the red earth of Tara... and so forth

[theda_b]

I meant to write this last year during Oscar time when people were naming the worst Best Picture winner. Gone With the Wind was named by someone who didn't appear to have paid that much attention to the film or its context. He essentially called it an overly long, big studio, moonlight and magnolia melodrama, which demonstrated a lack of film

Comments

[wrayb]

Quite timely post for me. Despite my decades in the US of A I've never watched the movie before and am currently half way into it. A few years ago I happened upon a used hard back of the book and although I made it only up through the introductory pages (didn't make it to the bbq) I found it very insightful and effective evoking plantation life that includes the people and the ever present work getting something of value from the land. Although I've not see the movie my decade and a half in Louisiana did include several explorations into plantation life from Memphis to Mississippi to Louisiana. And I was surprised to the degree that Mitchell did get it from that perspective of the people running and trying to make a go of it from the agriculture commerce of the deep south. In other words, with my limited knowledge, it did seem that she wasn't just "glorifying the glorious days of the old south". And like I said, I've only read the initial chapter or two where she is introducing her characters and starting to give some context.

The movie viewing will likely conclude this Saturday. The book I need to find and continue. Thank you for your comments and insights.

[theda_b]

The lady knew those people she was yammering on about. Part of her family was Irish, so the discrimination against the Irish was very much part of the family's story. Except in the movie. But that always happens in film adaptations. You can't include everything or you'd have a 9 hour film.