Scarlett ran out of the house back to her Atlanta home down the street to find Rhett there. Scarlett confirmed Mellie died. Scarlett then professed her love to Rhett, but he packed his bags to leave for Charleston and planned to get a divorce. Scarlett asked Rhett what she would do, and he told her “Frankly, my dear, I don’t give a damn.” Scarlett then realized that Tara was the answer, and she planned to go there and figure out a way to get Rhett back. This is far from a family movie as the eldest sister killed those in her way to power and wealth, broke endless laws, manipulated her family members and acquaintances, and ruined many lives in order to get the sick things she craved, including marrying men she didn’t love as well as endangering HIS children in her care. Ghastly, the movie won 10 Academy Awards, and on a budget of $3.85 million, it grossed over $390 million at the box office. The movie cover art listed, Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times, “A towering landmark of a film.”