Gone With The Wind (1939)
The epic that has war, Scarlett marrying a nerd she doesn’t love, Rhett being suave, civil war and the end of the Confederacy. Ashley is too old and useless. This was different from the book and is dated looking. The acting is OTT and this is full of endless iconography. Scarlett and Rhett aren’t the easiest to deal with and the plot does not beat nuanced historical analysis. Scarlett does ill-informed whinges. There is culturally significant nostalgic culture and innumerable cultural touchstones. People overact with scenery chewing abandon in self-important terribly serious ways.
Scarlett marries a second time for money. There is a funny sign: The War Is Over. Don’t Ask For Credit. Rhett seems to be Belle the ho’s pimp. Nice bonnets are worn. Scarlett wears a dress made out of curtains to get $300 for a tax bill. A place called Shadytown is attacked and there is more misery and a famous ending. This was okay if wildly OTT. Rhett is really smug and irritating and throughout Scarlett remains a diamond-like object of male and female fascination. There are no acutely observed scenes of social discomfort just lots of posing and yelling.
Best Lines:
“Cotton, slaves and arrogance.”
“Remember yourself.”
“Asking ain’t getting.”
“You know you don’t love Melanie.”
“And a mule?”
“I never seen hair that colour before in my life/”
“You’ll never mean anything but misery to any man.”
“How fickle is woman.”
“That’s all of Tara you’ll ever get.”
“Turned idiot.”
“Just what you deserved.”
“When were ever friends with the likes of you?”
“He can lie in the gutter for all I care.”
“Trashy wench.”
~
Some Mother’s Son (1996)
No.
Lost Horizon (1973)
This underwhelming mess has no shrewd reconfiguring of myth and is just meandering and laboured.
The Parent Trap (1998)
Thuddingly mindless.
Peeping Tom (1960)
Creepy.
