Recently, the classic 1939 film “Gone with the Wind” was removed from the list of films available for screening on the popular American content site, HBO. Several days later it was returned to the list, but with a disclaimer saying the film “denies the horrors of slavery.”
Ono instructor, Dr. Tzahi Cohen notes that an in-depth look at the film reveals that beneath the surface racism lie more complex messages about slavery and the South. Writing an opinion piece in the Israeli newspaper Makor Rishon, Dr. Cohen, who teaches literature and Judaism at Ono Academic College, notes that indeed the fact of slavery is presented without criticism and the attitude of the Georgia farmers and members of its high society to black people is both condescending and exploitative. Beneath the surface however, Cohen claims that the film critiques the arrogance and brutality of Southern culture, customs and behavior before, during and after the Civil War.
The full article can be found at https://www.makorrishon.co.il/culture/241209/
