Flashback: Southern Comfort

Welcome to a little southern comfort as we continue our exploration of
passionate love stories this week. Today's passionate love story involves
Margaret Mitchell's unorthodox, though now classic romance between Scarlett
O'Hara and Rhett Butler set against the backdrop of the Civil War, a turbulent
coming of age for the spoiled and pampered Scarlett as she struggles to find
love and survival as her world crumbles around her.

From the first words Margaret Mitchell wrote in her 1936 novel, you knew that
you found something that defied conventions:

This willful, spoiled and head-strong sixteen year old girl would dominate
perceptions of Southern Belle's for the next 90 years. Scarlett is the eldest of
three O'Hara daughters. She and her sisters live with their beloved mother Ellen
and their Irish father on a beautiful plantation in Northern Georgia called Tara.

Their nearest neighbors are the Wilkes family at 12 Oaks. Scarlett longs to make
Ashley her beau and she makes her intentions clear during a barbecue at Wilkes
plantation, when Ashley rejects her, Scarlett by seeking love with Melanie's
brother Charles Hamilton. Despite the looming war, Charles suffers a most
inglorious death -- he dies of the measles, but not before impregnating
Scarlett. Her son is named Wade Hampton Hamilton and he loves his mother, but
often fears her as well. During the war, hardships drive Scarlett to marry her
sister's beau Frank Kennedy for his money. She gives birth to his daughter Ella
Lorena Kennedy.

Throughout it all though, is Rhett Butler, the rakish gambler who enjoys
Scarlett's tempestuous ways. He's not proper company, so she sets her sights
higher. He's also not so taken in by her charms that he won't give as good as he
gets. When Scarlett finally marries Rhett, she tells herself it's for the
financial security, but in quieter moments, she admits to her love for him.

Published in 1936, Mitchell's novel would win a Pulitzer prize and be made into
one of the most romantic movies of all time with the 1939 release of the film
Gone with the Wind starring Clark Gable as Rhett Butler and Vivien Leigh as the
tempestuous Scarlett O'Hara.

At 12 Oaks, Scarlett confesses her feelings to Ashley only to be rebuffed. Her
humiliation is deepened when Rhett reveals that he overheard her indiscreet
behavior.

The passion between Rhett and Scarlett always simmered beneath the surface and
this scene captures their incredible chemistry.

Probably one of the most controversial scenes filmed because the previous scene
indicated that Rhett was about to rape his wife, Scarlett wakes up, feeling
quite good about having been so thoroughly ravished the night before -- perhaps
for once giving up on her games of power and position and just enjoying her husband.

The couple shared a beautiful daughter Bonnie, but Bonnie's unfortunate death
left a rift in this passionate couple's relationship that neither was willing to
bridge. The infamous scene where Rhett walks out, leaving Scarlett behind is
powerful because Scarlett does not give in -- despite the heartbreaking loss.

In the end, Scarlett is alone save for her children, her friendship with Ashley
(a man she no longer pines for) and Ashley and Melanie's son, a child she loves
well for himself. It is a stunning contrast to see Scarlett fight so fiercely
for the milk-faced Ashley, the man who was simple, dull and old-school
gentleman, but who could never stand up to Scarlett's fiery desires versus
battling her own feelings for Rhett.

Scarlett O'Hara and Rhett Butler would come to life again in a sequel written
with the Mitchell family permission allowing these lovers to finally be happy.
But it does not diminish the power of the initial relationship nor the strong
punctuation point an unhappy ending gave them --because Scarlett and Rhett were
so strong-willed and like-minded that they couldn't see the forest for the trees
where their relationship was concerned.

And frankly, my dears, we do give a damn.