now listen to part of a lecture on the topic you just read about gone with the wind is a hugely important movie historically speaking some scholars have some scholars have even suggested that it is the most seen film of all time i love the timeless romance at the heart of the film and its feminist themes the idea that the movie is racist is uh i think that the allegation that gone with the wind is racist is totally overstated it's true that gone with the wind depicts the civil war from a white southern perspective but the
movie never suggests that the south was right to go to war in fact the southerners decision is portrayed as rash and foolish at the same time the south before the civil war is not totally romanticized for example the film takes issue with its limited opportunities for women outside of things like like being wives and mothers after the civil war opportunities for women well they actually change for the better in the film mamie scarlett's maid is the smartest character in the movie the character may not have a first name specified in the script but that doesn't
change the fact that she's a rich and complex character she's unafraid to speak her mind to scarlet and she's fiercely protective of her loved ones too hattie mcdaniel who portrayed mamie brought such dignity and heart to her performance that she became the first african-american to win an academy award she was given the prize for best supporting actress defeating a white co-star in the process and making history critics sometimes point to butterfly mcqueen's performance as prissy as an embarrassing element of the film now the director may have told her to deliver a hysterical comedic performance but
butterfly did more than that she actually added a rebellious subversive element to the character of prissy she showed that she was discontent with being a slave and unafraid to disobey her owners i think people like malcolm x might have been deceived by the performer's comedic high-pitched voice into overlooking the rebellious qualities of the character at the end of the day rather than decrying the film's racism i think maybe viewers should appreciate that gone with the wind provided job opportunities for talented black actors who otherwise had great trouble finding work in early hollywood butterfly mcqueen and
hattie mcdaniel brought great talent to their roles and courageously paved the way for future generations of african-american actors the points made in the lecture you just heard explaining how they cast doubt on points made in the reading