'Gone With the Wind' returns to HBO Max with added contextual discussions
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"Gone With the Wind" has returned to HBO Max with additional content in tow.
The film was pulled from the brand-new streaming service just two weeks ago after drawing criticism for its depictions of black people and slavery.
Now, the film is once again available, as is additional content, meant to contextualize the film, in the form of two recorded conversations.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}'GONE WITH THE WIND' TO RETURN TO HBO MAX WITH INTRODUCTION FROM BLACK SCHOLAR JACQUELINE STEWART
In one video, film scholar and Turner Classic Movies (TCM) host Jacqueline Stewart discusses the importance of the 1939 film -- which she calls “one of most enduringly popular films of all time" -- being seen in its original form.
Vivien Leigh as Scarlett O'Hara has her corset tightened by Hattie McDaniel as Mammy in 'Gone with the Wind.' (Photo by Silver Screen Collection/Getty Images)
Stewart explains the film's rocky history having been protested since it was being developed, as it depicts “the Antebellum South as a world of grace and beauty without acknowledging the brutalities of the system of chattel slavery upon which this world is based.”
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}“The film’s treatment of this world through a lens of nostalgia denies the horrors of slavery, as well as its legacies of racial inequality," continues Stewart, noting that black cast members were not allowed to attend the premiere and Hattie McDaniel, who became the first black person to win an Academy Award, was not allowed to sit with her co-stars after bagging the award for playing Mammy in the film.
“Watching ‘Gone With the Wind’ can be uncomfortable, even painful,” Stewart said, per Variety. “Still, it is important that classic Hollywood films are available to us in their original form for viewing and discussion.”
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The film also now contains a second extra feature: a panel discussion about the film from the 2019 TCM Classic Film Festival called “The Complicated Legacy of ‘Gone With the Wind,'” which is moderated by author and historian Donald Bogle.
Jacqueline Stewart (right) provides contextual commentary for 'Gone With the Wind' on HBO Max. (Getty)
"Gone With the Wind" is among the most famous films in the history of American cinema, as it serves as the highest-grossing film of all time when adjusted for inflation.
In addition to McDaniel's historic win, the flick earned seven other Oscars and five nominations.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"Gone With the Wind" is just one of many recent films and television programs to have come under fire for their depictions of race-related material.
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Shows like "30 Rock" and "Scrubs" have removed episodes containing blackface from streaming services, and "Big Mouth" has announced plans to replace Jenny Slate with a black actress to play a biracial character, all while movies are receiving content warnings from broadcasters and production companies are working to build more inclusive and diverse environments.