Frankly My Dear, It's Been 70 Years And You Look Hotter Than Ever

Gone with the Wind: Two-Disc 70th Anniversary Edition is not the first time David 0. Selznick's classic has been remastered, but with the 70th Anniversary and advent of the HD-era technology, it was time for an upgrade. Rather than simply cleaning up the stock, Warner Brothers went through and re-mastered everything, including rescanning the entire film. Gone with the Wind was already a beautiful movie, but now it looks better than ever.

This film is an absolute classic American movie, and one of the most recognizable movie titles ever. The story, taken from Margaret Mitchell's novel, is rich and big, and the movie takes the story and makes it into a 4 hour event. Warner Home Entertainment's delicious new edition features a cover and menus as regal and striking as the movie itself.

Now this is movie is 70 years old, so digging up and behind the scenes footage or any real gems may be a stretch at this point, but the new DVD release offers fantastic commentary by Rudy Behlmer. Behlmer is a historian who offers up poignant facts and stories about the time period and the movie itself.

Set in the historic South, during the Civil War, Gone With the Wind stars Clark Gable as Rhett Butler, the brash captain who pines for the elusive Scarlett O'Hara (Vivien Leigh). Scarlett is a beautiful Southern belle who at the beginning of the movie learns that Ashley Wilkes is to be married, and she immediately reacts like a spoiled child who is not getting her way. Hell bent on winning his affection away from his fiance, Scarlett continuously rejects the advances of Rhett. The two are engaged in a monumental love/hate relationship that develops as the South literally burns to the ground around them. We're given a rich story, rich characters, and a lasting vision of the old South that still resonates.

While the main story is very much Scarlett's, Gone with the Wind manages to remain high on multiple "Top Ten" lists for more than just the romance angle. There are the sweeping shots of the Civil War, including the burning of Atlanta (still one of the more breath-taking shots in cinema), epic-scale set pieces like Tara and Twelve Oaks Plantations and, more importantly, the very human relationships between characters. Love, jealously, rage, lust, revenge... this is melodrama at its very best and its got a cast to make sure everything runs perfectly. In addition to the primary talent, Gone with the Wind sports masterful performances from Thomas Mitchell, Butterfly McQueen and Hattie McDaniel, in a role that won her an Academy Award (the first awarded to an African-American).

Gone With the Wind is truly one of those movies that has to be experienced by anyone who calls themselves a movie buff. This classic redefined the notion of "cinematic event" - and now is the perfect time to acquire this movie for your collection.

The audio engineering and visual presentation of this release is very impressive. The movie is presented in its original theatrical 1.37:1 standard aspect. It is remarkably sharp, and the colors vivid. The audio, presented in a remixed 5.1 and of course, the original mono (in special features) is adequate, and not at all muddled like one might expect. The dialogue is clear and the music is rich and uses the rear speakers quite well. Again, both are amazing for a release this old.

A special "Ultimate Collector's Edition" is also being released, which features more extras spread across five discs, as well as a Blu-ray edition.

Si Si Penaloza
		About the author:
		Si Si has cultivated strong ties with editors, producers and publishers at all major Canadian media outlets. She is a seasoned print, radio and broadcast specialist. Graduating Magna Cum Laude from Bowdoin College in Maine, Si Si moved to Manhattan to study Film at New York University. Her strengths lie in contextualizing relevant content for a broad audience. She's driven to stay competitive and at the top of the market - commissioning exclusive features and launching bold initiatives.
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