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24 of 26 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
One of the Greatest Motion Pictures in the History of Cinema, 15 Feb 2008
Gone with the Wind is quite simply one of the greatest films ever made. Its a masterpiece on all levels of production: the acting is first rate, the epic story is breathtaking and awe inspiring, the cinematography and the depth of detail is extraordinary and the production values are astounding.
Vivien Leigh stars as Scarlett O'Hara, a young girl living with her family on their southern cotton plantation, Tara. She is desperately in love with Ashley Wilkes (Leslie Howard), an attraction which proves hopeless when it is announced that he is to wed his cousin, Melanie Daniels (Olivia de Havilland).
At a party at the Wilkes', she tells Ashley of her love for him but is spurned. Rhett Butler (Clark Gable), who has overheard their conversation, takes a fancy to Scarlett and makes a pass at her. She turns him down however, still obsessed with Ashley and painfully jealous of Melanie.
Apart from all this, Scarlett's life is perfect. However, the outbreak of the American Civil War throws everything into chaos and changes her family life and that of the whole country forever.
The film charts Scarlett's life from her early teenage years up until her adult life, charting her adventures in Georgia during the horrific attacks on the town as well as her reclaiming Tara after the war and her marriage to Rhett Butler. It also vividly chronicles the American Civil War in horrific detail, at one point depicting the massive scale of injuries as Scarlett tends to wounded soldiers.
A magnificent epic that seduces, shocks, thrills, inspires and uplifts, the film won eight Academy Awards - including Best Picture, Best Actress and Best Supporting Actress for Hattie McDaniels' hilarious performance as Mammy, Scarlett's maid - and is an absolute classic. A must see for everyone!
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62 of 72 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Well Worth The Wait!, 23 Mar 2005
Wow! I accidentally came across this new DVD version of Gone With The Wind whilst browsing in the shops. I have previously ignored other DVD versions, because they didn't put any special features on them which disappointed me deeply. I always knew that eventually a DVD with special features would be released, and it has now been released in style with this edition. I was very excited when I saw it contained 4 different discs. It contains 'The Making Of A Legend' which I saw on TV previously. It is a highly enjoyable account of the story of the making of GWTW, and the most avid fan will enjoy it immensely. It shows behind the scenes shots of all the stars, and some of the auditions starring other populars actors/actresses of the time. It is interesting to see this, and compare their performances to those of the stars of the film. Being a massive Vivien Leigh fan, I was very pleased to see that one of the discs contains the Vivien Leigh documentary 'Scarlett and Beyond' which is lovely. There is also a great recent interview with the brilliant Olivia De Havilland. She looks amazing for her age, and her account of the making of the film is spellbinding. She is a very interesting lady. The overall quality of the film is brilliant. It is almost as if the film was done in recent years. The details and colour is much more superior to any editions before, and you notice things that you didn't notice before. The colour of Vivien Leigh's eyes is more vivid, and you can see that her eyes are actually green, and not the blueish colour that they have on previous versions. If you love this film then buy it. If you're a mad GWTW fan, then definitely buy it, you would be a fool not to. I promise you, you will not be disappointed!!
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41 of 53 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
An amazing DVD for a wonderful film, 12 Jan 2005
If you are reading this, you will forgive me if I don't make a review of the film itself. It is one of the better-known and more talked about films ever. It's one of those films "everyone" has seen. But if you are reading this, more likely than not you are thinking of buying it. And you should. It is one of the best DVDs releases ever, and certainly the best of classic film I have ever seen. There are no adjectives that make justice to the quality of the picture, especially if you remember the film from an old print or a VHS tape. The detail is incredible. The colours amazing. (If you live in London it's the same copy that was release at the NFT in December 2004.) And then the extras: there is a two hour long documentary about the making of the film, a 2004 interview with Olivia de Havilland (who played Melanie), one documentary on Vivien Leigh, one on Gable, trailers and many others which will keep you busy for a while. You even get a replica of the souvenir programme of the original release. It's as good as it gets, and just wonderful. I had a few troubles not to buy the previous release, but I can assure you the wait was well worth it.
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