Top 250. Vivien Leigh and Gone with the Wind
Producer David O. Selznick stood in great distress amid the Atlanta burning set. Filming is in full swing, and Scarlett O'Hara has yet to be found. The great American search for an actress for the main role did not lead to anything ...At this time, his brother, film agent Myron Selznick, was pushing through the crowd towards David . He dragged a fragile dark-haired girl behind him. When they got to David , her brother pushed her forward and said,"There she is, your Scarlett !". She stood in front of Selznick - graceful, dark-haired with huge eyes - and the great producer knew the filming was saved. An unknown Englishwoman called Vivien Leigh, and she was quickly approved for the main role in the melodrama of all times and peoples - Gone with the Wind .  The last golden days of the American South shortly before the Civil War. The planter's adorable eldest daughter, Scarlett O'Hara , is gathering for a barbecue. She has big plans - she needs to disrupt the upcoming engagement of the owner's son Ashley Wilkes with his cousin Melanie Hamilton . Scarlett has long been in love with Ashley , and this is her last chance. But the plans are not destined to come true: Ashley does not heed her confession. Unfortunately for the girl, the scene of her defeat is seen by one of the guests, a mysterious handsome man with a bad reputation - Rhett Butler . After a little skirmish, Butler pledges not to divulge this terrible secret. And at this time a messenger comes to the plantation with bad news - the war has begun. And next time  Atlanta-based housewife and reporter Margaret Mitchell spent 12 years writing herThe Great American Novel. Sheets of the manuscript fell all over the house for years - she wrote without any hope of publication. Nevertheless, the book was published in 1936 and became one of the most important bestsellers of the 20th century. Mitchell won the Pulitzer Prize , and the influential Hollywood producer David O. Selznick immediately bought the film rights.  The film company Selznick International Pictures and the studio Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer at the end of 1938 began work on their most ambitious project. The novel was adapted by a whole crowd of authors who were fired and replaced by new ones. Among them were some of America's finest writers, working in Hollywood at the time, F. Scott Fitzgerald and William Faulkner. During filming, Selznick changed five directors. As a result, only Victor Fleming remained in the credits, who replaced George Cukor and finished work on the film.  I spoke about casting for the role of Scarlett , all America wrote and thought. All Hollywood stars auditioned, all minor actresses, all tertiary, agents searched every theater in the country, but Selznick was not happy with the result.According to legend, Katharine Hepburn's audition went very well, but upon looking at her, Selznick said:"Now find a man who will wait for her for 12 years!". The phrase entered the history of cinema, and Hepburn was very offended. Filming began without Scarlett , around the middle of the story. And then Myron , watching the English film "Flame over England", saw Vivien Leigh . In the role of Rhett Butler , the country wanted to see Clark Gable and only him. Gable didn't want to play Rhett - he knew he would be Butler forever. But in the end he was persuaded. The role of Melanie was played by a young actress Olivia de Havilland. Hiring Leslie Howard to play Ashley has always been considered a bit of a casting failure, but in the end it didn't ruin anything. Hattie McDaniel played the role of Mommy . Cameramen Ernest Haller and Ray Rennahan stood behind the camera. Filming began on January 26, 1939.  Director Victor Fleming and Vivien Leigh The film was screened for the first time at Selznick's home for friends, and the grandiose official premiere took place on December 15, 1939 in Atlanta in the presence of one million viewers. The success was deafening. During the scene when Scarlett shot and killed a burglar who entered the house, the audience almost smashed the cinema with delight. With a huge budget of $ 4 million at the time, the film earned $ 390 million at the world box office (as of December 2003) and still remains one of the most successful projects in world cinema. Gone with the Wind received a record number of nominations for Oscar at that time - twelve. Eight of them were won: Best Picture, Best Actress ( Vivien Leigh ), Best Supporting Actress ( Hattie McDaniel ), Best Director "( Victor Fleming ), Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Cinematography (Color Films) ( Ernest Haller and Ray Rennahan ), Best Artist's Work, Best Editing. Olivia de Havilland , who was nominated for Best Supporting Actress, and Clark Gable were out of luck. After the ceremony, one of the Hollywood producers said in their hearts:“Don't make your best film in a year when they are filming & In 1989, the tape was included in the US National Film Register. The American Film Institute has put her in the top ten on the list of "100 Best American Films.  The picture received a lot of both positive and negative criticism. Of course, it was unrealistic to fit two thick volumes of the book in 238 minutes. Selznick had his own ideas of what the aristocracy of the South looked like and their life. The austere white wooden manors that the planters lived in have been transformed into luxurious European-style mansions. But these were little things. The film adaptation turned out because Selznik managed the main thing - to convey the beauty of the novel. And thanks in large part to the perfect fit of Vivien Leigh into the image of Scarlett . The audience accepted the little-known Englishwoman unconditionally. It wastheirs Scarlett . One literary critic wrote about Vivien :“She has a face that means something”. Like Scarlett , she was not just a beautiful girl. There was some kind of strong inner fire in her. And, most importantly, she subtly grasped what Margaret Mitchell never tired of growling about in an interview:“ Scarlett is a negative character, I don't understand what you are admire? "  Negative Scarlett character or positive, the question is, of course, controversial. Scarlett Vivienne charms, without causing the slightest sympathy. Because she is one of those who"will outlive us all". As expected, Clark Gable turned out to be very good. But he did not receive such unconditional recognition as Vivien Leigh . For almost 80 years now, we do not want to know another Scarlett besides Vivien Leigh , but in the role of Butler we agree to see someone else. For example, George Clooney has been frequently mentioned in recent years as a hypothetical Rett .  But the second time no one has dared to film the novel. And it's better if it stays that way. Yes, there is much more advanced technology now, and the fire in Atlanta would look natural. Yes, today it would be possible to invest a lot of money and withdraw everything even more mind-blowing. But where can I find a girl who will listen to the most famous phrase in the history of cinema:"Honestly, dear, I don't give a damn about this now", - will take a breath and will wait for tomorrow to fix what she did for 12 years old? If there are irreplaceable actresses in the world, then one of them is Vivien Leigh as Scarlett . It will always be just her role.  Margaret Mitchell was upset:"They made an immoral girl the heroine of America!". To this she was answered:" Scarlett O'Hara - this is America" . Previous reviews-annotations for films from the Top 250 : 1. Ode to Requiem for a Dream 2. Leafing through the "Memory Diary" 3. In the "Society of Dead Poets" 4. The charm of "Casablanca" 5. Living "Groundhog Day" 6. Try "Catch Me If You Can" 7. Listening to The Silence of the Lambs 8. Aroma of "Magnolia" 9. You Can't Kill a Mockingbird 10. The fate of Schindler's List 11. Big Secrets of Los Angeles 12. Desperate "Graduate" 13. Alfonso Cuaron and "The Prisoner of Azkaban" 14. Operation Fargo 15. Life through the "Window to the courtyard" 16. Survival Into the Wild 17. Rita Hayworth and The Shawshank Redemption 18. Stop "Green Mile" 19. Lost in Lost in Translation To be continued! The Topic of Article: Top 250. Vivien Leigh and Gone with the Wind. |
