Australian Odeon

The highest grossing film of all time (inflation adjusted), winner of 10 Oscars and bearer of the AFI’s no. 1 film quote “Frankly my dear, I don’t give a damn,” Gone with the Wind remains both a technical and cultural cinematic landmark.

 

It’s also phenomenally racist.

 

Gone with the Wind is perhaps the most prominent cinematic example of the myth that the American Civil War destroyed the peaceful and idyllic South, where slaves were actually happy! So if you’re considering taking on the 230-minute journey with Scarlett and Rhett, but don’t consider abolition a step backwards, employ this viewing guide to reduce potential white-enjoyment-guilt;

 

1. Historical Context

The American Civil War is one of the most historically revised events put to screen. Perhaps due to Northern guilt over the post-war restoration period, the antebellum South has been enshrined in cinema as a white paradise, where men were gallant and ladies demure (all of them white of course), and that it’s defeat at the hands of the North, while perhaps necessary, was nonetheless a tragedy.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

So while it may undermine the dramatic impact of the second half of the film, whenever you see one of the O’Haras complain about how hard it is working the land just remember; that’s what happens when you have an entire way of life based on exploiting the labor of people you buy and sell like livestock.

 

 

2. Make peace with Mammy

The character of Mammy, played by Hattie McDaniels, but here’s one of the most awkward realisations; she’s incredibly likeable. Mammy’s no nonsense attitude makes her one of the more memorable characters, behind only Scarlett and Rhett. You could almost be forgiven for wishing you had a Mammy. Only almost, because she still represents the domestic subjugation of African American women for the benefit of wealthy white children, you racist! But, as will be further expanded upon in point 4, both the role and McDaniels’ performance were significant advancement in the depiction of African American’s on screen.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

3. It’s sexist too!

It’s not just African Americans that are dealt with through stereotype and cliché, but the women too. It was as if the writers poured everything they could into Scarlett and simply didn’t have enough left to make any other woman in the film a three dimensional character. Melanie seems like an anachronistic Stepford wife, robotically loving everyone she ever meets. One of the film’s more shocking scenes is when Rhett strong-arms Scarlett into a kiss, informing her “This is one night you won’t turn me out” before whisking her upstairs for what is sure to be more than a fondle. However, the next morning Scarlett awakes, not mad or even slightly upset, but bright eyed and happy, even eager to see Rhett when he comes to visit her.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Restoration era marriage counseling apparently suggested a good marital raping would cure what ails a relationship. While this point may not balance out the racism so much as add to the feeling of discomfort for the viewer, it reinforces the fact that GWTW was very much a product of its time, both in terms of the period in which it is set and the context in which it was filmed.

 

 

 

4. Off-Camera  Progress

As alluded to earlier, the character of Mammy represented a giant leap forward in cinematic representation of African Americans, although that was a ridiculously low bar to clear in the first place. The concept of having black actors play black roles was relatively new, possibly even a little risky, given American’s cinema’s penchant for black-face. There was also a case of life imitating art, as Clarke Gable became good friends with McDaniels. In fact, when it was confirmed that no African American could attend the Atlanta premier due to Georgia’s segregation laws, Gable initially refused to attend.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Though possibly apocryphal, McDaniels reportedly told Gable that ‘We can’t have Gone with the Wind without Rhett Butler’ and convinced him to go. McDaniels would go on to be the first African American to win an Oscar, picking up Best Supporting Actress.

 

 

So next time you have a free four hours and decide your life is lacking people saying ‘fiddle dee dee’ and ‘Ashley!’ a lot, give Gone with the Wind a try with the preceding viewing guide.