It would be hard to argue that Gone With The Wind isn’t one of the most iconic inclusions on the list of classic cinema in the world’s history. It would also be hard to argue that by modern standards, some of the themes and content in the film are not racist.
What do we do when both of these things are true? HBO Max has decided the right thing to do is to pull the movie, and reupload it with more context.
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“*Gone With The Wind* is a product of its time and depicts some of the ethnic and racial prejudices that have, unfortunately, been commonplace in American society,” a statement from an HBO Max spokesperson reads.
“These racist depictions were wrong then and are wrong today, and we felt that to keep this title up without an explanation and a denouncement of those depictions would be irresponsible,” the statement continues .
The spokesperson added that the film will be returning.
“These depictions are certainly counter to WarnerMedia’s values, so when we return the film to HBO Max, it will return with a discussion of its historical context and a denouncement of those very depictions, but will be presented as it was originally created, because to do otherwise 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.”
The response to this news has so far been mixed.
“Gone with the Wind is still a part of our history. We cannot erase what was, but viewing a film like this with OPEN eyes- we can certainly learn and help change future story telling,” one fan tweeted .
The movie did make history in more ways than one.
Hattie McDaniel, who played Mammy in Gone With The Wind , was the first Black woman to win an Academy Award, taking home the Best Supporting Actress Oscar for her work in the film.
What do you think about this? Let us know in the comments!
