Is Gone with the Wind (1939) Worth Four Hours of Your Life?

Romance is not only one of the most popular, but also most diverse genres (except when watching Hallmark movies). There are so many different tropes, complex characters, and conflicting storylines. Romance entertains and intrigues, but is it possible to get tired of reading or watching the same story? Maybe the movie is too long or the book has too many pages with extremely small print. Gone with the Wind presents this problem, running three hours and forty-two minutes long in movie form, and the book is just over one-thousand pages. How could a love story possibly have enough enticing material to fill up all those minutes and pages?

Granted I have not read the book, but I did watch the movie. The movie took two days to finish; I basically divided it up into two two-hour blocks. The movie is based in the early 1860s before, during, and after the Civil War. Scarlett O’Hara is a young and beautiful boy magnet who lives in upper class Georgia. She claims to be in love with one man but marries his brother-in-law to make him jealous. Even though the man she is in love with is already married to her husband’s sister. It is complicated…I know; that is just a taste for what is to come.

Rhett Butler is a wealthy bachelor with a degree in womanizing. He meets Scarlett and almost instantly falls in love. Scarlett does not make it easy for him, not one bit. Gone with the Wind is such a unique and addicting love story because of how both main characters are not traditional protagonists. In fact, I hate Scarlett O’Hara. I think she is selfish, mean, and naïve. Rhett Butler, although he becomes likable towards the end, is also selfish and mean. Their relationship is toxic, but it works. This goes against all odds. The two characters have so many red flags combined that their relationship is actually good for both of them. The entire movie thrives on character development and tension. The movie bleeds detail, making it different from most movies in today’s world.

Now to answer the question: yes, the story is worthwhile. Maybe just one time, but watching the movie one time will leave its victim heartbroken and contemplating everything they once knew about love and romance. Although the characters are annoying and terrible people, their destructive nature is captivating. Every minute of the movie shows how people are dynamic, in good ways and in bad ways. This movie is not some cheesy, unrealistic happy ever after. There is conflict upon conflict. Plain and simple, the movie is fun to watch. Gone with the Wind draws out all sorts of emotion, and in my opinion, that is the best kind of entertainment.  

Who Should Watch This Movie?

I find it hard to recommend this movie to a narrow audience. Gone with the Wind has violence, romance, and loads of drama, so if any of these genres interest you, you will at least find something to enjoy when watching this movie.

Who Should Not Watch This Movie?

Traditional romance lovers will have a hard time watching Gone with the Wind. I do not mean that they will not enjoy watching the movie, but they will dislike it. I know that does not make much sense, but think of an extremely gut wrenching and sad movie that is really good. Gone with the Wind is one of those. So, if you are looking for a happy and lighthearted Friday night; this movie is not for you.   

Gone with the Wind is available at the Logos in both book and film form.

Lindsey Norwood’s reviews reflect her personal opinions and not necessarily those of the library or university.

Monday Movie: Goodfellas

Welcome back to another Monday Movie! Today, Darius and Micah are talking about Goodfellas, the acclaimed 1990 movie directed by Martin Scorsese and starring Ray Liotta, Joe Pesci, and Robert De Niro. The movie is a biographical film following the lives of Henry Hill, an American gangster, and his wife, Karen. The movie is based on Wiseguy by Nicholas Pileggi, a nonfiction book on the same subject published in 1985. Dive into our thoughts below!

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What do you think of the worldbuilding in Goodfellas?

Darius Mullin, Evening Circulation Supervisor, said: I couldn’t help but compare Goodfellas to The Godfather as I watched. In The Godfather, the danger of the Corleones’ world lurks like a shadow even in the most benign scenes. In Goodfellas, the moral depravity of Henry Hill’s world is more subtle most of the movie (at least for the first half) but is readily apparent in certain explosive scenes. This is probably because the movie is told through Hill’s eyes, and Hill repeatedly mentions how “normal” everything felt for him.

What do you make of the decision to include voiceover monologues as part of the storytelling?

Darius Mullin said: Really interesting decision. It’s interesting to hear what the characters are thinking in situations where an audience would naturally want to know and otherwise wouldn’t. On the other hand, it introduces an unreliable narrator element to the story, as both narrators have a) hindsight, b) normalization, and c) other personal motives potentially skewing their recollection and interpretation of events.

Micah Rhodes, Cataloging Associate, said: It was a smart choice, especially for a mobster movie and world. The core value of mobster society as presented in Goodfellas seems to be the tying of threads of individuals and nuclear families into the shared narrative tapestry of “The Family,” which makes its own rules to take care of its own people. A combination of where someone comes from, what they do, and who they know determines their place and importance in this narrative and Family. If someone doesn’t show the proper respect to one of those three areas, no matter how much they may respect the other two, they risk being cut out of that tapestry. So, the historical story of the mob Family is held as one of the most important parts of mobster life. Additionally, we see many moments where characters recount and reminisce about past crime jobs, lovers, fights, and other wild activities; indicating that personal storytelling is both a skill and a way to establish your place in the Family. It matters what stories someone has to tell and how they tell them. Thus, the voiceover monologues are internally consistent to how any Goodfellas mobster would recount their lives, as well as effective in communicating important details while showing related, and equally important, but different details that provide important characterization and context for the audience. Finally, the plot justification for the monologues is revealed by the end of the movie, which I think was unnecessary given all the utility I just described, but it was simply the cherry on top of a well-executed frame device.

Goodfellas could be considered a “slice of life” movie focusing on a particular community. What do you think draws audiences to this world?

Darius Mullin said: The crime world that is so normal to Henry Hill is equally alien to (most) viewers. True-to-life stories of human depravity like Goodfellas, The Godfather, or even Breaking Bad give viewers a window through which to observe “the life” without the danger of experiencing it. I remember when working on an article for the library’s March Book Madness I came across a literary critic who described the appeal of The Godfather novel being a sort of nonsexual voyeurism. I reckon he hit it on the head. Henry Hill frequently asserts how enchanted he was with “the life” and how great it was to experience such freedom in such a tight-knit community; movies like Goodfellas give an opportunity to peek in on these things without the danger of, you know, being murdered.

One last thought—both The Godfather and Goodfellas present the increased sale of illegal drugs as a marker delineating the beginning of a new, worse era of organized crime, and therefore the end of the previous era. I suspect that presenting the organized crime world as a bygone golden era allows audiences to somewhat suspend the instinct for ethical judgement.

Micah Rhodes said: There are many reasons, so I’ll list just a few. One is that it’s simply a little thrilling to see life lived outside of legal and social rules; after all, that thrill is one of the chief reasons mobsters embrace that lifestyle. Another is that there’s always a spectacle when things go wrong. It’s never something mundane like missing bills or getting over the flu, but heists turning into stings or murders going too far. There might even be a bit of wistfulness in wondering what you would do with all that wealth, if you would make smarter decisions than the “wise guys,” if you could get out before you get too sucked in, or what it would be like to belong to a close-knit community. When everyday life is all about keeping away from the law and taking as much as you can get, “slice of life” tends to be intense.

What character did you find most interesting?

Darius Mullin said: Probably the protagonist, Henry Hill. At times he seems to be a decent guy, but then he does something awful. You want to root for him but know you shouldn’t.

Micah Rhodes said: For me, it has to be the main character, Henry Hill. It’s never explicitly stated that he’s a diplomat, but he is always doing whatever he can to defuse tensions and act as the go-between for deals with competing personalities. He’s the “nice guy” who may not achieve the same notoriety as some of his peers but without whom many would tear each other apart—along with a good portion of the Family and its assets. You naturally want to root for him but must be conflicted while doing so, as it’s quite clear from his actions and family life that he is not a good guy.

Without spoiling it—what did you think of the ending?

Darius Mullin said: One of the characters makes a decision at the end of the story that I found to be quite surprising. The revelation of who the protagonist was speaking to in all the monologues also surprised me. Needless to say, the movie did not end the way I expected. In a way I was pleasantly surprised that the movie did not conclude the way I thought it would; on the other hand, the ending felt out of character for the kind of story that was being told.

Micah Rhodes said: It’s deliciously ironic. I think viewers generally walk away with a sense that things ended in a somewhat positive manner, but the film’s protagonist would not see it that way at all. Not many movies—or any stories for that matter—end with those two perceptions in such clear opposition. Goodfellas pulls it off quite well.

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You can find Goodfellas in the Media Collection of the Union University Library.

Library staff reviews reflect their personal opinions and not necessarily those of the library or university.

Book Review: “The Last Mrs. Parrish” by Liv Constantine

The Last Mrs. Parrish is a suspenseful drama written by two sisters using the name “Liv Constantine.” This book follows three major characters: the scheming Amber and the rich but troubled Jackson and Daphne Parrish. Amber wants to replace Daphne as Jackson’s wife and win all of the money and accolades that comes with the title “Mrs. Parrish,” but there’s more to the Parrish family than meets the eye.

Mild spoilers ahead.

What The Last Mrs. Parrish gets right: It’s hard to predict where this book is headed at first, so I enjoyed finding out new details about the characters and the plot as I read along. You’re immediately introduced to a villainous character, so already the perspective is different than what you might be used to. The plot was slow at first, but the last third of the book really picked up and added to the excitement.

What The Last Mrs. Parrish gets wrong: This is a book about very, very bad people. It’s hard to read at times because their perspectives are so malicious. Thankfully there is some justice in the story, but it takes a long time to get there.

While there certainly was some mystery at first, I predicted one of the major plot points early on in the book, so I had to be patient in waiting for this character to reveal their motives.

The writing also wasn’t my favorite. There were several instances where the authors should have followed the rule of “show, don’t tell.”

Readers who will enjoy The Last Mrs. Parrish: Fans of complicated relationships, villainous main characters, and pure drama will enjoy this book.

Readers who won’t enjoy The Last Mrs. Parrish: Readers who dislike reading about bad things happening to good(ish) people. Readers who avoid stories about abusive relationships.

 

The Last Mrs. Parrish is available in the Recreational Reading section of the library.

Content note: Language, violence, rape, emotional and physical abuse. Reader discretion is advised.

Book review written by Circulation Manager Olivia Chin; personal opinions are her own and not those of the library or university.

Book Review: “The Sun Also Rises” by Ernest Hemingway

I was in eighth grade when I fell violently and happily into Ernest Hemingway’s writing. We were reading his famous novella, The Old Man and The Sea, and I remember everyone in my class hating it. I loved it, though. Here we were, reading what I understood as literature, and not only was it about an interesting subject (a washed-up fisherman trying desperately to catch and keep a giant fish alone in the open ocean), but it was accessible. My eyes flew over the pages, and I couldn’t stop myself from getting lost in the words.

Authors have been trying to write like Hemingway for years for a reason: his writing is legible. You can understand what he’s trying to say. It’s that brilliant writing that not only says something worthwhile or meaningful but says it in a way that you can grasp without having to open up a dictionary.

Hemingway was my favorite author until I became a feminist and started reading Haruki Murakami (who is not a feminist, either, but I still like him). Hemingway isn’t known for writing well about women, and he wasn’t always the best in his relationships with women in real life. Still, I come back to his books because they have something to say, even if it isn’t always my favorite way of saying it. Plus, it’s a joy to read stories that are well-written but still easy on my tired eyes and blessedly not that long. That’s why I decided to re-read The Sun Also Rises during quarantine.

Mild spoilers ahead.

What The Sun Also Rises gets right: I’ve read this book maybe twice, when I was in high school and wanted to read everything Hemingway had ever written. I’ve got to say that reading it as an adult was very different. Suddenly all of the subtext made sense to me, and not really in a good way. For example, one of the main characters, Brett, is impulsive and promiscuous, hurting every man in her path. However, when we learn about her background as a victim of domestic abuse, her current actions seem like coping mechanisms instead of just selfishness. Hers is a sad story- in fact, most of the characters in this book are sad due to their physical and emotional scars from past problems. That’s why they treat one another so badly.

Although it made for a sad read, it was good to learn more about each character and put two-and-two together about the hints that Hemingway left in this book. The main themes are unrequited love, struggling with feelings of uselessness, dealing with alcohol addiction, and the thrills of traveling and experiencing other cultures. You will feel like you, too, are in Spain with this wild group of people- for better or for worse.

 

What The Sun Also Rises gets wrong: This book is infamous for the characters’ anti-Semitic views. Even if it is an accurate representation of the time, it’s still not fun to read about the slurs and racism shown toward the Jewish character, Robert Cohn.

There are a few minor characters who are black, but they are more stereotypical caricatures than real people, and this “casual” racism will make you squirm. A racial slur is used to reference the black characters.

 

Who should read The Sun Also Rises: Fans of crisp writing, weird characters that are loosely based on real people, lots of drama, and the 1920s.

 

Who shouldn’t read The Sun Also Rises: If you didn’t like F. Scott Fizgerald’s The Great Gatsby, don’t read this one. It’s similar to Gatsby in that it’s about a group of people with annoying habits and problems that they don’t communicate well about. It’s an examination of a generation that people now don’t know much about personally- we only really know them and their struggles through books like this.

 

The Sun Also Rises is available at the library.

Content note: violence (in particular, bullfighting), racism, some suggestive scenes (which are mostly inferred or referenced in conversation), language, substance abuse.

Book Review: “Atonement” by Ian McEwan

 

*This post contains mild spoilers for Atonement

First things first: Atonement is a controversial book, but there can be no doubt that it is well-written. Ian McEwan gets inside the minds of his characters with a precision that is almost uncanny- how can an adult man so accurately capture the motivations of a dreamy (and judgemental) thirteen-year-old girl? Yet the story unravels in flowing prose that compels you to read more, and you believe the characters, as dysfunctional as they are.

To summarize without spoiling, Atonement is mostly about the connection between a  young man and woman and how it is dangerously misunderstood by a thirteen-year-old girl. This leads to a great injustice, tearing apart the family at the story’s center. McEwan also throws in a lot about WWII in the second half of the story and how simply trying to survive can alter one’s reality.

What Atonement gets right: the writing. To me, Ian McEwan’s style is like a mixture of F. Scott Fitzgerald (modern) and Jane Austen (Regency era). That’s hard to pull off, but Ian McEwan succeeds. His story is all about the characters and their inner workings, so the plot revolves around their reactions and decisions. Thus, the different events in Atonement make sense to the reader because we know what’s really going on with the characters (even if they don’t), giving us the satisfaction of being “in on it.”

What Atonement gets wrong: In the #MeToo era, it’s hard to read about a rape that essentially goes unpunished. The main witness to the crime (who is not credible at all) takes control of the situation, which leads to the actual victim essentially not even having to give a testimony. This is an obstruction of justice, and McEwan’s attitude toward the young girls involved is detached at best and coldhearted at worst. In fact, most of the adults in the book are extremely neglectful of the children they are supposed to be taking care of, and McEwan writes as if this is normal and expected (instead of, you know, wrong).

Who should read Atonement: I’d recommend this novel to anyone who enjoys books about fictional crime, in-depth character analyses, WWII, nursing, literature in general, and very complicated romances.

Who shouldn’t read Atonement: People who like books where they can escape and be happy in that escape. This book isn’t light or positive.

 

Ian McEwan’s new science fiction book, Machines Like Me, is due out this year. You can find two of McEwan’s books, including Atonement, here at the library. 

 

Matthew’s Monday Movie: “The Book of Eli”

It seems that if you had to sum up what this current decade’s #1 movie trend has been, it would have to be the setting of POST-APOCALYPTIC.  For one reason or another we are drawn to fantasies of the end of the world, from zombies, robots, climate change, alien invasion or good old fashioned nuclear war. Actually people seem obsessed with not exactly the world ending but how they are going to survive once it has ended. Human beings are definitely optimistic about our abilities and chances to not only survive but thrive in the event of the Apocalypse.

The Book of Eli is not your standard post-apocalyptic film in the genre. While it does offer amazing visuals and brutal action, it also tells a story of hope and destiny that we will never be truly alone and that Someone is watching out for us- we just might need a little faith.

The story revolves around a lone wanderer, Eli, played by Denzel Washington. Eli is a survivor of a cataclysmic war that has transformed the earth into a barre, scorched landscape where you are either predator or prey to a host of cutthroats and raiders. Eli boasst a stoic and non-confrontational attitude but, when threatened, he has amazing fighting skills and seems to effortlessly cut a path through highwaymen and bandits until he reaches a populated desert settlement. The local strong man is that of the character aptly named Carnegie played by Gary Oldman. Carnegie is a ruthless ruler who leads a large gang of henchmen and dreams of conquering other towns to grow his power. He frequently sends his men out on raids for supplies and to search for something special that will aid him in taking over other towns.

The next character to appear is that of Solara played by Mila Kunis. She works in the local inn as a house keeper and bartender; she is protected from Carnegie’s minions because her blind mother, Claudia, played by Jennifer Beals, is Carnegie’s personal courtesan. Things soon come to a head as it is discovered that Eli possess the very thing Carnegie has been after. This leads to a confrontation of biblical proportions. Soon Eli and Solara find themselves on the run from Carnegie and his minions, hoping to find sanctuary further west.

The Book of Eli turns an often over-saturated genre into something with a more meaningful message that Hollywood often avoids all together. Denzel is as charismatic as ever, and Oldman, always known for his ability to play great believable villains, doesn’t let us down. This film came out at the same time as James Cameron’s Avatar,  so it was somewhat over shadowed by the other film. It was not until many years later that I came across it. I think it’s a great film and if you haven’t yet seen it, you should give it a watch.

*Be mindful: this movie does contain some intense scenes of action and violence and some language.

**written by Matthew Beyer.

***You can check out The Book of Eli from the library.

 

 

 

 

Matthew’s Monday Movie: “Fargo”

The Coen brothers have consistently produced groundbreaking and hallmark films, and their 1996 motion picture Fargo stands the test of time.  This film features a dark comedic take on a criminal plot that spirals out of control leading from one disaster to another.  This film stars Francis McDormand, William H. Macy, Steve Buscemi, Peter Stormare, Harve Presnell and Kristin Rudrud.

The film’s plot revolves around Jerry Lundegaard (Macey), who is a sleazy car salesmen that has fallen into debt due to fraud and money laundering and orchestrated a plot to have his own wife Jean Lundegaard (Kristin Rudrud) kidnapped and ransomed to her wealthy father Wade Gustafson (Harve Presnell). The two small-time bumbling criminals Mr. Lundergarrd entrusts with this scandalous endeavor are Carl Showalter (Steve Buscemi), who plays a tough talking albeit inept wannabe gangster, and his partner Gaear Grimsrud, played by the fantastic character actor Peter Stormare as a soft-spoken sociopath with a thousand yard stare.

The protagonist at the heart of this story is Chief of Police Marge Gunderson played by Francis McDormand. This role would go on to net McDormand an Academy Award for Best Actress. Marge Gunderson is a pregnant police chief struggling to piece together the trail of murder and mayhem left in the wake of the incompetent henchmen that Jerry Lundegaard hired.

What makes this film so memorable is the setting in which it takes place:  the backcountry of Minnesota and the snowy and glamorous metropolitan expanse of Fargo, North Dakota. The geographic location was a key choice for the Coen brothers due to the particular accent that is spoken there.  The dialect featured so heavily in the film is that of “Minnesota nice.” As part of its Wikipedia entry states:

The cultural characteristics of “Minnesota nice” include polite friendliness, an aversion to confrontation, a tendency toward understatement, a disinclination to make a fuss or stand out, emotional restraint, and self-deprecation.

With this in mind, you’ll find yourself incapable of keeping yourself from quoting this film’s unique dialogue.

Finally, I feel that William H. Macey’s portrayal of Jerry Lundegaard is superb. Jerry Lundegaard is a hopeless loser and a sorry excuse for a criminal. He time and again fails to cover his tracks and his pathetic downfall is a great example of why crime doesn’t pay. Marge Gunderson sums it up perfectly in one of her last lines at the end as she laments the calamity of the whole situation. “And for what? For a little bit of money? There’s more to life than a little money, you know. Don’tcha know that?”

Fargo is a great dark comedy drama, but it’s not suitable for the whole family as it is rated R for violence and language. Whether you are watching it for its memorable quirky dialogue or its star-studded performances, Fargo is a great film don’tcha know.

****And it’s available for check out at Union’s Library***

*written by Matthew Beyer