Touching and involving but SO grim!

Absolutely faultless in terms of acting, story, setting and wardrobe, but in every episode something miserable lands on the village. For the last three of the five episodes I was predicting who would die next, who would get a horrible disease and fever, or who would appear out of the blue and then who would get together with who. There's so much warmth in the story that it's hard to dislike it and the feel good side is very high, but you have to pay for that! Death haunts every episode and tears flow like rivers all the time and that would stop me watching it again even though the rest of the series is so enjoyable. I would have marked it down for that, but to be harsh on such a well made series would be wrong. The goodness in human nature holds everything together and resilience in adversity is at the heart of Cranford.

When a cast of great actors gets together and there's not an ego in sight, this is what you get.

Tim Burton's greatest film to date...a masterpiece.

I've been a fan of Tim Burton's ever since he weaved his dark visions on the silver screen with the likes of Beetlejuice and Edward Scissorhands. Whilst those aforementioned gems delighted with their darkly surreal undertones, this film goes just for the purely darkly, with a heavy dose of melancholy through in for good measure.

Amongst my favourite scenes are the scenes where Depp (who nails the tortured soul gig to perfection!) and the equally adept Helena Bonham Carter share screen time in missus Muffet's mislead fantasies of a strangely hyper-real fairy-tale sort of happy-ever-after love life; the post-production team adding enhancements of colour to the scenes to give them a surreal, living-portrait feel of a life that could never be.

Other great moments of cinematic genius include a duet between Alan Rickman and Johnny Depp singing the almost homo-erotic 'pretty women', juxtaposed with a sadistic montage of Todd's throat-cutting antics - bodies dropping down in to the basement in a variety of exotic and painfully graphic ways.

The ending (which I will not spoil for you, don't worry!) is a joy (or even , pain) to behold and has to rank amongst the most striking end scenes in recent memories, rivers of red dropping like tears from Depp's forsaken alter-ego. A contemporary masterpiece, and the greatest musical adaptation since West Side Story!

10/10

An offer you cannot refuse

Throughout his long, wandering, often distinguished career Francis Ford Coppola has made many films that are great (Apocalypse Now); good (Rumble Fish) and fine (Rain Maker), many more that are flawed but undeniably interesting, and a handful of duds that are worth viewing if only because his personality is so flagrantly absent. Yet he is and always shall be known as the man who directed the Godfather films.

The first movie of the trilogy broke many records when it was released in 1972: it was, for example, the top grossing movie (a record broken in 1975 by"Jaws"); that year it also won three Academy Awards. It is also very highly rated by critics; the American Film Institute ranked it the third greatest movie of all time.

But in my opinion,"The Godfather" was a very good movie, not a great movie. It's sequels were even worse (but still much better than the garbage that Hollywood churns out today). The Godfather had poor plot development. In particular, I object to the way in which the putative master of crime was depicted conducting a vendetta; invariably an assassin would suddenly appear in proximity to the victim, plug him several times, or strangle him. There was never any evidence of skill or foresight on the part of the gangsters. Hitmen simply would appear at arbitrary intervals, and bump off a character the moment the screenwriter had no use for him. The single most egregious case of this is the assassination of Sonny Corleone by a horde of gunmen that appear as if by magic. Ambushes do occur in the real world, of course, and they often do employ massive overkill; but the planner has to know when and where to hit the target.

This is a common problem of action movies, especially when the protagonist is also a figure of the underworld. It is usually overcome by the writer focusing on fewer conflicts (e.g., the incomparably superior"Chinatown"), or by much greater research of the subject. Since the movie was adapted from The Godfather, it would have been possible to focus on fewer threads of the novel than Coppola chose. Or, had Coppola wanted to focus on the development of Michael Corleone's personality over time, then he could allocated more screen time to, say, the planning and decision-making. Of course, if he had, then he would have not made his gore quota.

The Godfather 2 is a very good movie, but not a classic. Much of the power of the second film comes from the contrast between the two stories. As Vito Corleone grows in power, he also grows as a family man, in both the sense of a father with children and a wife and in the extended sense in his role as Godfather. He becomes the center of a community, drawing others around him. But the other story, of the decay of all that Vito had built up through the leadership of Michael, betrays all the realities undergirding the delusions riddling Vito Corleone's Family. The rot and decay that characterizes Michael's reign are shown as the natural and inescapable result of the greed that drove the lives of those in the crime organization. Nonetheless, the contrast between Vito, surrounded by friends and family and associates, and Michael, killing friends and associates and even family members, alienating even his most loyal friends, sitting inside his armed compound alone couldn't be starker. There is a reverse symmetry between the two stories: Vito starts off alone and ends surrounded by family and friends, while Michael starts off surrounded with family and friends, and ends up alone. This is symbolized perfectly in the final scene in the film, in a flashback to December 7, 1941, when Michael reveals to his brothers that he has enlisted in the Army. They hear their father arrive elsewhere in the house and rush off to meet him, only Michael sitting at the table alone as the film ends.

As with the first film, the acting is beyond reproach. As great as Al Pacino has been in his career, Michael Corleone has been his greatest achievement. He and Robert De Niro excel in the two key roles in the film. Lee Strasberg came out of retirement to play Hyman Roth, and he was extraordinarily effective in the role. The late, great John Cazale was marvelously timid as the dim, confused, and indecisive Fredo, who both adored and resented his brother Michael. Michael Gazzo is unforgettable as Frank Pentangeli, who thinks he has been betrayed by Michael and turns government witness, and received a well-deserved Oscar nomination for his performance (he was beaten out by Robert De Niro), as was Lee Strasberg. Robert Duvall returns as Tom Hagen, who is more loyal to Michael than anyone else but who Michael distrusts nonetheless. Bizarrely, Al Pacino lost out to Art Carney, who was excellent in the rather minor film HARRY AND TONTO. It is hard today to understand how Pacino failed to win.

Winner of six Academy Awards, including Best Picture."The Godfather, Part III" (1990, 170 min.) - Now in his 60's, Michael Corleone is dominated by two passions: freeing his family from crime, and finding a suitable successor. That successor could be fiery Vincent (Andy Garcia), but he may also be the spark that turns Michael's hope of business legitimacy into an inferno of mob violence. This special collection also includes an additional disc containing over 3 hours of bonus material.
This effort is worth watching but it is the weakest of the three. Watch out for the talentless Sophia Coppola; she would have been better off on the other side of the camera.

The Jungle Book

I have fond memories of this film from my childhood and was delighted to receive a copy for Christmas. It's just how I remember it, beautifully animated, toe tapping music, great characterisations (although this was less of a concern when I was 5!) and a good story to boot. Modern animations, although impressive, seem too polished sometimes and I love in this film how you can see the pen strokes on the screen and get a feel that there was a person behind the artwork. The songs in this film are some of Disney's most famous and rightly so, 'Bare Necessities' 'King of the Swingers', even the 'elephant parade', they really are that good . I tend to find Disney films too saccharine sweet, but The Jungle Book is just the right balance of cuteness and story. Overall a great film from the Disney back catalogue and one not to be missed.

"Gallifrey? Never heard of it."

"I think we just about got away with it" is script editor Anthony Read's verdict on THE INVASION OF TIME in this DVD's"Making of..." featurette. Many fans already know that this 1978 story was a last minute measure written in desperation by Read and producer Graham Williams under the pseudonym of David Agnew when a David Weir script proved unsuitable. On the whole I'm inclined to agree that this story just about holds together although there are problems. Considering the circumstances under which it was made (the problems were compounded by a BBC scene shifters strike meaning valuable days in the studio were lost) it's little short of astonishing that some parts of it are really very good indeed.

The plot starts very well with the Doctor behaving remarkably out of character, and the audience having no idea as to why. This has a lot of mileage in it and it sustains the narrative effectively for about 2 and a half episodes, especially with his flagrant disrespect for the rituals and pomp of Time Lord politics.

No question at all that episode 6 is a disappointment as it's mostly a rather dull chase around the TARDIS. No question that the Outsiders are a bunch of hearty cliches. Leela's decision at the end to pair up with Andred is a disappointing way to say goodbye to one of the best companions ever. It appears to happen for no very credible reason and it's to the credit of Louise Jameson that her performance retains so much integrity.

The shock appearance of the Sontarans at the end of episode 4 makes for a great little cliffhanger, but because they spend 2 episodes simply chasing people around corridors they lack the impact they had in their first 2 DR WHO appearances. However, Derek Deadman gets the brutal physicality of Commander Stor dead right and I'm probably one of the few people who actually likes his performance, cockney accent notwithstanding. If nothing else there is a certain entertainment value in his delivery of lines like:"This machine is a load of obsolete rubbish!"

Where INVASION OF TIME scores most highly is in sharp witty lines and the quality of its supporting cast. Milton Johns and John Arnatt are exceptional. Arnatt's coldly dignified Borusa and Johns' Uriah Heap-like Kelner are absolutely in keeping with the kind of Time Lords we met in this story's superb prequel: THE DEADLY ASSASSIN. There are some outstanding exchanges between Tom Baker and John Arnatt, and Milton Johns' toadying heightens the audience's interest in any scene in which he appears.

The regulars are also assets to the production. I've already talked about Jameson, but a mention has to go to John Leeson's K9, whose vocal performance makes the robot dog far more than just than a loveable cheap gimmick to amuse the children. The relationship between K9 and his 2 co-stars is utterly believable - and given a chilling twist in episode 1 when he threatens to use his weapon on Leela. No-one really believes that the Doctor has turned into a power-crazed dictator, but that hardly matters as Tom Baker plays each moment with the weight it deserves. His looks of anguish when he has to be mean to Leela are really affecting. What is slightly worrying is that this was the story when in the late 1970's DR WHO stopped being DR WHO and started to turn into THE TOM BAKER SHOW. There is a self-indulgence in the amount of extreme close-ups the leding man receives here, and his talking to camera is less a Shakespearean soliloquy, more a stand-up routine gone wrong. It's just as well he's so good in the role or this would be unforgiveable otherwise.

The extras on the 2 discs are of the usual good quality, although the cheerful commentary with Jameson, Leeson, Read and Mat Irvine feels like it flags in places - probably because 6 episodes is a long time to sustain the kind of anecdotes and reminiscing that's needed. The OUT OF TIME featurette is a brisk and effective little documentary and THE RISE AND FALL OF GALLIFREY is a short but thoughtful piece on the changing portrayal of the Time Lords during the original series. Though I'm not sure that I think THE ELUSIVE DAVID AGNEW works, as if you're in on the knowledge that Agnew is a BBC staff writers' pseudonym the joke falls rather flat, and I doubt that those who don't know will be gasping with amazement when they find out.

The replacement CGI effects add a layer of gloss which slightly takes away the cheap look of the story. The new improved Vardans are particularly effective, even if one of them now looks like he's overweight when sitting at a desk. It's these new enhanced effects coupled with the beautifully restored picture that really make INVASION OF TIME worth having, even if matters do go pear-shaped in the last episode.

Sense & Sensibility

I get most of my BBC dvds from Amazon UK, since they're released earlier there and usually MUCH LESS expensive. I receive them very very quickly (same shipping time as when I order from here with free shipping), and I couldn't be happier.

This version of Sense & Sensibility is every bit as good than the 1995 Kate Winslet/Emma Thompson version. Except that nobody, ever, can be as good as Alan Rickman as Colonel Brandon, this version is thoroughly entertaining. And, this Colonel Brandon was really very good. Had Alan Rickman not played the same role earlier, I would have been completely satisfied with this actor's portrayal and demeanor.

The story follows the novel quite closely. Lucy is portrayed a bit differently, but not much, and it works very well. Both Marianne and Elinor are delightful to watch. The acting is superb. Edward, coincidentally (or maybe purposely) is almost a dead-ringer for Hugh Grant's Edward.

Where the other version was awash in saturated colors, this version is a bit more subdued-- yet Marianne is still just as luminous and the countryside just as lush.

This is gorgeously filmed and a complete delight from start to finish. I wouldn't recommend one version over the other-- I'd get both and watch them both. This film is definitely recommended.

Not as good as seasons 1 or 2, but still entertaining

As other reviewers have said before, there are some poor episodes and some great episodes in this season. David Tennant is still brilliant as the doctor, but is notably subdued throughout this whole season. Martha is ok as his companion, but lacks the fun, quick witted attributes of Rose. The episode '42' just seems like a badly rehashed version of 'The Impossible Planet.' David Tennant's unhappy silence at the end of the episode, where he seems to be remembering the adventures he had with Rose on the impossible planet seem to confirm that there is something lacking. The whole season is less sharp, less funny and the storylines are generally not as good but overall still entertaining. Worth watching for episodes such as 'Blink.' Four stars for David Tennant, but only three stars for the writing in the first half of the season and for his new companion!

Good Transfer?

Every DVD version of this extraordinary film that I have seen or owned has had a slight 'flicker' problem running through the whole running time. I've seen the Superbit version, the original issue and an another version and all had this flicker. Can anyone enlighten me if they've finally made this go away? And before anyone asks, I have multiple DVD players and TVs and they all did it on each machine.

An incredible release.

Only April and already we have THE finest DVD release of the year (although Fremantle's"Absolutely Everything" box comes close!). Would/could any company other than the BFI lavish this kind of care and attention on such a wide range of rarely seen films? Painfully nostalgic and of immense social importance the films in this set are a history lesson in a box and the superb content is matched only by the packaging and book that is included with the release. A sturdy box houses a fold out digipack (please use thin-paks next time BFI) and it's accompanying book. Don't be fooled by descriptions of this as a"booklet", it is a substantial piece in it's own right - something anyone interested in the subject would be happy to pay £5+ for on it's own and for what you get the set as a whole is bargain-priced even at full RRP. Even the mighty Criterion would struggle to match the quality and assurance of this staggering release. Highly recommended (as is their"Free Cinema" release).

Why is everyone getting misty-eyed over this story?

Another welcomed release by 2Entertain, this is a slightly unusual tale from this early 80s period of Doctor Who. It works ok; a historial story, no monsters, it is actually more akin to Tales of the Unexpected which was shown at the same period of time. And it pulls it off, if not with a swagger, but certainly some degree of confidence. That said, it's no classic and is not deserving of 5 stars in my humble opinion. Fans will love it and collectors will buy it as soon as it is released, but to a casual viewer, or to someone who has enjoyed the new series, this is not a place to dip a toe in older (or what has now been termed as 'classic') Doctor Who. It is nicely juxtaposed against Earthshock that chronologically followed it where there are more deaths than you could shake a cyber gun at.

beautiful,Brilliant,Breath taking

Bridge on the River Kwai,Lawrence of Arabia brilliant films but David Lean cant do another amazing film of course he can Doctor Zhivargo is a masterpiece of a movie set in the russian the cinematograpy is beautiful acting is superb i defently recomend this if you havent seen it and if you have seen it i recomend you to get the DVD it has the dvd all togther incuding the cast comentary has over 5 hours of special features.
Just thing i dont like is that the dvd has a side a and side b would have been good to put it on one disc and have the film picture on the dvd but apart from that the dvd is crystal clear and brilliant.

One of the Best Musicals of All Time

Simply put, Oliver! is one of the greatest musicals of all time. It is filled with memorable songs -"Food Glorious Food","Oliver!","Consider Yourself" and"Oom-Pah-Pah" to name just a few - and equally memorable characters.

The film is a musical adaptation of Charles Dickens' classic novel and much like the story of Oliver Twist itself, it is a perfect family film. There are some frightening moments - the villain Bill Sykes played by Oliver Reed is scary enough on his own - but overall, the film will appeal to children of all ages as well as adults.

The story - which almost everyone is surely familiar with by now - revolves around a little orphan boy named Oliver and his life growing up in London. At first he lives in the workhouse with the rest of his fellow orphans but after daring to question Mr. Bumble, the overseer, he is sold to a family as a servant.

After a series of mishaps and close shaves, he meets the Artful Dodger - superbly played by a young Jack Wild, who gives his all in the role - and through him, the greedy Fagin (Ron Moody), who trains young boys to pick pocket treasures which he keeps for himself.

The film was shot solely in studios and on soundstages at Shepperton Film Studios but this does not translate at all to film. The sets perfectly replicate Victorian London, as do the costumes worn by the characters. A multi-Oscar winner and a massive success on its release, Oliver! is a worthy contender for the best musical all of time and will delight anyone who loves film.

a stinker.....

Thought I'd give this film a chance after seeing the entertaining strictly ballroom.
I sincerely regret that decision.
Oh dear, this supposedly classic love story in the hands of this director is laughably sentimental and trite, the acting and modern day characters resemble anything but reality. 20 minutes in and I developed the uncomfortable feeling that this film represented the last word in camp. Still I thought I'd give it a chance.
The real nail in the coffin for me however was the fact that this film features an extraordinarily irritating transvestite whose song and dance routine had me reaching for the eject button with superhuman strength.
Utter lack of taste is this directors crippling handicap.

A classic!

I loved it as a kid, I love it as an adult... I just love it!

As a kid, me and my sister wore it out on VHS, and if thats possible with DVD well I am sure I will be buying it again in the future.

The songs are great to sing along with, the campness of the film, the effects achieved for the age of the film... its all great fun!

You must get this!

Dreadful version

I have ssen all versions of Jane Eyre.It has been my favourite book since I was fifteen.All have their merits.The film version with William Hurt and Charlotte Gainsbourg although not faithful to the book was a haunting unforgettable version.This version although beautiful to look at falls short in many areas.If all you want is a little escapism then this is fine.If you want a true version of the book then this is an abomination.Firstly Jane was plain,little,obscure.Not tall and willowy.This version has been sexed up for the titilation of a modern audience and is insulting in that regard.Are we of so little intelligence nowadays that we cannot recognize the passion in between the lines?It contains very little of the original dialogue and replaces it with pointless modern euphemisms and terms.To change such beautiful language is to"dumb down" the original text.This Mr Rochester is passionless and so far removed from the real Mr Rochester who was less than handsome and rather"vulcan like".If you want to see the very best version then watch the Timothy Dalton one.It may be dated and the lighting somewhat lacking but it is faithful from beginning to end.

Shakespeare was, is and will remain the best ever

Shakespeare and his entangled love affairs are as famous as Dracula and his blood cult. But we recognize here the friar who advises a fake death to the girl and we remember that Romeo and Juliet came first in 1596. Shakespeare started with the tragedy around the clandestine marriage of the two heroes, and then moved on to a comedy that sounds at time very tragic, Much Ado About Nothing in 1598, and he doubles the merriment by having two weddings. And he will go on with As You Like It in 1600 and its four marriages under the auspices of the thrice crowned goddess Diana. And this was a model of perfection that he had kept from A Midsummer Night's Dream in 1594. But this present comedy could have been a drama at least if not a tragedy since the death being false, based on a false accusation what's more, could have led to a duel and one real death before being discovered as a fake, and it leads to the arrest of the villain who had arranged the fakery so that a happy love wedding was turned into a dramatic denunciation of the impurity of the bride. That's probably why he doubled the first line of action with a second that reminds us of The Taming of the Shrew (1593) and that second line will lead to the second marriage that will bring everyone, except the plotter, to merriment, gaiety and dancing. But this production is admirable because the setting of the play in a real garden and rich mansion in more or less renaissance clothing though it could be slightly more recent gives to the actors all the space they need to dance, play, hide, run, and many other things. The acting is admirable and they really make the language sing the way it should, sing joy as well as pain, sing sadness as well as happiness. Of course the language is also a little bit difficult but we get used to it very fast and we follow the music of it as well as the words, and the actors were directed into speaking as if they were singing, to the point of even having a failed attempt at real singing that sounds like a cat being disemboweled. And the final but suspended lack of clemency against the guilty plotter is there to remind us that everything may end with songs and dances, but there is always some drama to bring to an end sooner or later, and in that case outside the time limits of the play. But yet I always wonder about what such comedies, or tragedies like Romeo and Juliet, could look like in Shakespearean times when women were not allowed on the stage. So many girls played by teenagers must have been funny, with an echo in the play when Beatrice speaks of men with a beard or men without a beard and the latter are less of a man than she would ever like. That was said by a man without a beard in 1598. I guess we would find it funny and even maybe ridiculous today. But it should be attempted. Shakespeare played on the situation quite often with varying motivations.

Dr Jacques COULARDEAU, University Paris Dauphine, University Paris 1 Pantheon Sorbonne & University Versailles Saint Quentin en Yvelines

still magic after all these years

Even now, after all these years, you can still see that this film was an absolute classic.

Rick Blaine (Humphrey Bogart) is the owner of 'Ricks', the best saloon in town. When escaped resistance leader Victor Laszlo (Paul Henreid) and wife Ilsa (Ingrid Bergman), who is also Rick's ex lover, turn up at the saloon, closely followed by a Nazi Officer (Conrad Veidt), things get very complicated.

The relationship between Bogart and Bergman, is part of the magic of the film. Claude Raines, who is the local French Cheif of Police, is wonderful in the part and is involved in most of the moments of humour and his relationship with Bogart also provides some magic moments.

Peter Lorre, Sidney Greenstreet and Dooley Wilson (who as piano player Sam, sings 'as time goes by'), all contribute to the atmosphere of the film.

A spell binding storyline, with a surprise ending. Even the cast did not know how the plot ended until the final scene was filmed. So, if somehow you have not seen this before, you are in for a real treat. If you have already seen it, enjoy it once more.

Won many acadamy awards and is said to be America's best loved and popular film. You will understand why.

Why is it listed as"Disney's"?

Why is it listed as"Disney's"? Never mind that. The question you will more likely ask, when you can tear yourself away from this internet terminal, is"why do I need to see this yet again, on DVD, when it's so often played on TV?" The answer is, because you will be making a special appointment to see a very special film, something that's almost become a part of our collective memory. Another answer is because this DVD presentation looks and sounds terrific, and yet another answer is the extras included, which build on your already personal relationship with the movie. Many thanks to all involved for putting it together, I seem to remember that you were there. And you, and you...

"Most delightful in every way"

This 40th Anniversary Edition on Mary Poppins is a credit all the re-releases that have both boggled (with odd cuts/features) and enhanced our experiences. Packed with extras and the restored film, its a bargain!
The first thing you'll notice, if like me you've been stingy enough to stick to your VHS version when it was on TV, is that the sheer clarity makes it appear like it was filmed yesterday. Bright, bold colours, not a single defect in clarity, it could easily pass as a new release. Theirs no 'cell' shake like on original features too, were it would appear as if the screen was a bit shakey at times.
If you've taken an interest into this film (and you've never seen it) then it's likely you've gathered the storyline by now, so I won't pound on with what happens. But as far as Disneys go, this is on level with Bed Knobs and Broomsticks when it comes to superior technicality and animation.
I have to admit, this is the first time i've seen the film for over 10 years, and it's never looked so good. As a kid, we hammered the video it was so magical, and as an adult you only appreciate the work that's been put in it further. The merging of cell animation with the acting is truly seamless, and entertaining in its own right because is just so clever. Though this is actually a rare Disney in that the animation is spread through the film - its only used for a few scenes in the first half of the film. And perhaps this allowed Disney to concentrate their time better on producing such tight and accurate merges with the actors, from Dick van Dyk seemingly dancing around the penguins (while they dance around him) to the incredible horse chase scene. But in an of the instances, most credit goes to the actors for their sheer ability to percieve how they're going interact with the animation, in the latter stages of production. This must have been incredibly time consuming, but it was worth it, because this is something no computer generated film can copy. The combining of art and acting.
The dance scenes are perfect as usual - in time, and incredibly (almost cringingly!) impossible, as the chimney sweepers smoothly dart about all over the place. The musical score ties in nicely, and gives the extra edge to the animated sequences.
Favourite scene? Has to be Berts (Dick van dyk) and May Poppins (Julie Andrews) jolly outing as they group enter the summery animated world. The way they interact with their surroundings is truly amazing, from Bert picking a bunch of cell animated flowers and giving them to Mary, to the general composition and landscape, to which both actors ramble about in the perfect directions that don't look un-real at all. You may think I'm hapring on about this theme, but it has to be seen, thought of, and the realised that this is film making at its creative peak.
This 2 disc edition contains fantastic extras that explain in great detail how the many wonderful effects were created, and a fab commentary in the film too. I can't recommend this DVD enough. I had to laugh though at the only 1 star review for this film.. why not check it out for yourself!

One of the greatest movies ever - a masterpiece which will never age

As a man I am probably not the most typical fan of this movie, which is very feminine, and sometimes surprisingly feminist. And still I can not help it. I always loved GWTW and it still has on me a magical effect, as few others manage to do (the others being essentially"Star Wars","The longest day","The seven samurai" and"Alien").
This is an adaptation of a very long (and excellent) book, so it has to be long. And it is. And me for one I am very happy that it is, because there is no way to tell the whole story shorter. Period.
GWTW is two stories in one and they are both passionate - and very, very sad. The background is about the death of a country, a civilisation and a way of life. And no matter, what is your opinion on the American South, a death is never happy - but it can be a great story. And it is. The scene with Scarlett walking between the wounded Confederate soldiers in the railway station of Atlanta is unbelievable - those who never saw it, missed something great and perfect.
The second story is about the coming of age and maturing of a very antipatic, spoiled and mean, although handsome, young girl. Scarlett is 17 at the beginning of the movie - immature, silly, lazy and spoiled she is in fact a horrible (although cute) little brat. The cataclysm swallowing her world will force her to change and she will show a surprising strength - you simply must admire her for the moment when she succesfully deals with the repugnant Yankee plunderer, who came to steal the very last money and the very last food of four starving and sick women. The scene in which, on the ruins of the world, in the background of blood coloured sunset, she swears that she will never be hungry again, is one of the most powerful ever in the history of cinema.
Now, being initially just a silly, spoiled child, Scarlett couldn't help but fall for the wrong guy, handsome and intelligent but weak Ashley Wilkes - when in the same time becoming the object of interest of possibly the most incredibly appealing macho in world history, Rhett Butler, played by Clark Gable, in his greatest role ever.
Then, there is Melanie, Ashley's wife, played by Olivia de Havilland. You have to read the book to see how incredibly strong and smart is Melanie. She in fact is the real"Power woman" in the movie - although her iron rule is made with the softest of gloves. I always was in deep awe of this character and of the way Olivia De Havilland played her.
Relations and tragedies between those four are one of the greatest stories ever told on the screen. Of course, like all the great stories, and mostly like life itself, this is one is devoided of happy ending... although? The last scene of the movie is just incredible... there is so much you can see in it and how you see this scene, well, it depends of your heart. This is a mythical movie, played by great actors, with an incredibly powerful and moving musical score and with costumes and decors which still can impress, even today. I strongly believe, that who never stood with Scarlett under this dead tree, looking at this bloody sunset, holding this pathetic radish she digged barehanded from the dirt and screaming to God that she will never, never be hungry again.... he missed something important that should not be missed.