The fight to curb systemic racism in the U.S. led to mass protests and a call to review racist content on streaming platforms. HBO Max, was one of the leading companies to do so. They, temporarily removed the cult classic, Gone With The Wind from their platform over its depiction of black Americans. The company, while removing it, had promised to include a feature in it the next time it comes back, explaining the context of the racial depictions in the film.
True to their word, HBO Max has brought the film back along with a four minute introduction. It also features a panel discussion about the film from the Turner Classic Movie Festival (TCM). The festival, was hosted by Jacqueline Stewart in 2019.
In her introduction, about the film, the host had said how the film was a milestone. It had won eight Oscars, including best supporting actress award for Hattie McDaniel. Hattie’s win was a historic moment in cinema, as she became the first African-American, to win an Oscar.
Further, in the introduction, she told how Mcdaniel was made to sit at a separate table from others. She also added :
The film “presents the antebellum South as a world of grace and beauty without acknowledging the brutality of chattel slavery upon which this world was based.”
The film came back on the platform on Wednesday.