#6 - Gone With The Wind

Release Year: 1940

Category: Romance

Director: Victor Fleming

Description: Gone With the Wind boils down to a story about a spoiled Southern girl's hopeless love for a married man. In April of 1861, at the palatial Southern estate of Tara, where Scarlett O'Hara (Vivien Leigh) hears that her casual beau Ashley Wilkes (Leslie Howard) plans to marry "mealy mouthed" Melanie Hamilton (Olivia de Havilland). Despite warnings from her father (Thomas Mitchell) and her faithful servant Mammy (Hattie McDaniel), Scarlett intends to throw herself at Ashley at an upcoming barbecue at Twelve Oaks. Alone with Ashley, she goes into a fit of histrionics, all of which is witnessed by roguish Rhett Butler (Clark Gable), the black sheep of a wealthy Charleston family, who is instantly fascinated by the feisty, thoroughly self-centered Scarlett: "We're bad lots, both of us."

Famous Quote: "Frankly my dear, I don't give a damn."

My Thoughts
I have seen Gone With The Wind well over a hundred times and obviously it is one of my favorite movies. I love Scarlett's determination and strength she shows while surviving The Civil War and her unapologetic personality. However, it is puzzling as to why she is drawn to Ashley, he is a weak and pathetic man... but then there is Rhett. Captain Rhett Butler, I am in love with this character's charm, his mind and the way he pursues what he desires. My favorite character in the film is Belle Waitling, the local madam, she encompasses many of the qualities I adore in Scarlett's character... however she is an honest person and does not manipulate people the way Scarlett does. In 2011, I will have to read the book!