Gone with the Wind

Scarlett O'Hara is a headstrong daughter of a wealthy Georgia planter who refuses to accept the collapse of the world she knows when the Civil War arrives. As supplies dwindle and social structures crumble, she uses charm, will and cunning to protect her family and preserve Tara, the plantation she loves. Along the way she draws the roguish Rhett Butler into a volatile relationship that mixes desire, pride and rivalry. Amid grief and shifting loyalties, Scarlett pursues what she wants with single-minded determination, while the wider conflict reshapes everyone around her without sparing comfort or certainty.

Released in 1939, the film was directed by Victor Fleming and adapted from Margaret Mitchell's novel, with a screenplay credited to Sidney Howard. It became one of Hollywood's major studio epics, staged on an expansive scale with a large ensemble cast.

On release the picture was a major commercial phenomenon, drawing huge audiences and long theatrical runs. It became one of the most financially successful films of its era, remaining in circulation and public view for decades thanks to repeat bookings and renewed interest.

Critics at the time lauded the film's scale, color cinematography and the central performances, and audience ratings remain strong, reflected in a vote average of 7.918 out of 10. Over time viewers and scholars have reassessed the film, praising its craft while debating its romantic depiction of the Old South and its portrayals of race and class, which prompt important conversations today.

The movie has become a cornerstone of classic American cinema, its production values and sweeping melodrama influencing later historical epics. Iconic sequences and the dynamics between its principal characters continue to be referenced across media, and it still provokes lively discussion about filmmaking, historical memory and how popular entertainment represents complex social histories.