While watching the movie I became fascinated with the character Rhett Butler, played by Clark Gable. His character is posed as a business man who at the start of the movie ruffles a few feathers in the deep south when he claims the north can beat the south at a house party. He then proceeds to overhear a conversation behind closed doors between Scarlett the main character and the love of her life Ashley.
Ashely is in love with his cousin, and is going to marry her, Scarlett does not like this and tries to convince him otherwise but it does not infact workout, in anger Scarlett impulsively marries another man who she does not truly love. Butler confronts Scarlett saying he knows that she does not truly love that man and he knows why she did it.
From this point on in the movie his character continues to follow Scarlett wherever she goes. Starting first after Scarlets husband dies in war, they are at a party where Scarlett is wearing all black, and he tries to talk to her and convince her to come with him. When she resists he offers loads of money to have a single dance with her at the ball Infront of hundreds of people.
This is where Rhett's character shows his true colors, he is cynical, worldly, and brutally honest in a society that values polite etiquette. To me he seems like a man who is obsessed with worldly pleasures, as he mocks the Confederacy's cause for fighting the war. We soon learn that Rhett has a lot of money because of the war.
He makes a fortune running supplies through Union blockades involving guns, alcohol, and other pleasures that the Union tired to cut off to the south. He is a scandalous man, yet a straight shooter brutally honest and wears his emotions on his sleeve. Creating a mockery of Scarlett a recent widow when they have a dance together Infront of some of the wealthiest Confederate army supporters.
While watching this happen in live time I asked myself "does he not just care what others think of him?" "How can a person of his esteem stoop to such a low level?" When it clicked in my head Rhett is a perfect example of what happens in our world daily, there are certain people who can put aside there emotions, morals, and beliefs, to make a boat load of money.
I instantly thought of the Merchant of Death Viktor Bout. A former Soviet Military officer who trafficked illegal arms through the 1990's-2000. It did not matter the buyer, if the money was good Viktor would sell guns to anyone, warlords, rebel groups, terrorist organizations, and governments.
We all know that money makes the world go around, and there is no debate that it holds immense power over human behavior. But what truly concerned and stuck out to me in the move was that the pursuit of wealth and earthly pleasure seemed to corrupt this man until the very end of the first scene of them movie.
Rhett Butler may be a fictional character, but his ability to profit from others suffering during the Civil War, and breaking Southern social codes of the time is a concerning call to all that if our morals are jeopardized we can committee wicked and cruel acts. At the very end of the movie we see Rhett go past Scarlett in his horse and buggy where Scarlett asks him where are you going? and he says to fight a war.
To me that seems like he had a full circle moment, realizing that him sitting back and profiting from this war was wrong, but the warning and final question I will pose everyone with is what if someone cannot open there eyes to there actions. What if they go so far off the deep end there is no return, there heart turns cold, and they have no true values for morals and respect? What would or world look like if those people ran around?
Thank you for reading.
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