Under the lens

Considered a Hollywood classic, Civil War epic Gone With the Wind, has been temporarily removed by streaming platform HBO Max from its library. The development comes as media companies reappraise content in the wake of protests over police brutality after the death of George Floyd, an African American man killed by Minnesota police last month.

Starring Hollywood icons Vivien Leigh and Clark Gable, the 1939 film, which has for long been considered controversial for its depiction of black people and its overt positive view of slavery, was again under the microscope after 12 Years A Slave screenwriter John Ridley’s op-ed appeared in the Los Angeles Times on Tuesday. In the article titled “Hey, HBO, Gone With the Wind romanticises the horrors of slavery. Take it off your platform for now”, the Oscar winner argued that the film had its “own unique problem”.

The recently launched streamer from WarnerMedia said the film will eventually return, but will feature a “discussion of its historical context and a denouncement” of its racist depictions. — PTI