It’s been over eighty-five years since Gone with the Wind was released theatrically and went on to win 10 Academy Awards in 1940, including Best Picture, which is no surprise given how fantastic the movie is from a filmmaking perspective. It may be surprising to some that it’s taken this long for such an iconic film to get the 4K treatment, but the amount of work that has clearly gone into this restoration, alongside the film’s controversial nature, all likely had a hand in bumping it down the road to its eventual release.
Gone with the Wind is an adaptation of Margaret Mitchell’s novel of the same name and the story revolves around the romance between Scarlett O’Hara (Vivien Leigh), a headstrong and manipulative young woman who lives on her family’s cotton plantation in Georgia and Rhett Butler (Clark Gable), a wealthy outsider from South Carolina who has a more pragmatic view of the world over the romanticized notions that many of those around him share.
The story spans over a 12-year period, from the eve of the Civil War in 1861 to the post-war Reconstruction era that begins in 1873, and we’ll just get right into the fact that this is a controversial story to be told, especially with how backwards everything in society seems to have been going in recent years. There’s a romanticism given to slavery, as those living on the O’Hara plantain seem docile and content with their place. This is a review of the film and the 4K restoration, so I won’t create a whole paper on the topic here, as I’m sure it could be argued that they’re not docile or content, but simply making the best out of a terrible situation. Regardless, there’s no denying that movies made and stories written so far back (or arguably in any era) don’t always hold up as times change and realizations are made.
While Scarlett O’Hara is the film’s central character, she’s someone who can be viewed as more of an anti-heroic protagonist over someone you’ll necessarily root for. Her instincts and actions are almost always based on survival and selfishness, with no regard for how her actions will affect the feelings of those around her. While the movie does get flagged by some for promoting the “Lost Cause” narrative that romanticized Confederacy and the idea that slaves in the South were treated well, and that groups like the Ku Klux Klan were actually heroic protectors, that will come down to the viewer’s interpretation, as while some characters in the movie may feel that way that doesn’t mean that we as the audience are supposed to believe that to be true instead of simply seeing that/those character(s) as being foolish while trying to justify their wrong actions and beliefs.
The movie has a somewhat daunting 233-minute runtime, truly allowing the film to earn its title of epic historical romance. What’s impressive is that the film is so well made, with incredibly strong acting, phenomenal set and clothing design, as well as Academy Award winning editing that helps make this almost four-hour tale much easier to take in than one may initially believe. If you’ve seen the runtime and it’s kept you away, just know that the hardest hurdle for you to overcome is simply hitting play, because once you do everything else will do its job and pull you in for the duration.
While the film may be deemed controversial it’s still one that you should watch if you haven’t as it truly is a showcase of filmmaking at its best given the magnitude and scope of the production and the fact that this was done in 1939 makes it all the more impressive.
4K Blu-ray Video and Audio Review:
This 4K restoration is quite incredible, and while the film has already received some top tier Blu-ray releases, this one does edge them all out to become the version of the film to own for home viewing. The 2160p/HDR10/Dolby Vision gives this film a beautiful clarity, all while preserving the filmic look that viewers do often want from older films. The cleaned-up look, however, does allow for a finer look at details and the award-winning art design, which is only a plus. The colours pop wonderfully and it’s truly just great to see a film as old as this come to life in such a way that it loses none of the visual charm, but gains longevity and preservation for decades to come.
On the audio side we’ve got a superb DTS-HD 5.1 Master Audio that fills the room with Max Steiner’s score, as well as the great sound work done on set and off. The dialogue comes through the center channel perfectly and never has to do battle with the score or sound effects, which is something that is always appreciated and noticeable when it doesn’t happen. As a whole, this one-two punch restoration makes this the version of Gone with the Wind a must-own for fans and the one to watch for the first time for newcomers.
Special Features
There are a number of new features on this 4K release that I’ll talk about first, and then I’ll list some of the legacy features that carry over from previous releases.
New Features to This 4K Release:
Turner Classic Movies Introduction – Here we’ve got the four-and-a-half-minute introduction that was placed before the movie on HBO Max to warn viewers about the content, acknowledging the romanticized view of Confederacy that the film portrays, as well as racial stereotypes.
Gone with the Wind: The Influence That Endures – This featurette is just over 8-minutes in length and is a retrospective that touches on the film’s lasting legacy. Some of those involved are film critic Leonard Maltin, film professor Dr. Emily Carman, film historian Karie Bible, author Mary Mallory and author Steven C. Smith.
Scarlett O’Hara: A Woman Ahead of Her Time – This 8-minute feature sees the same group above talk about the film’s leading lady and the influence the character had on women moving forward.
Gone with the Wind: Restoring and Preserving an Epic – This is a 7-minute featurette that showcases exactly what you’d expect, with WB Senior Colourist Jan Yarbrough and WB Sound Supervisor John Yanez joining some of the same participants we’ve seen so far to talk about the restoration process that the film went through and all they did to try to keep it as true and authentic to the original vision as they could.
The Complicated Legacy of Gone with the Wind – This hour-long chat was recorded at the 10th Annual TCM Classic Film Festival in 2019 and is a live panel that includes Jacqueline Stewart, producer Stephanie Allain and film critic Molly Haskell.
A Conversation About Slavery in Film – This featurette comes in at 7-minutes and sees TCM host Ben Mankiewicz talk to historian Donald Bogle about the film and its take on slavery and racism.
Legacy Features:
The Making of a Legend: Gone with the Wind – This is a two-hour feature that covers the making of the film and fans and lovers of film in general will definitely want to watch.
Gone with the Wind: The Legend Lives On – This feature comes in at just under 33-minutes.
Melanie Remembers: Reflections by Olivia de Havilland – This feature comes in at just under 39-minutes in length.
The Supporting Players – Another hefty feature that comes in at just under 29-minutes.
Dixie Hails Gone with the Wind
Atlanta Civil War Centennial
International Prologue
Foreign Language Versions
Gone with the Wind: Hollywood Comes to Atlanta
Disclaimer: A review copy of this Blu-ray was sent to me to cover in honest and truthful fashion.
Warner Bros. Pictures Presents Gone with the Wind. Directed By: Victor Fleming. Written by: Sidney Howard. Starring: Vivien Leigh, Clark Gable, Hattie McDaniel, Thomas Mitchell, Barbara O’Neil, Leslie Howard, Butterfly McQueen, Oscar Pork, Ann Rutherford, Evelyn Keyes, George Reeves, Fred Crane. Running time: 233 Minutes. Rating: G. Released on 4K Blu-ray: Nov. 3, 2026.
