TechniColor My World

Gone With The Wind (1939):
What’s It About?: Amidst the Civil War and the reconstruction of the South, strong-willed and conniving Scarlett O’Hara (Vivien Leigh) marries and remarries, takes control of her home and family, flirts with Rhett Butler (Clark Gable), becomes very wealthy, and not-so-secretly pines for Ashley (Leslie Howard), the husband of her best friend Melanie (Olivia de Havilland).
How Good Is It?: Freakin’ great, actually.  It’s the first color Best Picture, and it looks great, the acting is great, the sets are great, the script is great and the direction is great.  It’s a bit too long (at 3 hours, 40 minutes), but even then, it’s hard to complain when it’s this enjoyable.  And yes, it is essentially a chick flick, but it alternates a good story with brilliant spectacle, great scenes and a wonderful foil in the quick-witted and hilarious Butler.
Was It Best Picture?: Yes, but it's hard.  It was a great year already, with The Wizard of Oz, Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, Wuthering Heights, Of Mice and Men and Ninotchka (to name a few) as Best Picture contenders.  But for sheer quality and epic status, you can’t do much better than this one.  In my opinion, it’s the best Best Picture so far.