Gone with the Wind

Every historical drama for the last seven decades has taken its cue from Gone with the Wind, the 1939 gem that combines overheated Southern clichés with resonant human drama and spectacle that still induces jaw-dropping awe today. Today’s generation of indulgent James Cameron-come-latelies could take a cue from the movie’s momentum (it’s the most breathlessly-paced four-hour film you’ll ever see), and it’s packed with great moments. Sure, you can watch it at home, but there’s nothin’ like seeing the whole of Civil-War-era Atlanta in flames on a big screen.