Gone with the Wind is officially back on HBO Max after it was temporarily pulled from the streaming service, but it’s not in the same form. It is now accompanied by an introduction that explains the historical context in which the film emerged, deconstructing the prejudices and prevalent stereotypes that pepper the film about the Black community, and about the pre-Civil War Antebellum South.Jacqueline Stewart, who co-hosts Turner Classic Movies (and is a Black film professor at University of California), now appears in the introduction that precedes the streaming of the film, explaining in precise detail the outdated, hurtful, and dangerous cultural representations in the 10-time Oscar winning 1939 film about southern belle Scarlett O’Hara’s ill-fated love affair with Rhett Butler set against the backdrop of the Civil War.[video_embed id='1983386']RELATED: More than 300 Black artists have signed a petition calling for change in Hollywood[/video_embed]“You are about to see one of the most enduringly popular films of all time,” Stewart says in the new introduction, explaining that despite its many awards and hallowed place in the annals of cinematic lore, it was still a film that, even from its inception, was problematic.“The film has been repeatedly protested, dating back to the announcement of its production,” she continues. “From its prologue, the film paints the picture of the Antebellum South as a romantic, idyllic setting that's tragically been lost to the past […] presenting the Antebellum South as a world of grace and beauty without acknowledging the brutalities of the system of chattel slavery upon which this world is based.”“The film represents enslaved Black people in accordance with longstanding stereotypes as servants notable for their devotion to their white masters, or for their ineptitude. And the film's treatment of this world through a lens of nostalgia denies the horrors of slavery as well as its legacies of racial inequality.”Actress Hattie McDaniel, who played “Mammy” in the film, was the first Black woman to win an Oscar for Best Supporting Actress, but as Stewart notes in her introduction, not only was McDaniel banned from attending the premiere in Georgia, she was also forced to sit in the back of the theatre during the Academy Award ceremony, purposely separated from her white costars because of the colour of her skin.Stewart then explains why the film is considered important to watch, even with its hurtful depictions and myths. “Watching
Gone with the Wind can be uncomfortable, even painful. Still, it is important that classic Hollywood films are available to us in their original form for viewing and discussion […] Classic films have been and continue to be a major influence on popular views of history.
Gone with the Wind in particular — with its landmark production values, signature scenes, and iconic characters — has shaped the way generations of viewers worldwide have pictured slavery and the reconstruction period that followed.”On June 9
th, HBO Max made the decision to pull the most enduring classic film of the 20
th century from its streaming service, after the film and movie community, and fans alike, called for its removal.
12 Years A Slave producer John Ridley even
wrote an op-ed for The L.A. Times, calling on fans and streaming service alike to reconsider the pain and trauma this outdated film can cause modern viewers.Writing that
Gone with the Wind, “glorifies the antebellum south” and “romanticizes the Confederacy,” Ridley wrote in his op-ed that “when it is not ignoring the horrors of slavery, pauses only to perpetuate some of the most painful stereotypes of people of colour.”“At a moment when we are all considering what more we can do to fight bigotry and intolerance,” he said, referring to the Black Lives Matter movement that has swept across the world in record protests for a month now, “I would ask that all content providers look at their libraries and make a good-faith effort to separate programming that might be lacking in its representation from that which is blatant in its demonization.”It is important to note that HBO Max has not edited the film in any way to remove the racist stereotypes or prejudices littering the film, rather in a statement to
People, it has stated that changing the film, “would be the same as claiming these prejudices never existed. […] If we are to create a more just, equitable and inclusive future, we must first acknowledge and understand our history.”[video_embed id='1983454']BEFORE YOU GO: Lainey apologizes for past racist and homophobic posts on her blog[/video_embed]
