My Patience For Tempestuous Southern Belles Is What's Gone

Turner Classic was showing Gone with the Wind last night, which I'd never seen before. I still can't really say I've seen it, because I went to bed with 90 minutes to go. I was tired, and I wasn't keen to see another guy make a fool of himself over Katie Scarlett, especially as he was supposed to marry her sister. I disapprove of that chicanery on the part of both characters.

Scarlett's attitude surprised me. I didn't expect her to be so selfish and irritating. In some ways, that might be for the best. I had an image of her being some demure belle who tended to faint and swoon into Rhett's arms. Scarlett only seemed to swoon when it suited her purposes. Her deviousness and determination were fairly impressive, though she didn't seem to have the patience to see things through. That still doesn't make her a character I want to see experience success.

Every so often she'd do something that impressed me, like standing in waist-deep water under a bridge to keep the horse quiet as Union soldiers rode overhead. Those actions were still being taken in her own self-interest, but when placed in situations where there was no one else available to do something, she stepped up. Her resolve to hold onto the family land in the face of several problems would have earned my respect, but I don't think swiping her sister's betrothed is the way to go. I know, she promised she'd do whatever was required to ensure she'd never be hungry again, but still dirty pool.

Mostly, I found myself wondering how anyone could stand to be around her for more than five minutes. Certainly her flock of suitors and their lack of dignity was embarrassing.