Happy Women’s History Month! For the next 31 days, my dear friend abovethetitle and I will be showing film clips of some of our favorite film performances by actresses. These are not necessarily performances that you will see on top 10 lists or represented in the Academy Awards. These are performances that moved us, shaped us, changed us, and made us the women we are today, and all that sentimental girly crap we ladies like to talk about.
It just so happens that the first performance I’m recognizing is an Academy Award-winning performance: Vivien Leigh as Scarlett O’Hara in Gone with the Wind. I’m not sure I’ve ever seen an actor command the screen the way she does. I love her to pieces.
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Love, love, LOVE that you’re posting “formative performances” for Women’s History Month!! And I adore Vivien Leigh too…simply amazing. She melted into the role and became Scarlett O’Hara.
Opinioness of the World took the words right out of my mouth! I love that you start with this movie because I think Scarlett is often considered an archetypal romantic heroine, but so much of her story is about desperation and survival and determination. It’s–I don’t know if “refreshing” is the right word, as the movie is so old…maybe reassuring?–to have such a classic movie show her in such different, and not exclusively flattering or endearing, lights. She’s a far cry from the manic pixie dream girls 🙂
Maggie, you are so right! She’s such a strong, fearless survivor. While she’s selfish and at times cruel, she fiercely loves those she holds dear. You are spot on…it IS “refreshing,” especially considering that nowadays, Hollywood so rarely depicts unlikeable or unsympathetic female characters, unafraid to be themselves. It may be a “romantic” film, but I loved seeing the female relationships: Scarlett and Melanie, Scarlett and Mammy. While the film is racially problematic, I love ‘Gone With the Wind’…and Scarlett O’Hara has become even more of an iconic character to me.