Gone with the Wind, Belgian – 1954

Gone with the Wind is a 1939 American epic romance film adapted from the 1936 novel by Margaret Mitchell. The film was directed by Victor Fleming and stars Vivien Leigh, Clark Gable, Leslie Howard and Olivia de Havilland.

Set in the American South against the backdrop of the American Civil War and the Reconstruction era, the film tells the story of Scarlett O’Hara, the strong-willed daughter of a Georgia plantation owner. It follows her romantic pursuit of Ashley Wilkes, who is married to his cousin, Melanie Hamilton, and her subsequent marriage to Rhett Butler. 

The film was immensely popular and received positive reviews upon its release in December 1939. It also performed well at the Academy Awards, setting records for the total number of nominations and wins at the time. The film took wins for Best Picture, Best Director, Best Adapted Screenplay (posthumously awarded to Sidney Howard), Best Actress and Best Supporting Actress, withHattie McDaniel becoming the first African American to win an Academy Award for her portrayal of the servant Mammy. An award that was tarnished by the fact that she was. even as an award winner, not allowed to sit with the other cast members at the Oscars.

The film itself is not without controversy, coming under criticism for its racist stereotyping even romanticising the treatment of African Americans in the south, portraying slaves as happy and content while being loyal to their owners, ignoring the brutal conditions in which enslaved people lived. 

In 2020, amid the George Floyd and Black Lives Matter protests, the film was removed from HBO’s online video service. HBO commented that the film was “a product of its time” and as such, it depicted “ethnic and racial prejudices” that “were wrong then and are wrong today”. It also announced that when the film was reinstated it would be shown in its original form 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.”

Strangely, following the film’s removal, Gone with the Wind reached the top of Amazon’s TV and Films best sellers list and placed 5th on Apples Itunes store film chart. When  HBO Max reinstated the film to its service just a month later, it included an introduction by Jacqueline Stewart who described the film  “a prime text for examining expressions of white supremacy in popular culture”, and said that “it is precisely because of the ongoing, painful patterns of racial injustice and disregard for Black lives that “Gone with the Wind” should stay in circulation and remain available for viewing, analysis and discussion.” She described the controversy as “an opportunity to think about what classic films can teach us.” The controversy will no doubt have the effect of increasing both the demand and price for the film’s promotional posters.

This Gone with the Wind poster was produced in 1954 for the Belgian release of the film featuring Rhett and Scarlett in a romantic embrace with the words Autant en Emporte Le Vente written at the foot of the poster next to the Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer logo. In good condition, copies of this poster sell for in excess of £1500.

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The film is still regarded as one of the greatest films of all time and has placed in the top ten of the American Film Institute’s list of the top 100 American films since the list’s inception in 1998. In 1989, the United States Library of Congress selected it for preservation in the National Film Registry.

Our posters are carefully and professionally created from vintage originals. Whilst great care is taken in the production of these posters, we also try to maintain a vintage feel, so there may be small imperfections, fold marks, scuffs, tears or marks that were part of the original poster master. If these do appear they should be visible on the larger views of the item on this listing. The originals of many of the posters we offer can cost many thousands of pounds, so whilst these posters look great, especially framed and mounted on a wall, they are intended as a fun, affordable reproductions and not intended fine art prints.

The 50x70cm version has been specially produced to be used in conjunction with Ikea’s 50x70cm Ribba picture frame which currently retails for around £12. So you can bag a print and frame for a great price.