Despite producer Selznick assuring African American viewers that the film would sensitively handle their concerns, Stewart said Gone With The Wind instead presents “the Antebellum South as a world of grace and beauty without acknowledging the brutalities of the system of chattel slavery upon which this world is based”.
Gone With The Wind has returned to the US streaming service HBO Max accompanied by a disclaimer saying the classic film “denies the horrors of slavery”.
The film has now returned to HBO Max, accompanied by two videos discussing its historical context.
One clip features TV host and film scholar Jacqueline Stewart, who acknowledges Gone With the Wind as “one of most enduringly popular films of all time” but notes its depiction of African American people was controversial even at release.