Gone with the Wind (1939)

Gone with the Wind is an epic historical romance set against the upheaval of the American Civil War and the Reconstruction era. It follows Scarlett O’Hara, a headstrong Southern belle whose beauty, stubbornness and single-minded determination drive her through love, loss and a desperate struggle to save her family’s plantation, Tara. Along the way she becomes entangled with the roguish Rhett Butler and the gentle Ashley Wilkes, creating a turbulent, obsessive triangle that unfolds over years of war, ruin and rebuilding. Seeing the movie you’ll experience sweeping, large-scale filmmaking: lavish period costumes, elaborate sets (including the memorable burning of Atlanta), a rousing score and long, cinematic takes that emphasize the scale and social drama of the era. The story alternates between intimate, emotionally charged confrontations and grand wartime or domestic crises, giving you both melodrama and historical spectacle. The central performances are intense and commanding, and the film’s pacing allows characters to develop slowly as fortunes rise and fall. Expect a long, immersive viewing (roughly three-and-a-half hours) that’s both romantic and tragic. The movie is a classic of Hollywood’s Golden Age—visually sumptuous and emotionally forceful—but it also reflects 1930s attitudes: its depiction of the Old South and of enslaved people is dated and can be offensive by modern standards. Viewers should be prepared for powerful, sometimes contradictory feelings—admiration for the film’s craft and performances alongside discomfort with its romanticized view of a problematic past. In short: a sweeping, emotionally intense period drama about survival, ambition and complicated love, delivered on a grand, old-Hollywood scale—beautiful and engrossing, but also historically and morally complex.

Actors: Clark Gable, Vivien Leigh, Thomas Mitchell

Directors: Victor Fleming, George Cukor, Sam Wood

Runtime: 238 min

Genres: Drama, History, Romance

7.9 /10 97 /100 8.2 /10 8.6 /10