Looks like Rhett Butler will give a damn after all.
One of the most popular movies of all time, "Gone With the Wind," has returned to HBO Max today with a new introduction that talks about the movie's depiction of history and racism after it was pulled from the streaming service earlier this month.
In a 4 and a 1/2 minute video introduction, Jacqueline Stewart, a Black host on American Movie Classics, begins by welcoming viewers and talking about the movie's history and its "undeniable cultural significance."
âIt is not only a major document of Hollywood's racist practices of the past but also an enduring work of popular culture that speaks directly to the racial inequalities that persist in media and society today," Stewart says in the introduction.
The 1939 Best Picture Oscar winning movie was pulled by HBO Max earlier this month after director, screenwriter and novelist, John Ridley, wrote an op-ed in the Los Angeles Times that the streaming service should remove "Gone With the Wind" from its catalogue.
âAs a filmmaker I get that movies are often snapshots of moments in history,'' wrote Ridley, who won a best adapted screenplay Oscar for â12 Years a Slave'' in 2014.
âThey reflect not only the attitudes and opinions of those involved in their creation, but also those of the prevailing culture. As such, even the most well-intentioned films can fall short in how they represent marginalized communities.
â'Gone with the Wind,' however, is its own unique problem. It doesn't just fall short with regard to representation. It is a film that glorifies the antebellum south. It is a film that, when it is not ignoring the horrors of slavery, pauses only to perpetuate some of the most painful stereotypes of people of color.''
HBO Max uploaded new content to further provide perspective on the film and its legacy with a panel discussion on the movie as well as a biography on Hattie McDaniel, who went on to become the first Black to win an Oscar for her portrayal of the slave, Mammy.
"Gone with the Wind" won 10 Oscars when it was released in 1939, including 'Best Picture,' but it has been criticized over the years for its depiction of Black stereotypes and its depiction of slavery. When adjusted for inflation, the movie one of the most popular ever released with its box office receipts standing tall above all other movies until it was eclipsed by "The Sound of Music" in 1966. Subsequent re-released in 1967 and 1971 allowed it to regain the title until it was surpassed by "The Godfather" in 1972.
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