Gone With the Wind

Today is the 75th anniversary of the release of Gone With the Wind. The massive book was adapted into an equally massive movie, at least in regards to length. The movie was re-released this year and my mom and I went to see it. It was incredible.

Before the movie started, there was a clip that explained some of the history of the movie, the actors, and the premiere. It was actually really cool to learn about the backstory of the movie. I like things like that. For instance, a ticket to the premiere of the movie cost $10 and was considered expensive. I paid more than that to see the re-release. And I was excited to learn that the movie would be played in the exact same way it was premiered. The same aspect ratio, the overture and exit music, intermission, everything. That made it even more real for me.

Now, I love Gone With the Wind. I've read the book and own the movie. I find Rhett Butler devilishly attractive and I fully agree with the sentiment that Scarlett is a royal bitch. She's terrible. She truly is. But I still love the movie. How can I not, when it's a sweeping epic about war and romance? The romantic, girly side in me just swoons. It's a little pathetic, I know. There's just something about the movie that I love though. Its characters are flawed, except maybe Melanie, but there is still something to admire about them all. They're resilient, passionate, and hardworking. And the "sweeping" part of the epic has as much to do with the scenery as anything. The plantation houses, the scene in Atlanta with all the wounded soldiers on the railroad tracks, the scene where Atlanta is burning. It's a stunningly beautiful film. And, of course, I adore the music. And the costumes. They are spectacular and I would love to wear one of those dresses.

I have to say that I love seeing re-releases. There is nothing cooler than seeing a movie in theaters that you weren't alive to see in theaters the first time. Especially when it's one that you love. It gives the movie more meaning and you notice things you didn't before. And to see Gone With the Wind in the same way it was premiered, down to the intermission, was very cool. It was a little glimpse into the past and what it was like to see movies 75 years ago.