Gone with the Wind has topped Amazon's best-sellers sales chart a day after it was removed from HBO Max due to concern over racist depictions in the film. On Tuesday, amidst ongoing Black Lives Matter protests, the new streaming service HBO Max removed Gone with the Wind from its library. This decision was made following an op-ed written by 12 Years a Slave screenwriter John Ridley calling for the film to be taken down from HBO Max, at least for the time being.
Gone with the Wind, the epic historical film following southern belle Scarlett O'Hara's journey through the Civil War, is one of the most famous films of all time and earned ten Academy Awards upon its release in 1939. However, HBO Max has stated it will not reinstate the film until a discussion of the historical context in which the film was made has been prepared to accompany it. The company also made it clear the racist stereotypes of Black characters and other issues in the film do not represent WarnerMedia's values.
Variety has reported that Gone with the Wind has now topped Amazon's best-sellers sales chart for TV and movies. Amazon offers the 70th anniversary two-disc DVD edition, and Amazon Video offers the film for digital rental as well. The film has also neared the top of Apple's iTunes movie chart in the U.S, taking the No. 5 spot and showing a renewed interest in Gone with the Wind following this week's events.
HBO Max's decision to remove Gone with the Wind is part of a larger conversation in Hollywood happening right now. Many films and TV shows are facing new criticism in the context of the ongoing protests and discussion of race. For example, Paramount Network recently canceled the long-running reality show Cops, and related cancellations in the entertainment industry could follow. In general, entertainment fans are taking a hard look at the media they consume and the impact it has on the world.
As Gone with the Wind has been criticized by some for decades for its depictions of the Civil War, glorification of the Confederacy, and perpetuation of black stereotypes, it makes sense this particular moment amplified those feelings. However, it seems the ongoing discussion about Gone with the Wind has also increased the desire of some to watch the movie, with fans turning to Amazon and iTunes instead of HBO Max. Whether it's the right call or not, the movie will continue to be available to the many fans who aren't willing to go without Gone with the Wind.
Source: Variety