Why do women like 'Gone With The Wind" so much?

Question

Manly-man Rhett Butler really puts neurotic Scarlet O'Hara in her place and even dumps her at the end of the movie. This guy treats her like chattel, and eventually holds her to account for her wackiness.

This seems like a movie that a lot of guys here in GWS would really enjoy, not women.

Why have women loved this movie for almost 70 years?

Answer 1

GWTW is my comfort book...I read it when I'm stressed--so I've read it like 300 times. Kidding. No, I've read it a few times and love it. The reason I like it is because of the writing. When you read the book, as opposed to watching the movie, you see how incredibly brave Mitchell was in writing what she did. I mean, she writes about things that were just not discussed at the time. Rhett is so incredibly articulate and tells it like it is. He has a great sense of humour and he really loves Scarlett. It's interesting to see this big, strong, masculine guy willing to do anything for her, yet she doesn't see it. She's so stupid, but she's also really resourceful and strong. I think it's because she's 17 and he's in his 30s, so she just hasn't grown up enough for him. I also like how Rhett is with his daughter--he's actually a very loving man, but he hides it. He appeals to me also in his spurning of social dictates. He really doesn't give a damn about anybody's opinion of him, and I like that. Scarlett doesn't really either, but she's more restricted in how far that goes. They're both scoundrels and their characters are just beautifully developed. And he doesn't really treat her like chattel. He treats her like a queen, but she keeps rejecting him, and he dumps her because he gave up waiting for her to love him back--at the very moment she realizes she does love him. If you've only seen the film, that's one thing, but the book is incredible. She actually has 3 kids in the book. Scarlett is a remarkable character...not neurotic, but challenged by having to support everyone for years and having to bow down to social conventions that she considers ridiculous. And they are...there are commentaries throughout about how women were expected to behave and how much Scarlett hated being female. I guess that's sort of interesting to me as well...Scarlett is a woman who wants to do what men do, but she can't.
Wow...ask me about that book, and I can go on for hours. It really is a great read.

Edit: You know, I didn't even realize you were talking about the movie...I saw the title in your question, and went automatically to the book. The movie was interesting, but it's nothing compared to the book.

Answer 2

I agree with you that the movie shows Rhett as a domineering asshole and Scarlett as a neurotic nicompoop.

I don't really like the movie, but I love the book.

As others here have noted, the book is entirely different. Rhett is arrogant, to be sure. But, he is arrogant in a been-around-the-block way. He ridicules the southern societal customs. He says that slavery is wrong. He believes that girls should be educated. He says a whole bunch of things that must have sounded radical to a white southern plantation owner in the 1800s.

And Scarlett is nothing close to being a neurotic nincompoop in the book. She is shown to be quite clever. Pre-war she manipulates the boys so that she will end up with the best husband (when marrying was her only option as a girl). This is where Rhett disrupts her plans, because he's a guy for whom she has true feelings. During the war, she starts her realization that life won't ever be the same again and that she needs to start doing unladylike activities. Post war, she runs a lumber factory and calculates numbers in her head (gasp, she's good at math!). She befriends her Black mammy. All this is very radical for the 1800s. What is more radical, is that Rhett loves that she has a career.

But, sadly, none of this progressive stuff was included in the movie. Apparently what was too radical in the 1800s was still too radical in 1939.

Answer 3

Great Question. Scarlett O'Hara's role. She shows in a way the life women may wish to live. She is a pretty impressive protganist, in my opinion. Plus she got Rhett Butler. Hahahaha. No matter how femisnt or manly you may be....some would like to have Rhett as a partner ;). He is pretty good husband other than those moments.

Answer 4

Teeleecee: You're an amazing woman! I feel even more inadequate having read your text above. The depth and dimension that you relay here is intriguing. If I weren't so lazy, I might actually read the book. Maybe I should just get over my laziness and read it anyway.

I am certain that if the book is everything that you say it is, it is highly unlikely that in the society which existed at the time of the movie's production, such a critique would never have been allowed filming, much less release. The constructs of racism and sexism were so oppressive, that society at that time would have rebelled, violently. Let's face it, prior to the '70's, this country (the United States) wasn't much less racist than Hitler's Germany. And to a great extent, it still is! History books paint Germany with such contempt, when the fact is, while there may not have been concentration camps here, we had slavery for a much greater length of time. And instead of gas chambers, we had lynchings with mobs celebrating by singing Amazing Grace to entertain themselves.

This current society, with all of it's political correctness, is still disinclined to admit the degree of evil this nation has and still is engaged in. With the continuing racism rampant in the south, and subliminally supported in the north, blacks are still little better off than they were before. It is simply a matter of degree by proportion. As American society has grown wealthier, the poor are still as poor as they were 100 years ago. And the same prejudices are still employed to disenfranchise the middle class from constructive participation in the bettering of the poor. As though the middle class would disappear with the elimination of poverty. A restructuring of consciousness needs to occur for the greater good of all beings. And I don't really have any hope that will ever happen. You will only need to read the responses here to see the proof of that.

All you well meaning souls, and your assumptions of superiority. You curse your own children's future with the illusion that only the other's will be affected. You Fools!

Shingoshi Dao

Answer 5

I love this movie, always have. but I think that Scarlett and Rhett are only one facet that helps to make this story so wonderful. you have the whole civil war thing, mammi, Scarlett and the drape dress... you see Scarlett at her best and worst. the sequel (although the actress is not even close to as pretty as the original Scarlett) is really good! and Rhett... that is a real man

do agree the movie is nothing compares to the book, but having watched the movie first then reading the book made it that much more enjoyable!

Answer 6

Good morning Troll Shark.
I well remember viewing this movie when I was younger.
Powerful cinematography and well acted.
I then read the book.
Very different.
Realistically it has much to do with the powerful sound track as well as already mentioned the wonderful cinematography.
Also Vivienne Leigh was at the height of her fame and was married to Sir Laurence Olivier, hence hugh British interest.
Remember it came out after the 2nd World War and over here the general public loved the escapism it provided.
I haven't encountered any male who has watched it not enjoying it.
I would suggest that the guys on here who have not viewed this movie to do so.
Great question.

Then guys, read the book.

Answer 7

I heard people praise that movie so much, and I was disappointed when I watched it.

I guess I didn't watch it attentively, as I no longer remember it well.

But I rememeber the ending was no fun. It didn't have a happy or a meaningful ending.

Anyway, from what I remember, it was a somewhat fancy movie. It included beautiful women, fashionable clothes, a noble atmosphere, and so on...

And usually women like that... At least, I do... (But as I've said before, I wouldn't consider that a good movie...)

Answer 8

The movie is a classic and I have often wondered about it's characters but where we go wrong is to look at the story and it's characters in the context of present times.I could never imagine that women loved this movie so much though they could have had all the reasons to hate it.From the answers above,I have yet to get any worth while reason but hope some sensible and knowledgeable answerer may still appear.Thanks for the interesting question.

Answer 9

I am a woman and never loved that movie. Frankly I found it to be tedious and boring.

Rhett Butler is a sneer-er to me, there is not a lot of looks about him, in my opinion, especially in that movie.

He has a cocky look that I hate to see in any man, and I have only seen one or two movies he was in that he didn't have that look.

So this woman is useless for your study.

Answer 10

My g/f loves that film and the book, I was forced to watch it one night how I managed to get to the end of the film without killing myself I will never know. Three hours of hell.