It won’t be an exaggeration to say that Victor Fleming’s Gone With The Wind is one of the finest films ever to grace the theatres. Based on Margeret Mitchell’s best-selling book of the same name, the film takes us on a journey through the life of Scarlett O’Hara (Vivien Leigh), a Southern woman who’s juggling the antebellum South, the upheaval of the Civil War, and the challenges of Reconstruction.
If you’ve finished streaming this one and are looking for alternatives – fret not! We’ve combed through the archives and saved you the hassle with our top picks for alternate viewing.
So without further ado, we present 10 movies to check out when you’ve finished watching Gone With The Wind.
Sense and Sensibility (1995)
In the movie Sense and Sensibility, we follow the Dashwood sisters, Elinor (Emma Thompson) and Marianne (Kate Winslet). The story takes flight when their dad passes away, leaving the family in a tight financial spot. Alongside their mother and younger sister, both Elinor and Marianne have to contend with not just money troubles but also romantic relationships in 1800’s England.
Together, the sisters try to figure out life, love, and societal rules at a time when things are a bit more complicated. Sense and Sensibility and Gone with the Wind are stories set in separate worlds and eras, yet they both explore the ups and downs that women face. Both films juggle with the idea of what society expects from them while dealing with heartbreaks and betrayals.
Anna and the King (1999)
In Andy Tennant’s Anna and the King, Jodie Foster takes on the role of Anna Leonowens, a British teacher who travels to Siam in the 1860’s to teach the King’s children. Chow Yun-fat plays the King, and the storyline revolves around the clashes between Anna and the King due to their different backgrounds. As they navigate through cultural differences and societal expectations, their relationship becomes more complex.
In Anna and the King, Anna Leonowens, much like Scarlett O’Hara, faces challenges as an outsider in a society that’s based on strict rules, especially for women. The films highlight the strength and determination of Anna and Scarlet as they assert themselves in male-dominated worlds and challenge societal expectations.
Fiddler on the Roof (1971)
Norman Jewison directed Fiddler on the Roof, a musical film that’s based on the Broadway musical of the same name, which, in turn, draws from the stories of Sholem Aleichem. The movie takes you to the made-up Russian village of Anatevka during the 20th century. The story revolves around Tevye, who’s a poor Jewish milkman going through a series of troubles trying to keep his traditions and family values intact, especially with everything changing socially and politically.
Tevye’s daughters, on the other hand, hope to find love and get married, but down the road, end up making choices that shake up the usual customs of the community. “Fiddler on the Roof” and “Gone with the Wind” are worlds apart in terms of genre and setting, but they have some common ground. Both films explore the idea of how societal changes can mess with traditional ways of life, creating tension between holding onto old rules and ideologies and dealing with the unavoidable winds of change.
The Age of Innocence (1993)
Martin Scorsese directs The Age of Innocence, a film adapted from Edith Wharton’s novel. The movie follows Newland Archer (Daniel Day-Lewis) a young lawyer all set to tie the knot with the innocent May Welland (Winona Ryder). Things turn interesting when May’s cousin, Ellen Olenska (Michelle Pfeiffer), sails in from Europe. Soon, Archer finds himself torn between what society wants from him and his growing passion for Ellen.
In The Age of Innocence, Newland Archer finds himself in a real bind, caught between what society expects and his forbidden love for Ellen Olenska. Similarly, if we jump over to Gone with the Wind, Scarlett O’Hara is dealing with her set of societal problems in the antebellum South and also the chaos brought by the Civil War.
Doctor Zhivago (1965)
David Lean directs Doctor Zhivago, an epic romance based on Boris Pasternak’s novel. The film is set against the crazy times of the Russian Revolution and World War I. The main characters are Yuri Zhivago, a poet and doctor played by Omar Sharif, and Lara Antipova, a young woman he falls head over heels for, played by Julie Christie. With Russia in the early 20th century as the backdrop, the drama develops amidst political turmoil, societal upheaval, and the characters’ personal problems.
Yuri navigates through the chaos of the Russian Revolution in Doctor Zhivago, while Scarlett deals with the American Civil War and its aftermath in Gone with the Wind. Moreover, love plays a big role in both of their lives, influencing their choices and actions.
The Thorn Birds (1983)
Not exactly a film by definition, Daryl Duke’s The Thorn Birds most certainly deserves a place on this list. The film follows the Cleary family over the course of many decades. The main plot revolves around the forbidden love between Meggie Cleary ( Rachel Ward) and Father Ralph de Bricassart (Richard Chamberlain). Thanks to its impressive storyline and stellar acting, The Thorn Birds earned high praise from critics.
Both films sing of passionate romances that encounter societal and personal hurdles. In The Thorn Birds, the forbidden love saga of Meggie and Father Ralph spans decades, reminiscent of the tempestuous love story between Scarlett O’Hara and Rhett Butler in Gone with the Wind.
English Patient (1996)
Anthony Minghella’s English Patient takes place in an Italian convent, where the protagonist, Hana (Juliette Binoche), is caring for a patient (Ralph Fiennes) who has suffered terrible burns. The patient’s past shows that he is the Hungarian adventurer Count László Almásy. The film examines the subtleties of love, betrayal, and the lasting effects of war on one another, set against the background of World War II.
The film received multiple Academy Awards, notably Best Picture, and is known for its emotional depth and exceptional storytelling. The shadow of war looms large in both movies. In The English Patient, the characters navigate the aftermath of World War II, while in Gone with the Wind, the American Civil War and its aftermath leave a lasting imprint on the characters’ lives and relationships.
Wuthering Heights (1939)
This William Wyler magnum opus concerns the tragic liaison of Heathcliff, an orphan played by Lawrence Olivier, and Catherine Earnshaw, daughter of the affluent Earnshaw family, portrayed by Merle Oberon. This multi-generational story digs into the ripple effects of Heathcliff and Catherine’s ardent but turbulent romance and how they decimated everyone around them.
Both films examine the tumultuous nature of their protagonists’ relationships. The passionate and conflicted love between Heathcliff and Catherine in Wuthering Heights mirrors the turbulent marriage of Scarlett and Rhett in Gone with the Wind, both stories ultimately ending in tragedy.
The Beguiled (2017)
This Sofia Coppola’s cocktail is a period drama set against the backdrop of the American Civil War. The movie takes place at a girls’ school in Virginia, whose peace and tranquillity takes a nose dive when a mortally wounded soldier named John McBurney (Collin Farrell) is found and given shelter and medical care. Things start to get interesting when the girls begin vying for McBurney’s attention, leading to jealousy, lust, deceit, a plot twist, and whatnot!
In both movies, the American Civil War is a major plot point that causes chaos. In The Beguiled, the war disrupts the peaceful setting of a girls’ school via a wounded soldier. In a similar vein, in Gone with the Wind, the Civil War shines a light on major changes that severely impact the lives of the characters.
Rebecca (1940)
This Alfred Hitchcock film takes us into the life of a young and inexperienced woman (Joan Fontaine) who marries a wealthy widower, Maxim de Winter (Laurence Olivier), and settles into his grand residence, Manderley. However, the new Mrs. de Winter soon learns about the sway of Maxim’s first wife, Rebecca, and becomes entwined in the mysterious secrets that shroud Manderley’s past.
Both films are similar in more ways than one. In Rebecca, the new Mrs. de Winter faces the challenges of meeting expectations set by Maxim’s first wife, while Scarlett O’Hara in Gone with the Wind confronts the trials of love and survival during the Civil War and Reconstruction.
The Painted Veil (2006)
The Painted Veil is John Curran’s take on W. Somerset Maugham’s novel of the same name. The film chronicles Kitty Garstin (Naomi Watts), a young woman who ties the knot with Walter Fane (Edward Norton), a bacteriologist. The situation heats up when Kitty’s infidelity comes to light, leading Walter to take her away to a remote Chinese village plagued with a cholera outbreak.
Marital strife is at the core of both films. In The Painted Veil, Kitty and Walter’s marriage hits a rough patch because of the former’s unfaithfulness, much like the complicated romantic situations in Gone with the Wind. Scarlett O’Hara’s marriages and romantic exploits in the film also involve a lot of drama and turmoil.
So there we have it, our 10 Movie picks to keep you busy after watching Gone With The Wind.
What do you think of our picks? Do you agree? Are there any notable omissions? Let us know in the comments below!
Great article. Not only you mentioned the movies, but also gave your take on the similar traits.