Cronin, Jan. “The Book Belongs to All of Us: Gone With the Wind as a Postcultural Product.” Literature/Film Quarterly, 35.1 (2007).

Jan Cronin’s article discusses author Margaret Mitchell’s reaction to the film version of her epic novel Gone With the Wind. According to Cronin, Mitchell was upset with the film’s appeal to “old southern mythology,” which diverted from the historical realism Mitchell strived to attain in her novel. In the preface of the film, written by Ben Hecht, Mitchell’s commitment to literary historical accuracy is undermined by a lofty and flowery introduction that appeals to mythic imagery:

“There was a land of Cavaliers and
Cotton Fields called the Old South ...
Here in this pretty world
Gallantry took its last bow ...
Here was the last ever to be seen
of Knights and their Ladies Fair,
of Master and of Slave ...
Look for it only in books, for it
is no more than a dream remembered,
a Civilization gone with the wind ...”

The influence of Hollywood on the screenplay produced a more fairy-tale like script, rather than the “seamless cultural narrative” represented by Mitchell’s novel. Cronin does contend, however, that Mitchell herself is guilty of indirectly appealing to the myth of the “Old South” in her novel, as a major theme throughout the novel is the end of the “Golden Age” of Georgia.

    Understanding Mitchell’s response to Selznick’s film adaptation of her epic novel provides a unique insight into the historical accuracy the Hollywood project. As Cronin elucidates, Mitchell’s considerable effort to accurately illustrate the social fabric of Georgia during the Civil War is not entirely translated to the film. Instead, the “South” as understood by Mitchell stands in opposition to Hollywood’s portrayal of the region, thereby producing a film aimed at captivating audiences' hearts and imaginations rather than their minds.

Donaldson, Susan V. “Telling Forgotten Stories of Slavery in the Postmodern South.” The Southern Literary Journal. 40.2 (Spring 2008) < http://proxy.library.upenn.edu:2298/journals/southern_literary_journal/v040/40.2.donaldson.html>

Susan Donaldson’s article explores the response of the black population to Gone With the Wind’s depiction of slavery and African Americans. Due to the depictions of Black characters like Prissy, a “stupid” and “sqeaky” slave, the reaction from the Black community was strongly negative. Even writers like Malcolm X describe the discomfort and disgust they endured watching the humiliation of actress Butterfly McQueen in her role as Prissy. African American historian and feminist Alice Walker described viewing the film as a “nightmare… in which the suffering of millions of black people over hundreds of years of enslavement is trivialized to the point of laughter. It is a film in which one spoiled white woman’s summer of picking cotton is deemed more important than the work, under the lash, of twenty generations of my ancestors.”

Donaldson’s article is of particular importance to the analysis of the historical truth underlying the film Gone With the Wind because it provides the responses of black Americans to the film, a typically silenced minority. Acknowledging that the film employs racist stereotypes in their depiction of slaves is critically to understanding the true Black culture in the South. Further, in light of Alice Walker’s response to the film, it is important that the viewer understands the hypocrisy and manipulation of the film. Scarlett is cast as a heroine and matriarch for much of the film, however she is only granted this title because she attempts the work that her slaves have been doing for her people for generations.

Essentially, Donaldson describes Gone With the Wind as a misleading illustration of the 19^th Century South, as well as a misguided acclamation of white Southern women.

Dontinga, Randy. “Southern Storm.” Christian Science Monitor 4 Sept. 2008. 1 Dec. 2008. http://features.csmonitor.com/books/2008/09/04/southern-storm/

Southern Storm provides a historical overview of the Union Army’s destructive and infamous “March to the Sea” under General William Sherman that left much of Georgia in ruins during the American Civil War. In an interview with Civil War historian Noah Andy Trudeau, author Randy Dontinga provides a distinction between with is true and what is myth surrounding General Sherman’s notorious march. According to Trudeau, popular belief tends to paint General Sherman’s quest through Georgia as a lawless and moral-less tromp that left the Old South crippled and ruined. While Trudeau concedes that the Union Army did torch homes, confiscate crops, and destroy railroads, American mythology on the whole paints a “much grimmer” picture of General Sherman’s March than history suggests. Perhaps one of the most striking misunderstandings surrounding the Union invasion of Georgia surrounds the Northern Army’s treatment of the local population. Dontinga’s article suggests that as opposed to being destructive monsters, Union soldiers were “often respectful and even polite to Southerners, and spent most of the time admiring local women.” Although Sherman’s actions resulted in the fracture of the Southern economy and spirit, Dontinga and Trudeau illustrate that Sherman may not deserve his villainous, destructive reputation.

A historical account of General Sherman’s March to the Sea is valuable in assessing the historical accuracy of Gone With the Wind, as many of the novel’s most memorable scenes depict the destruction of Scarlett’s “world” at the hands of the Union Army during Sherman’s march through Georgia. The film’s infamous fire scene, along with the depiction of the total destruction of Twelve Oaks and Scarlett’s deadly encounter with a rogue Union soldier all provide the viewer with a villainous perception of the Union forces under Sherman’s command. According to Dontinga’s article, the Union forces’ torching of homes and confiscation of crops illustrated in Gone With the Wind are historically accurate. However, the wicked depiction of the Northern forces is not necessarily historically accurate, but is rather reflective with popular Southern mythology in the wake of their loss in the Civil War.

Conde, Mary. “Some African-American Fictional Responses to Gone With the Wind.” The Yearbook of English Studies. 26. (1996) JSTOR. University of Pennsylvania Library. Philadelphia. 1 Dec. 2008. < http://www.jstor.org/stable/3508659>

    In her essay, author Mary Conde addresses the African American community’s reaction to Gone With the Wind, and the novel’s writer Margaret Mitchell’s reaction to their criticism. The most common criticism of the novel is that it appealed to a mythic and romanticized ideal of the “Old South” that ignores the atrocities of the Civil War and the practice of slavery. However, Mitchell vehemently denies these accusations, claiming that she herself denies the existence of any rosy Southern ideal. Further, it is important to note that her novel’s protagonist, Scarlett O’Hara, does not support the Confederate cause and, as illustrated by her emotional breakdown in the hospital while treating veterans, is deeply moved by the atrocities war. Despite Scarlett’s dismissal of the Confederate cause as a justification for war, many African Americans continue to dismiss Gone With the Wind as a gross misrepresentation of the era of slavery in the South.
    The reaction of the African American community to the Hollywood adaptation of Gone With the Wind provides numerous examples of the historical inconsistencies and myths present in the film. Many of these reactions have taken the form of fictional writing intended to undermine the glorification of the “Old South.” Novels like Dessa Rose and Jubilee depict the black woman’s struggle during the Civil War. In both novels, the protagonists are hideously scarred, and the plot is ridden with violence and exploitation. Such novels stand in direct contrast to Mitchell’s novel, and paint a more realistic, albeit grim, picture of the American South in the Civil War.

Toplin, Robert Brent. “Hollywood’s History: The Historians’ Response.” Reviews in American History, 24.2 (1996)

            Robert Brent Toplin’s review of Hollywood’s adaptation of literature to film throughout history analyzes the historical accuracy of David Selznick’s celebrated blockbuster hit Gone With the Wind. In his analysis, Toplin acknowledges the common tendency of Hollywood producers and writers to remove minor stories or characters to simplify the story into a streamlined melodrama. Further, moviemakers will often overstate truths in addition to simplifying them to elicit a response from the audience. Such “creative uses of evidence” are apparent in Hollywood’s Gone With the Wind.

            Toplin cites historian Catherine Clinton’s discussion of Gone With the Wind in which the scholar addresses the film’s classic flaws. Clinton argues that Selznick’s constant appeal to “Old South” romanticism detracts from the broader historical and cultural message of the film. However, the most troubling issue for Clinton concerns the depiction of slaves as “happy-go-lucky darkies who are ever loving and loyal to their… benevolent masters.” Clinton finds Selznick’s illustration of slavery and the slaves themselves as offensive and distastefully romanticized. Clinton concedes, however, that the film provides an adequate and realistic view of an “up-country” Georgia. Gerald O’Hara’s humble foreign origins, coupled with Scarlett O’Hara’s rise from “southern belle” to matriarch during the Reconstruction, serves as a reliable reflection of the social fabric of Northern Georgia in the post-war South. Futher, Rhett’s initial resistance and skepticism toward the war movement in the beginning of the film was a sentiment shared by many Confederates in the antebellum period.

Magliozzi, Ron. “Crazy With the Wind: The ‘Gone with the Wind’ World Premiere Campaign Scrapbook.” MoMa, 18. (Autumn-Winter 1994). http://www.jstor.org/pss/4381278

            Ron Magliozzi’s description of the world premiere of the Hollywood epic Gone With the Wind illustrates how the opening of the celebrated film was itself a historical event. The publicity campaign for the film, which began with a nation-wide search for the perfect Scarlett and Rhett, culminated in the star-studded Atlanta premiere of unprecedented size and glamour. MGM representatives took over Atlanta starting over a month before the film’s December premiere in 1939. The Hollywood professionals embarked on plans for a three day Gone With the Wind “civic festival,” including a parade with the film’s stars, a costume ball, and finally the world premiere screening of the film.

            Given the hubbub and attention granted to the premiere of Selznick’s Gone With the Wind, it is clear that the film would attract a large audience and undoubtedly influence American culture. Not only did the film influence future Hollywood premieres and the future scale of film production, but it rekindled America’s longing for mythic “Old South” romanticism. Due to the scope and influence Selznick’s work, it would be beneficial to grant particular attention to the truths and myths underlying the film.

Gross, Doug. “Georgia Hoping to Lure Civil War Buffs.” Deseret News, Salt Lake City
8 Apri 2007. .

Georgia, or the city of Atlanta in particular, was largely affected by the Civil War. Union troops arrived in the city, setting it on fire and destroying anything in their path of rage. As a Confederate state, Georgia saw a number of battles such as Fort McAllister; the community also saw efforts taken such as the establishment of the First African Baptist Church and organization of the Underground Railroad in order to maximize the amount of freed slaves. In order to attract more tourists and attention to the history of Georgia, the governor of Georgia has proposed a renovation of the battlefields and other war sites, allowing for people to visit the scenes directly and gain some sort of idea as to how battles were fought. Another proposal is to elaborate on or document the lives of freed slaves as well as other African Americans who experienced any disadvantages in regard to daily lifestyle.

While Gone with the Wind is an epic love story, the film builds on a historical background that includes the initiation of the war, the union march through Georgia following the overtake of Atlanta, as well as the Reconstruction. The Reconstruction period arises in the second half of the film, where the city of Atlanta is under development and Scarlett starts to get involved. The film depicts Scarlett as a woman able to relate to Atlanta in a meaningful manner, since both are incredibly beneficial to society and are striving to thrive and achieve. Eventually, it is Scarlett who takes the responsibility for the construction of the new city of Atlanta, leading to a prosperous professional industry.

Rosenbaum, Jonathan. Cineaste, Summer2002, Vol. 27 Issue 3, p43, 3p, 4bw

This article profiles the late film by director Sergei Paradjanov. Also include personal background and persecutions he experienced under the Soviet era.
It shows the cultural diversity within the self-consciously ethnographic works of Sergei Paradjanov who himself was born into an Armenian family in Tbilisi, the capital of Georgia; which is a cultural and religious melting pot and has grown up with mixture of Balkan culture and Soviet influence. He spoke three languages: Georgian, Armenian, and Azeri, no two of which belong to the same linguistic family. Directly reflecting the background, he has made films in various languages: Ukraine (Shadows of Forgotten Ancestors), Armenia (Sayat Nova), and Georgia (many shorts, and eventually The Legend of Suram Fortress). The auther makes an intersting point here by asserting that “one useful route into the film is Paradjanov's own identification with the legendary poet. Saya Nova, legendary Armenian poet/ musician who, like Paradjanov, born into poor Armenian family with string Christian background, and wrote and sang in different languages, and was banned from practicing his art in Georgia near the end of his life. The opening quotation from Sayat Nova can even be read as the director's disclaimer: "My water is of a very special kind,/Not everyone can drink it./My writing is of a very special kind,/Not everyone can read it./My foundation's made not of sand,/But of solid granite."