“Gone With the Wind” is back.
Victor Fleming’s 1939 adaptation of Margaret Mitchell’s 1936 novel, lavishly produced by fabulist David O. Selznick, will be released by Warner Bros. Home Entertainment on Tuesday in a deluxe 4K UHD set that includes new special features and an absolutely jaw-dropping presentation of the classic film. One of those new special features, “Gone With the Wind: Restoring and Preserving an Epic,” looks at just what it took to restore the movie to its original glory.
In the clip, academics, critics and those responsible for the restoration speak about the importance of making sure that movies like “Gone With the Wind” — adjusted for inflation, the most successful movie of all time — can look and sound as good as when they first opened for audiences. “It’s something we need to take hold of and understand how this art form has progressed and where it came from,” remarked Jan Yarbrough, senior colorist at WB Motion Picture Imaging.
“These films are cultural treasures,” added film historian Karie Bible. ”They say so much about us as a people and as a society.”
One person involved in the restoration said that it was important to get the film ready “for the next generations,” which really is true. In other words, this edition (which also features new special features “Gone With the Wind: The Influence that Endures” and “Scarlett O’Hara: A Woman Ahead of Her Time”) is future-proofing a classic. Additionally, WarnerTower Music will be releasing Max Steiner’s score later this fall – the first time that the music has been available in more than 40 years.
“Gone With the Wind” is, of course, largely considered one of the greatest films of all time – a romance with historic sweep and astounding scale. It received 10 Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Actress and Best Supporting Actress, plus a pair of honorary awards. In 1989, the Library of Congress selected the film for its inaugural list for preservation in the United States National Film Registry and it has been a mainstay on cable and home video for the last several decades.
Take home the definitive edition of “Gone With the Wind” Nov. 3 on 4K Blu-ray and digital.
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