Fighting one’s battles alone
I like films not just because they make me cry, laugh or feel angry. I watch them because they bring across something simple yet profound. And I can’t get over them.
This I found in classic films like
One unforgettable film for me is Gone With The Wind starring Clark Gable, Vivien Leigh (one of my favorite actresses), Leslie Howard and Olivia deHavilland based on the best-selling novel by Margaret Mitchell. Today’s generation must not let bygones be bygones especially when it comes to movies. Although released almost 70 years ago, its plot and spectacle make for an moviegoing experience.
One of the things I can’t forget about the film is Leigh’s performance as Scarlett O’ Hara. I was enthralled by her charm, wit and moving portrayal of a Southern heroine burdened with frustration and longing amid the American Civil War.
It was despicable of her to woo Ashley Wilkes away from Melanie Hamilton, marry her sister’s beau, care for nothing but money and of course, take Rhett Butler for granted. Yet I saw in Scarlett courage in facing challenges. How I wish I can confront life’s challenges with the same eagerness and confidence.
Another striking thing in the film is its realism. Scarlett tried to overcome her ordeal the way the people from the South did.
Poverty is not only measured by how little one has in one’s pocket. Each person experiences his own shortages in life.
One can call himself poor because he has no friends. Another is impoverished by his personal ambition. Some may feel they have absolutely nothing because they are never satisfied.
Gone With The Wind is never a boring movie. Every character has a struggle to deal with.
I admire the tormented Rhett Butler because of his passion for Scarlett. I have seen posters of the movie depicting a love story between the two. It seemed a love story but not the one I expected.
It was not a typical Romeo and Juliet story. Scarlett did not instantly fall for Rhett until she became aware of the fact that Ashley Wilkes really loved Melanie.
In a way, Rhett must also deal with his own personal poverty. It began when he professed his love for Scarlett. He coveted her love despite her determination to win Ashley. Rhett and Scarlett got married and had a daughter.
But they never stopped pursuing their individual desires. In the end, both were crestfallen and forlorn in the midst of an aching reality.
When I saw the documentary which featured Olivia deHavilland (the only surviving principal actor in the film), one could see Melanie’s inner security.
Unlike Scarlett, Melanie showed an incredible serenity in facing problems. This was she was respected as human being, a wife and a mother. She was a source of comfort when things seemed to go wrong.
Melanie reminded all the characters that goodness could still bind everyone together, no matter what. In a scene where Belle Watling, a white trash (a term for prostitute) offered Melanie money for the hospital, the latter accepted the help even though Belle was an outcast.
When rumors linking Ashley and Scarlett circulated, Melanie did not entertain any malicious thought. Even Scarlett attested to Melanie’s goodness in the end.
Melanie’s self-effacing attitude softened the negative aftermath of the civil war.
As I continue to survive this ever-changing society and realize that I, too, am changing, and that there is no way that I’m going to falter. My present battle defines the person I am today, not in the past and definitely not in the future.
Never live in the past but learn from it. Never imagine the future but let the present build a strong foundation for it.
Gone With The Wind is a film for all. Frankly, my fellow moviegoers, you will give a damn to this flick.
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