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"Scarlett" TV miniserial went down in Guinness
Book long before its first-night - in that very moment when in November, 1991
a report about a group of American and European investors headed by CBS had
paid $ 8 million for the exclusive right of screen versioning the novel by
Alexandra Ripley ( or Riplay- as this or that interpreter prefers better!)
[L.1, page 116], and Robert Halmi, Sr., became producer of that movie. That
situation reminded of David Sellznik who had intended to make a screen
reality of "Gone with the wind" novel by the unknown writer of those days
which became bestseller just from its first release. David also paid $ 50K to
win back the right from Warner Bros. - that sum of money was really a record
one in 1936.
But still we can find common traits comparing
the above screen versions. At that time and now producers of both versions had
to face two big problems: "an imperfect scenario" and "an actress to play
Scarlett". In 1938 the problem of an "actress" came to naught when film
shooting had already been started. Following the rumors Vivien Leigh with
Miron Sellznik appeared on the shooting ground just during the episode
about Atlanta conflagration. She could see her dubbing actress and dubbing
Rhett who were escaping in a wagon harnessed with distracted from the heat,
noise and soot horses. David Sellznik was deeply impressed by the way Vivien
"had turned to him, reclined and moved her wide-brimmed hat back to let her
hair beat freely in the wind. She was a real Scarlett O'Hara [L., page 408].
Joan Whalley-Kilmer withstood cruel selection
as she had tens or even hundreds of rivals. But still their leader was Vivien
who had already been awarded by the Academy for that role and also approved
by Margaret Mitchell herself… Joan did her best in that role from time to
time becoming Scarlett almost, but only almost…
As was well known Margaret bewaring of film
failure had refused to take part in staging - even in selection of actors for
the leading roles and to help in scenario preparation! As a result that
scenario was rewritten by many people "circling" among script writers, writers,
producers including Sellznik himself when at least it returned back to Sidney
Howard who held a so-called record of continuance for the movies of that time
by suggesting scenario which made the core of screen versioning and won 9
Oscars afterwards.
Searching for an actress to play Scarlett
endured for two years. Scarlett image, the crucial figure of the novel ought
to be a support for the whole cine-narration. Though the author frequently
reminded of Melany as the main heroine of "Gone with the wind" Scarlett
abandoning in contradictions, naivety, mistakes, egoism and love towards a
made-up hero couldn't be the same. However her indomitable energy in struggle
for existence, her south temper and charm made fortune of the novel along
with the Civil War theme which had been worked over in details by Margaret
and correlation intrigue with Rhett Battler that kept the reader in suspense
from the first pages of the book up to last ones.
Being not a professional man of literature
Margaret Mitchell created her characters basing on her life experience.
Therefore her characters are so brilliant, so lively!
It's a common knowledge that each of her main
characters has its own prototype. When creating Scarlett Margaret tried to
depict most traits of her character and appearance even! However strange it
may seem but Vivien Lee looked like Margaret at the age of 20! You can make
sure of it costing a glance at the cover of the book "Road to Tara" by Anne
Edwards issued in Russia by "Drofa" publishing house in 1994.
Taking into account the fact that Margaret
never confessed openly but still there was a reason to consider Rhett Battler
image being blown by correlation with her first husband Red Upshow with whom
her joint life had turned out to be unbearable. That's the way Anne Edwards
gives the portrait of this person: "Berriem Kinnard Upshow, a broad-shouldered
soccer player from Georgia University Team nicknamed as "Red" with reputation
of an unbridled copper-haired and dark-eyed man possessing a double chin and
clothed in bright pirate dress…"[L2, page 99]. Then: "According to his friends,
- Red is an "inconstant", "wild thing", "smart", "sexy", "unencumbered with
lofty moral principals", "masterful" and "brilliant"…"[L2, page 114].
Excluding color of his hair the above description is almost the portrait of
Rhett himself from the novel and especially from "Scarlett" miniserial where
he was successfully played by Timothy Dalton!
I can't understand most of the reviews that
tell about "big courage" only, which has been required to play this role on
the heels of Clark Gable! Though it had been successfully taken by the
audience I was sure that Rhett needed some glitter or intellectuality!
Probably he seemed to be a little bit plain or common. As for Margaret
Mitchell herself - then in 1939 she was rather eloquent proceeding with
character selection estimation:" Vivien Leigh…-" is undoubtedly beautiful,
she is a real Scarlett", and Clark Gable- he just has something in common
with…" [L2, page 428].
Timothy Dalton seems to play here not simply
the character of the book but an "expectation", yeah - our expectation of Rhett,
expectation of a favorite hero with some ill traits of character but in
general - rather positive, of the person whom Margaret Mitchell has failed to
depict bluntly rejecting novel endurance and feeling impossibility of that
correlation development in real life. And actually the real Rhett tragically
dies falling out of the 5th floor window and as for Margaret herself - she
dies in the hospital later on after the awful accident: death she had
foreboded before it happened [L2]!
Margaret Mitchell couldn't do it... and what
about the others? Were they succeeded in contributing to those images?
A novel by Alexandra Ripley is undoubtedly
congenial and close to the origin by quality but it touches upon a very
slippery for the UK ground - an Irish question. If heading for the broad
demonstration they should have changed half a book almost! They did so
inserting a huge pile of amendments to the role of Sean Bin and the others.
Everyone feels an ambivalent sense looking at these transformations. On the
one hand such way of plot treating grates a little but on the other- you
realize it's of no importance because everything has been done according to
the requirements of the likes of us, I mean the viewers!
We wanted to see Scarlett would return Rett,
weren't we - and we saw it with the elements of "modern" melodrama or thriller
even! At least we've got a next version of "Gone with the wind" movie
described in jest by Margaret as a version possessing a highly moralized plot
where all the heroes including Pretty Girl Wotling have changeable hearts and
characters and all of them will obviously stuck in sanctimony and foolishness".
We hope it won't come to foolishness and sanctimony but at the same time we
can observe here an unreality of most of the situations. It seems you're
involved in the trick with a sofa and it's going to turn upside down at any
moment! The sofa swings, the room walls rotate creating the somersault
illusion, but at the same moment you realize that you've been "cheated".
But nevertheless, nevertheless… Timothy played
this role brilliantly. How did he work through his every gesture, every
glance, step and the manner of conducting himself! Everything was done so
that any viewer could memorize that image and feel Rhett's presence in every
shot of the movie. That scene in the Pretty Girl's brothel where he conjures
with playing cards! The episode of scoffing at Scarlett and her dresses and the
following scene of conjugal bed abounding in love and tenderness before
escaping from Charleston! I'm sure most of the ladies will sacrifice half of
their lives to experience it in reality! The episode of horse racing with
four close women and the scene of rescuing in the sea, on the beach and in a
hut, tempting of a young but rather smart miss Ann Hampton, final scenes in
Ballyhara -everything was done perfectly!
That role probably required tremendous efforts.
It required strength and courage not because of the necessity to flock after
Clark but to solve one's own problems: when "Scarlett" shooting in Charleston
Timothy refused to play Bond he had been playing for 8 years, although they
succeeded in mounting of 2 films instead of 3 stated by the contract.
It goes without saying that many people
somehow involved in "Gone with the wind" novel and screen version have failed
themselves. Margaret and Red, John Mitchell - Margaret's husband and companion,
screenwriter Sidney Howard [L.2], Clark Gable and Vivien Leigh... I wish the
participants of "Scarlett" miniserial wouldn't have suffered the same fate!
First, operating with the available material they did their best, second - it
was another novel!
As for Margaret Mitchell I'd like to add if
she was alive nowadays she would have approved the picture You can observe on
our Internet site only! But I've no even a slightest idea on Tim's opinion
on this matter!
For those who are interested in the way of
writing sequels and/or introductions to the widely known and/or classical
novels I grant variation bibliography on "Gone with the wind" theme. If
anyone is aware of new variants, please let me know. But for some reason when
observing this list you're gladdened that nobody has been struck with the
thought to add something to "Eugene Onegin", "Woe in one's wisdom" or
"War and Peace"!
In conclusion I hope that all the above listed
books issued in a year of "Scarlett" miniserial first-night will remain on
the their shelves and new generations of actors and actresses compete in the
third millennium with Timothy Dalton and Vivien Leigh in new screen versions
of "Gone with the wind" possessing only the highest motives…
List of reference
1. Guinness Book, 1998.
2. Anne Edwards. Road to Tara:
Novel. - Ì.: Drofa. - 1994. - 512 p.
3. D.Hillpatrick. We'll call her Scarlett: Novel. - Minsk:
BADPPR. - 1994.
- 512 p.
4. M.Mitchell. Scarlett's childhood: Novel. - Minsk: BADPPR.
- 1994.
&nbssp;- 476 p.
5. M.Mitchell. Gone with the wind: Novel. V.1. - Ì.: Publishing house
"Truth". - 1991. - 608 p.
6. M.Mitchell. Gone with the wind: Novel. V.2. - Ì.: Publishing house
"Truth". - 1991. - 592 p.
7. A.Ripley. Scarlett: Novel. - T.: Publishing house "Truth of East".
- 1994.
- 624 p.
8. D.Hillpatrick. Rhett Butler: Novel. - Ì.: Creative Union"ÀSÒ". -
1994.
- 512 p.
9. D.Hillpatrick. Last love of Scarlett: Novel. - Ìinsk.: BADPPR.
- 1994.
- 480 p.
10. M.Redcliff. The mistery of Rhett Butler: Novel. - Riga.:
"Liesma System".
- 1994. - 572 p.
11. M.Redcliff. The mistery of Scarlett Î'Hara: Novel. - Riga.:
"Liesma
System". - 1994. - 559 p.
12. James Waller. Gone with the wind, century 20: Novel. - M.:
RIA "Ripol".
- 1994. - 400 p.
Ê.Å., 1999
[Genre]
[Character]
[Chronology]
[1960 - 70-th]
[80-th]
[90-th]
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