Producer David O. Selznick’s acclaimed screen adaptation of Margaret Mitchell’s best-selling novel tells of the romance between the tempestuous Scarlett O’Hara (Vivien Leigh) and the dashing Rhett Butler (Clark Gable), against the tragic backdrop of the Civil War. This legendary classic earned 10 Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Best Actress, (Leigh) Best Director (Victor Fleming), and Best Supporting Actress to Hattie McDaniel, the first Oscar ever awarded to an African American performer. One of the highest-grossing films of all time (when adjusted for inflation), it is also very much a product of its time, and unfortunately reflects depictions of characters and themes which are offensive and problematic when viewed by contemporary audiences. The film is presented here as originally released in 1939, because to do otherwise would be the equivalent of stating the prejudices and attitudes never existed.
