Hvem er skuespilerinden i gone with the wind?
Hattie McDaniel
Gone with the Wind (film)
En stor del af roserne gik til castingen, og især Vivien Leigh blev fremhævet for sin præstation som Scarlett. Nugent beskrev hende som "filmens omdrejningspunkt" og mente, at hun var "så perfekt skabt til rollen af kunst og natur, at enhver anden skuespillerinde i rollen ville være utænkelig". Tilsvarende fandt Hoellering hende "perfekt" i "udseende og bevægelser"; han fandt hendes skuespil bedst, når hun fik lov til at "fremhæve den splittede personlighed, hun portrætterer", og mente, at hun var særlig effektiv i sådanne øjeblikke af karakterisering som morgenen efter scenen med voldtægt i ægteskabet. Flinn fandt også Leigh egnet til rollen fysisk og mente, at hun var bedst i de scener, hvor hun udviser mod og beslutsomhed, som f.eks. flugten fra Atlanta og da Scarlett dræber en yankee-desertør. Leigh vandt i kategorien bedste skuespillerinde for sin præstation ved New York Film Critics Circle Awards i 1939. Om Clark Gables præstation som Rhett Butler mente Flinn, at karakteriseringen var "så tæt på Miss Mitchells forestilling - og publikums - som man kan forestille sig", et synspunkt som Nugent var enig i, selv om Hoellering mente, at Gable ikke helt overbeviste i de afsluttende scener, hvor Rhett går fra Scarlett i afsky. Blandt de andre hovedrolleindehavere fandt både Hoellering og Flinn Leslie Howard "overbevisende" som den svagtsindede Ashley, mens Flinn udpegede Olivia de Havilland som en "fremragende" Melanie; Nugent var også specielt begejstret for de Havillands præstation og beskrev den som en "yndig, værdig, øm perle af karakteristik". Hattie McDaniel's præstation som Mammy blev fremhævet af mange kritikere: Nugent mente, at hun gav den bedste præstation i filmen efter Vivien Leigh, mens Flinn placerede den på tredjepladsen efter Leighs og Gables præstationer.
Hattie McDaniel
Gone with the Wind (film)
Much of the praise was reserved for the casting, with Vivien Leigh in particular being singled out for her performance as Scarlett. Nugent described her as the "pivot of the picture" and believed her to be "so perfectly designed for the part by art and nature that any other actress in the role would be inconceivable". Similarly, Hoellering found her "perfect" in "appearance and movements"; he felt her acting best when she was allowed to "accentuate the split personality she portrays" and thought she was particularly effective in such moments of characterization like the morning after the marital rape scene. Flinn also found Leigh suited to the role physically and felt she was best in the scenes where she displays courage and determination, such as the escape from Atlanta and when Scarlett kills a Yankee deserter. Leigh won in the Best Actress category for her performance at the 1939 New York Film Critics Circle Awards. Of Clark Gable's performance as Rhett Butler, Flinn felt the characterization was "as close to Miss Mitchell's conception—and the audience's—as might be imagined", a view which Nugent concurred with, although Hoellering felt that Gable didn't quite convince in the closing scenes, as Rhett walks out on Scarlett in disgust. Of the other principal cast members, both Hoellering and Flinn found Leslie Howard to be "convincing" as the weak-willed Ashley, with Flinn identifying Olivia de Havilland as a "standout" as Melanie; Nugent was also especially taken with de Havilland's performance, describing it as a "gracious, dignified, tender gem of characterization". Hattie McDaniel's performance as Mammy was singled out for praise by many critics: Nugent believed she gave the best performance in the film after Vivien Leigh, with Flinn placing it third after Leigh's and Gable's performances.
Gone with the Wind (film)