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

Stagecoach (1939) - 4/5

This film is so classic that seemingly all other movies featuring stagecoaches pulled from it, even modern films like The Hateful Eight and The Ballad of Buster Scruggs. It’s one of the great John Ford westerns, and even after all this time still holds up to modern viewing. There are plenty of great character moments slathered on top of the rich western setting and the solid underlying story, and it’s the characters that carry the film and make it so memorable even today.

Closest comparison: It’s like the final vignette in The Ballad of Buster Scruggs by way of The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance.

Setting: Western
Plot: Confined Strangers
Tone: Adventure