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The “old creaky” movie Willem Dafoe called the greatest in cinema history: “You’ll probably be surprised”
Willem Dafoe named *Gone With the Wind* as one of his favourite films, praising its appeal as both “old, creaky” Hollywood melodrama and a more complex drama. His choice is notable given his long career in experimental cinema and recent work with directors such as Robert Eggers.
The 1939 historical epic stars Vivien Leigh and Clark Gable and is set during the American Civil War and the end of slavery. It runs for almost four hours, was nominated for 13 Academy Awards and won ten; adjusted for inflation, it remains the highest-grossing film of all time.
In short
- Dafoe praised *Gone With the Wind* as a favourite.
- He admires its melodrama and complexity.
- The film won ten of its 13 Oscar nominations.
Steelman: both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
Gone With the Wind can be valued as a landmark of filmmaking: its scale, performances and enduring popular appeal helped shape cinema history, and its melodramatic style can be appreciated as a product of its era. Dafoe’s choice also reflects how a film can reward viewers both as old-fashioned entertainment and as a more complex drama.
The case against
Its romanticised depiction of the antebellum South and its treatment of slavery can make the film’s appeal feel inseparable from a distorted and harmful view of history. Its technical and commercial achievements may be acknowledged while still questioning whether it merits being called cinema’s greatest film, especially when that judgement risks placing its cultural influence above the perspectives it marginalises.