Gone with the Wind

Release Year: 1939

Director: Victor Fleming

Review: 'Gone With The Wind' is a historic epic if there ever was one.  Everything about this 1939 landmark film from the majestic shots, dramatic score, complex relationships and monumental length,  screams epic.  I'm not a fan of epics.  The over dramatic, often corny and always long winded delivery takes me out the experience.  This was my primary complaint about the film.  It is brutally long, which made the insufferable main character of Scarlet grating.  I appreciated the themes and the story, but there was a good amount of fluff that would have made the experience a significant amount more enjoyable if it were cut down.  It's remarkable how beautiful the cinematography was for its time, and it certainly deserves its place in the history books, but it does have many aspects which don't hold up.  I enjoyed it, but it was a chore at times.
Rating: 3.5/5

Mr. Smith Goes to Washington

Release Year: 1939
Review: A truly moving film about the toils of an honest man in Washington. Jimmy Stuart gives a powerful performance and creates a character you can't help but love and root for. The dialog is poignant and delivered masterfully by a superb cast. Jean Arthur especially stands out portraying the sarcastic, beaten down Washington veteran to perfection. This is a film which is timeless and should be viewed by everyone. If only there were people like Jeffry Smith in today's politics.
Rating: 5/5