Gone with the Wind 1939

Critics score:
94 / 100

Reviews provided by RottenTomatoes

Kevin Thomas, Los Angeles Times: Gone With the Wind endures and deepens with the passing of time because Scarlett and Rhett are as modern as its open ending. Read more

Frank S. Nugent, New York Times: 'It' has arrived at last, and we cannot get over the shock of not being disappointed; we had almost been looking forward to that. Read more

Lou Lumenick, New York Post: The film's subtle racism is insidious, going to great lengths to enshrine the myth that the Civil War wasn't fought over slavery - an institution the film unabashedly romanticizes. Read more

Dave Kehr, Chicago Reader: A critic-proof movie if there ever was one: it isn't all that good, but somehow it's great. Read more

Owen Gleiberman, Entertainment Weekly: To see Gone With the Wind on a big screen again is to weep for the fearlessness with which Hollywood once believed the sublime was possible. Read more

Kate Cameron, New York Daily News: There has never been a picture like David O. Selznick's production of Gone With the Wind. Read more

James Berardinelli, ReelViews: Even though the habits of movie- goers have changed over the years, it's easy to see why this film provoked such an outpouring of praise and adulation during its initial release, and why its stature has grown with the passage of decades. Read more

Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times: It is still a towering landmark of film, quite simply because it tells a good story, and tells it wonderfully well. Read more

Bob Graham, San Francisco Chronicle: The first new Technicolor print in 37 years, digital sound and moments of digitally cleaned-up footage scattered throughout its three hours and 42 minutes all make for a gorgeous sight-and-sound experience. Read more

Judith Crist, The Atlantic: Undoubtedly still the best and most durable piece of popular entertainment to have come off the Hollywood assembly lines. Read more

Andrew Sarris, The Atlantic: Let us say simply that there is something in most of us that will always treasure Selznick's flair for old-fashioned, full-bodied narrative even as we pay lip service to the most anemic forms of cerebration in the modern cinema. Read more

Richard Schickel, The Atlantic: On the whole, I thought the picture was OK. Read more

Arthur Schlesinger, The Atlantic: It is a bore. Read more

Stanley Kauffmann, The Atlantic: It's remarkable that after spending almost eight hours of my existence in front of this film, I can remember only two points vividly. Read more

Cath Clarke, Time Out: No one watches Gone with the Wind for historical accuracy. What keeps us coming back is four-hours of epic romance in gorgeous Technicolor. Read more

John C. Flinn Sr., Variety: One of the truly great films, destined for record-breaking boxoffice business everywhere. Read more