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Gone with the Wind

What do you say about a movie like this? I do love epics and like all the epics I've ever seen, this one left me completely speechless. There was so much to take in, I'm still digesting it all. I can say though that I'm now partially inspired to read the book and I would love to see this on a big screen someday. This movie is the first one we've watched in the top five of the AFI list. It came in at number 4.

This movie had all the makings of a timeless epic: sweeping cinematography, love and heart break, spectacular special effects, and brilliant acting. All the actors cast in this film truly brought the characters to life. It made me laugh, cry, and feel angry in all the right places. If I tried to list all my thoughts on Scarlett's character and her realtionships with the other characters in the film, we'd be here until the next century, so I will just say that I'd love to have a healthy debate with whoever wants to email me.

On other fronts, a couple of my favorite characters were Prissy and Mammy. Rhett, well, I really felt for his character but that's for reasons that I won't go into here in this blog. Another reason I liked this film is the great dialog. Case in point, a couple of my favorite lines:

"You should be kissed and often and by someone who knows how."
"Good heavens, woman, this is war, not a garden party."

Oh and before I give my rating, I have one more interesting theory to think about. The name of the house in which Scarlett lives is Tara, right? So you could also think of it as Terra, which is Latin for earth. I'd like to propose that is also a symbol for strength, new life and a fresh start. This would be why Scarlett always goes back there when life has taken her strength. Any thoughts? Agree? Disagree? Again, feel free to email me and we'll talk.

Now, in answer to my teaser from the previous posting, this is the first movie my husband and I disagreed on. I give Gone With the Wind a thumbs up because it is a truly great epic saga. My husband gives it a thumbs down calling it "a big soap opera," saying he didn't "care for any of the characters" and it "wasn't engaging." Ah well, you can't win 'em all.

We are currently watching our next movie, but as we were interrupted by a phone call, I'm pretty sure we'll finish just in time to head for bed. Check back tomorrow for our thoughts on Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, a good movie with which to end the 4th of July weekend. Hope it was a good one for you all.

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