The anti-racist sentiment that has spread around the world after the death of George Floyd has now spilled over into other areas of life, including culture and entertainment.
Today, HBO Max has announced it has pulled the 1939 classic “Gone with the Wind” from its streaming catalogue.
Despite being released over 80 years ago, the classic Hollywood film remains one of the most beloved and respected works from the Golden Era of Hollywood films. However, it had also been at the center of increase criticism and controversy because of its subject matter and depiction of race.
For example, Academy Award winning screenwriter John Ridley, who received the award for his work on “12 Years A Slave”, had called for streaming services to remove the film in its current form.
Ridley explained that the film glorifies and creates a history that never existed in the Southern US through the works of the top talents who were available in Hollywood at that time. Ridley said that the way in which race is covered throughout the film is also lamentable.
The screenwriter said that he did not wish for the film to be destroyed, as that would be outright censorship of an uglier time. Instead, he suggested that the film be pulled down for a substantial amount of time before being reintroduced along with other films that handle the issue more appropriately.
For example, he suggested that HBO and other streaming services make “Gone with the Wind” available together with other films that tells the story from the other side instead of defending and beautifying the narrative.
A spokesperson from HBO gave similar responses when asked by CNN. The spokesperson explained that the movie unfortunately contains misconceptions that have been prevalent in the American society although it was “wrong then and wrong now”.
Echoing the arguments of Ridley, the spokesperson said that the beloved film will be reintroduced at some point, but will include a more accurate historical context and depiction so that the viewers can clearly understand the issues with the film.
The spokesperson concluded by saying that an understanding and reflection of our history is the first step in creating a more just and equal society like the ones that protestors are asking for in the streets.
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Replaced!