The first shot after the credits show a yacht idling by in the middle of the sea. You know from there this is may deal with the rich. Upon closer look inside the yacht, the conflict is given right away. Ellie is introduced and she's refusing to eat. What follows is an interaction between Ellie and her father in which they discuss the elopement her father kidnapped her from, yet apparently he was too late because they had already been pronounced husband and wife.
Claudette Colbert plays Ellie exactly as she should be, as a spoiled heiress who is suffocating under the blanket of restrictions her father places over her. She fights back with words of a daughter who isn't allowed to live. The only problem that distracted me here was when Ellie said she was over 21 and that King Westley was certainly over 21. At first I understood it to be she was saying she was 21 and there's no way Colbert could pass for a 21-year-old. In fact she was about 29 or 30 during filming. But then I started thinking of the implausibility of Colbert playing someone younger than what she really was. Surely Ellie is younger than Colbert, and you see, this is all going through my head while the scene plays out. The age factor, though, doesn't deter Colbert. This is especially true when Andrews slaps Ellie across the face. Colbert is brilliant; her reaction is dead-on how Ellie should react and then storms out. And throughout the film Colbert is really good at playing Ellie the right age, but the fact that she looks older distracts me. But not enough. In fact I appreciated her performance more so. I found it genuine.
One thing I found great about this scene is how quickly the conflict is presented. There's no beating around the bush. The opening credits are over and straight to matter at hand: Ellie won't eat, Ellie's married, Ellie's been "kidnapped" so she can change her mind. Ellie isn't your typical heroine either. She has a feisty nature about her and when her dad slaps her across the face for being so ungrateful and throwing a tray of food on the floor, Ellie dashes out of the room, past all the crew and up to the deck. She positions herself at the edge of the yacht and with one final look back she jumps off and into the sea. She swims away and her father is frantic. But this is unexpected. It's like a slap in your face. A heroine who won't take anything standing still? A girl who fights back? Goes after what she wants? Who would've thunk it? Well this has you captivated and wanting to follow Ellie wherever she goes because this is someone you can root for.
Another important thing established in this scene is not just Andrews' overbearing overprotectiveness, but also his love for Ellie. Sure he grabbed her out of her elopement and took her against her will out at sea, but he was concerned over her hunger strike, and when he slaps her across the face, he flashes a look of instant regret when Ellie gives him a resentful look. When she jumps off, his face is terrified, and when the crew can't keep up with her, his response is that of course they can't, she's too smart for them, too quick. She's his daughter and he loves her and no amount of money will stop him. Walter Connolly played Andrews well, stern when he needs to be but lovable at the same time.
I think this scene established in a few minutes exactly what was the issue at hand, as well as the pace. This isn't going to be a slow drama, but a quick one filled with sharp dialogue and a strong heroine you can cheer on. It draws you in and hooks you for what turns out to be a truly great film.
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