Gone with the Wind Ending Explained, Plot, Cast, Sequel, and More
by Tamilchandran | Updated Apr 27, 2023
Gone with the Wind Movie
The 1936 novel by Margaret Mitchell served as the basis for the epic American historical romance film Gone with the Wind, released in 1939. Victor Fleming was the director, and David O. Selznick of Selznick International Pictures was the producer. The story of Scarlett O'Hara (Vivien Leigh), the independent-minded daughter of a Georgia plantation owner, is depicted in the movie, which is set in the American South during the American Civil War and the Reconstruction era.
It follows her romantic pursuit of Ashley Wilkes (Leslie Howard), who is married to his cousin Melanie Hamilton (Olivia de Havilland), and her subsequent marriage to Rhett Butler (Clark Gable). "Gone with the Wind" is a classic movie that has held viewers' attention for years thanks to its captivating drama and sweeping romance. The dramatization of Scarlett O'Hara and Rhett Butler's turbulent love is set against the backdrop of the American Civil War.
However, as the film's confusing and melancholy climax plays out, viewers are left wondering what will become of its adored characters. Questions are raised about love, loss, and the effects of one's decisions.
Gone with the Wind Ending Explained
After realizing that Scarlett will always adore Ashley, Rhett ultimately decides to leave her. Rhett prepares to go despite Scarlett's pleadings to the contrary by packing his things. Rhett believes their union is devoid of love and that he has had enough of Scarlett's incessant turmoil. Before Rhett exits the room, Scarlett issues one more request for him to stay. She asks what will happen to her if he leaves her in an effort to win over Rhett's sympathetic nature.
Rhett doesn't pounce despite this attempt to win his sympathies. Instead, he says one of the most well-known movie quotes: "Frankly, my dear, I don't give a damn." Scarlett decides to maximize her future before the movie is over. She has an unclear future in front of her as she returns to her childhood home, but she's determined to make the best of it. Even though it's not in any way a happy ending, it's undoubtedly one of the more well-known ones in film history.
Filmgoers single out Rhett's icy, dismissive phrase as one of the most memorable and quotable ever. But Scarlett's response to Rhett's statement is just as well-known. The resolution of "Gone with the Wind" is nuanced and ambiguous. Scarlett O'Hara is saddened when Rhett Butler abandons her, and she makes a promise to win him back. As the movie draws to a close, Scarlett is adamant about returning to Tara, the family's plantation, to start over.
The ambiguous nature of human relationships and the repercussions of one's choices in the face of difficulty are reflected in the ending, which leaves viewers wondering if Scarlett will ultimately make amends with Rhett or move on.
Gone with the Wind Alternate Ending
A little-known initial script for the movie had an alternate ending, which was covered in an NPR episode. The host Scott Simon explained how the finalized movie differs from the original dialogue: But a script from a member of the crew of a 1939 film has recently been found in which Scarlett says, ‘Rhett, Rhett, Rhett — you’ll come back. You’ll come back. I know you will — want to bet?’ Scarlett's character would have been ruined by this conclusion.
Her independence is one of the reasons she has been such a captivating character throughout film history. Therefore, this conclusion significantly undermines that trustworthiness. Instead of immediately getting over the loss of her beloved Rhett, she calls for his comeback. She moves on in the finished version of the movie, which is more consistent with how her character behaves generally.
Gone with the Wind Running Time
One of the longest films in Hollywood history, "Gone with the Wind" has a running time of almost 3 hours and 58 minutes when you include the overture, interval, entr'acte, and exit music. Victor Fleming directed the 1939 movie, which was adapted from Margaret Mitchell's Pulitzer Prize-winning book. Despite its lengthy running time, "Gone with the Wind" is nevertheless regarded as a classic of American film because of its grandiose production, epic plot, and legendary performances.
Who Directed Gone with the Wind?
Victor Fleming was the director of "Gone with the Wind". Fleming was an American director who enjoyed a prosperous career in Hollywood during the height of the motion picture industry. He is credited with helming a number of well-known films, including "The Wizard of Oz" (1939) and "Gone with the Wind" (1939), both of which are regarded as classics of American cinema. Fleming's work on "Gone with the Wind" brought him praise from critics and helped the movie maintain its status as one of the greatest in cinema history.
Is Gone with the Wind Banned?
Although "Gone with the Wind" hasn't been outright forbidden, there have been times when it has generated controversy and had to be temporarily pulled from theatres because of complaints about how it depicts slavery and racial relations. There have been discussions in recent years regarding how African Americans are portrayed in the movie and how romanticized the antebellum South is.
While some critics claim the movie promotes negative stereotypes and exalts the Confederacy, others consider it to be a classic work of art that deserves to be admired for its creative merits. HBO Max temporarily withdrew "Gone with the Wind" from its streaming platform in 2020 amid increased conversations on racial injustice and inequality, citing the need to provide accurate historical context and address the film's contentious themes. It was later restored, though, with an introduction that offered a critical evaluation of the movie's historical setting and treatment of race.
Gone with the Wind Sequel
The television miniseries Scarlett from 1994 is sometimes considered to as Gone with the Wind's sequel. A loose adaptation of Alexandra Ripley's 1991 novel of the same name, Scarlett is 1994 American six-hour television miniseries that serves as a prequel to Margaret Mitchell's 1936 classic Gone with the Wind. Joanne Whalley-Kilmer plays Scarlett O'Hara in the series, which was shot in 53 locations both domestically and overseas.
Timothy Dalton plays Rhett Butler, while Sean Bean plays Lord Richard Fenton. The four-part miniseries aired on CBS on November 13, 15, 16, and 17, 1994.
Where was Tara in Gone with the Wind?
The O'Hara family plantation, which plays a key role in the plot of the movie "Gone with the Wind," is known as Tara. The southern American state of Georgia is the location of Tara, which is portrayed as a regal and expansive plantation with cotton fields and a big white palace. The majority of the action in the movie, including crucial moments from the American Civil War, takes place in Tara, the childhood home of the main heroine, Scarlett O'Hara.
It is portrayed as a representation of the wealth, ancestry, and tribulations of the O'Hara family during the stormy times of the Civil War era.
Where to watch Gone with the Wind?
Gone with the Wind movie is available on Amazon Prime Video in selective countries.
Gone with the Wind Cast
Tara plantation
Cast
Character
Thomas Mitchell
Gerald O'Hara
Barbara O'Neil
Ellen O'Hara (his wife)
Vivien Leigh
Scarlett O'Hara (daughter)
Evelyn Keyes
Suellen O'Hara (daughter)
Ann Rutherford
Carreen O'Hara (daughter)
George Reeves
Brent Tarleton (actually as Stuart)[nb 2]
Fred Crane
Stuart Tarleton (actually as Brent)[nb 2]
Hattie McDaniel
Mammy (house servant)[nb 3]
Oscar Polk
Pork (house servant)[nb 3]
Butterfly McQueen
Prissy (house servant)[nb 3]
Victor Jory
Jonas Wilkerson (field overseer)
Everett Brown
Big Sam (field foreman)
At Twelve Oaks
Cast
Character
Howard Hickman
John Wilkes
Alicia Rhett
India Wilkes (his daughter)
Leslie Howard
Ashley Wilkes (his son)
Olivia de Havilland
Melanie Hamilton (their cousin)
Rand Brooks
Charles Hamilton (Melanie's brother)
Carroll Nye
Frank Kennedy (a guest)
Clark Gable
Rhett Butler (a visitor from Charleston)
In Atlanta
Cast
Character
Laura Hope Crews
Aunt Pittypat Hamilton
Eddie Anderson
Uncle Peter (her coachman)
Harry Davenport
Dr. Meade
Leona Roberts
Mrs. Meade
Jane Darwell
Mrs. Merriwether
Ona Munson
Belle Watling
Paul Hurst
the Yankee deserter
Cammie King
Bonnie Blue Butler
J. M. Kerrigan
Johnny Gallagher
Jackie Moran
Phil Meade
Lillian Kemble-Cooper
Bonnie's nurse in London
Marcella Martin
Cathleen Calvert
Mickey Kuhn
Beau Wilkes
Irving Bacon
the Corporal
William Bakewell
the mounted officer
Isabel Jewell
Emmy Slattery
Eric Linden
the amputation case
Ward Bond
Tom, the Yankee captain
Cliff Edwards
the reminiscent soldier
Yakima Canutt
the renegade
Louis Jean Heydt
the hungry soldier holding Beau Wilkes
Olin Howland
the carpetbagger businessman
Robert Elliott
the Yankee major
Mary Anderson
Maybelle Merriwether
Gone with the Wind Ending Explained - FAQs
He first abandons Scarlett in a hazardous environment and enlists in the Confederate army. Second, he departs from Scarlett after the conclusion of the film and travels in search of traces of the Old South.
As a result of requests for its removal from the US streaming service for racial discrimination content, Gone with the Wind has been deleted from HBO Max.
The first color film to win the best picture Oscar was Gone with the Wind.
Last week, the American Film Institute released its list of the 100 best American films of all time. Unsurprisingly, Gone with the Wind came in at number 10 (really #4).
yes, Gone with the Wind is almost 4 hours long.