One of the tests of the lasting impact of any film is determining whether it's still effective decades after its initial release. Gone with the Wind looks so good that it is surprising to consider its actual age. It's hard to believe that many of the people involved with this film have long since died. Of course, period pieces should not be constrained by the era in which they're made, only by the one in which they're set. The storyline, while "progressive" and "modern" for the 1930s, is a little tame for the 1990s (hence the MPAA's "G" rating), but, in its three-dimensional depiction of Scarlett and Rhett, it's rarely naive. The dialogue is often brilliant, and some of the Rhett/Scarlett exchanges are particularly clever. Gone with the Wind avoids becoming hopelessly maudlin by peppering the lengthy storyline with a variety of lively and humorous sequences.

One of the tests of the lasting impact of any film is determining whether it's still effective decades after its initial release. Gone with the Wind looks so good that it is surprising to consider its actual age. It's hard to believe that many of the people involved with this film have long since died. Of course, period pieces should not be constrained by the era in which they're made, only by the one in which they're set. The storyline, while "progressive" and "modern" for the 1930s, is a little tame for the 1990s (hence the MPAA's "G" rating), but, in its three-dimensional depiction of Scarlett and Rhett, it's rarely naive. The dialogue is often brilliant, and some of the Rhett/Scarlett exchanges are particularly clever. Gone with the Wind avoids becoming hopelessly maudlin by peppering the lengthy storyline with a variety of lively and humorous sequences.