Gone with the Wind

This 1939 epic tale of a bratty Southern belle who never seems to get what she wants (because she wants it all), swept the Oscars and was the conduit not only for the Academy to bestow its first award on an African American actor, but also for generations of audiences to examine how black characters are portrayed on screen. It’s a controversial picture, to be sure, at once lush and thrilling, yet troubling and cringe-worthy through our modern perspective. It’s still the highest grossing film of all time (adjusted for inflation), and the performances are stellar—especially that of veteran actress Hattie McDaniel, who received withering attacks from the black community for portraying a slave. There’s no reason that both worlds can’t coexist, one of superior filmmaking and one of acknowledging grave cinematic errors of the past, and merging the two makes this film all the more important and remarkable. There’s only one way to get the full GWTW effect, of course, and that’s on the big screen. Do it, and watch history in the making.

Wed., Dec. 3, 7:30 p.m., 2014

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *