HBO’s decision to remove Gone With the Wind from its new HBO Max streaming service is yet another troubling step toward erasing American cultural heritage. It is essential to preserve the film, not in spite of the fact that it runs counter to our current attitudes, but precisely because it does.

From a sheer film making perspective, the Civil War epic has a lot to commend it. The storytelling, iconic performances, ability to set an absorbing narrative seamlessly against a historical event, and incredible scope all make it a monumental achievement for any time, let alone for 1939.