If you look for the 1939 masterpiece Gone with the Wind on Netflix, you’ll be smacked across the face as a racist and scolded into seeking out the far left-wing radicals in Black Lives Matter.
Here’s the blurb:
Gone with the Wind
1939 – G – Drama
A 1939 American Civil War epic known for its racism. To learn more about Black lives in America, search “Black Lives Matter.”
After all, who other than a racist would seek out a movie “known for its racism?”
Ahem.
Does Gone with the Wind traffic in stereotypes? Yes, to a degree. But not just of black people. Still, you have to be a simple-minded reactionary to dismiss one of the greatest movies ever made as “known for its racism.” What’s more, you have to be a racist yourself to refer anyone to the violent, corrupt, far left-wing radicals in Black Lives Matter.
Gone with the Wind stereotypes two of its black characters. Gone with the Wind also stereotypes white Northerners as evil marauders or slimy carpetbaggers. And there is no nuanced, independent-minded, and sympathetic Mammy character (Hattie McDaniel) to add any kind of complexity to those evil, predatory white Yankees.
What’s more, the movie’s protagonist, Scarlett O’Hara (Vivien Leigh) is, at times, a deeply unsympathetic character — a selfish, vain, husband-stealing user and conniver. Her flaws and virtues (the grit and will to survive) are what make her one of the all-time great characters in American storytelling.
This is how dumb some people are…
Gone with the Wind is not about the Civil War. It’s not about slavery. It’s not even about the Old South. Those are merely the trappings to tell a story about surviving the Depression as your way of life vanishes — something tens of millions of Americans were dealing with in 1939, and had been dealing with for ten years since the Crash of ‘29.
And you cannot call a movie racist that offers a wide variety of black characters who range from subservient to devious to brave to independent-minded. And let’s not forget that Hattie McDaniel’s Mammy is the movie’s most likable, wise, and competent character — and not in a condescending way.
You’ll find stereotypes in all kinds of movies, including 2025’s Best Picture winner, One Battle After Another, which portrays all white men as either racist or useless. One Battle After Another is a racist movie, period; a simple-minded attack on white men with none of the complexity and nuance given to the black characters in 1939’s Best Picture winner.
Gone with the Wind is a stunning cinematic achievement filled with fascinating, memorable, and iconic characters. The story sucks you in, and its near-four-hour runtime flies by. The message is life-affirming. The experience of watching it is a deeply satisfying time at the movies.
Movies don’t get much better than Gone with the Wind, but they do get a lot more racist, including this year’s Best Picture winner.