Gone With the Wind - 2/5

This is a classic epic-scale film with excellent trappings and nothing to say. The first half is quite good and would probably get a 4/5 on its own but the second half drags on and on. It plagues the audience with painful repetitions of previously established material, over long dramatic yet exhaustingly boring tantrums from the main character, and pointless drawn out tragedy that adds nothing to the narrative. Even though there are some truly great moments, the rest of the runtime weighs it down and loses the plot in the weeds.

Closest comparison: It’s like The Ten Commandments (1956) for the first half and the never-ending slough of AI: Artificial Intelligence for the second half.

Setting: War
Plot: Tragedy
Tone: Petty Squabbles

Adventures of Don Juan (1948) - 3/5

This is another Errol Flynn adventure movie, and holds up about as well as you’d expect. It’s a sweeping adventure with swordplay, romance, and a comical grin. The film’s story is much more sluggish than its peers, ending up with minimal swashbuckling and rope-swinging and filling the gaps with obvious and dry intrigue. You could do a whole lot worse than this, but it pales in comparison to Robin Hood and Captain Blood.

Closest comparison: It’s like The Adventures of Robin Hood by way of Captain Blood.

Setting: Globetrotting Adventure
Plot: Romantic Adventure
Tone: Comedy Adventure