Gone With The Wind -- 1939 -- G

Yes, I'll reveal the horrifying truth. This was the first time I've seen this movie from one end to the other. I'd seen bits and pieces before, but never all four hours of it.

For such a long movie, this one was very well paced. The scenes move very, very quickly from one point to another and never really let up or slow down. Scarlett is the clear lead here and she is very well developed along with the other main players. It is supposed to be bright and grand, and that it is throughout its tableaus and high speed tour through the Civil War.

The basic plot involves a spoiled brat by the name of Scarlett O'Hara who is obsessed with Ashley Wilkes, who she loses to his cousin, Melanie, in the first act. This thing between her, Ashley, and Melanie becomes an ongoing "thing" throughout the film as she makes trying to get Ashley her goal in everything she does. Rhett Butler meets her early on, and though not being a marrying man, he finds himself attracted to her, but no matter what he does, he can't get her past this Ashley obsession. This leads Scarlett to her ultimate downfall and loss of everything.

My main complaint is her ending. She loses everything, and we are thinking, "go after him!" What is her response? I'll do it tomorrow, because tomorrow is another day. There's a procrastinator if I ever saw one.

So the film is clearly superior is many ways, but that ending just sucked. She learned where her heart was, and failed to pursue it settling for nothing. But overall, it is a head and shoulders better than a lot of things you could put on.