Gone With the Wind: Collector's Edition

The major studios have shown astonishing resourcefulness in repeatedly repackaging desirable films on DVD with varying arrays of special features aimed at inducing consumers to buy movies they already own. Whenever you think you've purchased the ultimate Special Edition, along comes a Super Duper Special Edition with a few more extras and perhaps a remastering of the film itself. I'm relatively confident, however, that Warner's new GWTW boxed set will remain the definitive DVD edition of this timeless classic. David O. Selznick's 1939 epic has gone through numerous video incarnations--multiple versions on tape, laserdisc, and DVD--and has been “restored” more times than we can count. But the latest remastering, employing Warner's high-def “Ultra-Resolution” technology, has yielded the best-looking GWTW yet, sporting razor-sharp images with rich but not oversaturated colors. In a nutshell, the plot centers on Scarlett O'Hara (Oscar-winner Vivien Leigh), a headstrong and selfish Southern belle whose antebellum lifestyle is truncated by the Civil War, testing her ability to persevere in an upended world. Scarlett turns out to be a survivor, but loses the only man who ever truly loved her, Rhett Butler (Clark Gable), who exits her life with one of filmdom's most quoted lines, "Frankly, my dear, I don't give a damn." Presented on the first two discs, the film is augmented with a fact-filled, no-nonsense commentary by film historian Rudy Behlmer, while the other two discs are comprised of bonus material, much of which will be familiar to those who own previous video versions and have seen the various featurettes and full-length programs on cable TV. For example, “The Making of a Legend,” an exhaustive two-hour documentary produced by Selznick's sons, dates back to 1989, and “Vivien Leigh: Scarlett and Beyond” (narrated by Jessica Lange) is nearly as old. Also included is the by-now overly familiar footage from the film's 1939 world premiere in Atlanta, as well as the costume tests and GWTW-related newsreel footage from 1961's Civil War Centennial. “Restoring a Legend” looks at the Ultra-Resolution process and provides before-and-after glimpses of the scenes improved by remastering. The most prominent new extra is “Melanie Remembers,” a 39-minute reminiscence from Olivia de Havilland, the film's only surviving principal player, who speaks directly to the camera. The grandmotherly de Havilland offers some choice anecdotes, but her remarks appear to have been scripted and she delivers them in a floridly dramatic manner, complete with pregnant pauses and exaggerated body language. Still, she has interesting things to relate, including Howard Hughes' characterization of director Victor Fleming as having the same talent as replaced helmer George Cukor, “only strained through a coarser sieve.” All told, the five hours of bonus material (along with Behlmer's commentary) includes virtually every surviving scrap of information about GWTW. Highly recommended. Editor's Choice. (E. Hulse)[DVD Review—Nov. 24, 2009—Warner, 233 min., G, $24.98—Making its latest appearance on DVD, 1939's Gone with the Wind (70th Anniversary Edition) sports a great transfer and Dolby Digital 5.1 sound. DVD extras include audio commentary by Rudy Behlmer and the original mono track. Bottom line: a beautiful looking—if extras-light—re-release of one of the most beloved classics of all time.]