Bitch Virtuosity

[kalquessa]

So I've been on an old movie kick lately, and I watched "All About Eve" for the first time a few days ago. Or rather, I should say, I finished watching it a few days ago because my life does not lend itself well to seeing an entire movie all in one go without interruption. But anyway. The movie was awesome and I looked it up on Wikipedia to see

Comments

[sartorias]

Forever Amber. My mom told me when I was thirteen that it was forbidden at her high school, so I had to read it.

[archersangel]

i read that. i agree with the recommendation.

[kalquessa]

Heh. Excellent. *adds to list*

[breathingbooks]

Blair Waldorf in Gossip Girl (S1 is by far the best).

[kalquessa]

Hee, another friend of mine loves that show. The books are pretty popular with the teen crowd, still, or at least the ones that shop at our store.

[mollyringle]

Becky Sharp in 'Vanity Fair' comes to mind (Thackeray). And I'll likely come up with more if I think on it a while.

[kalquessa]

Oo, I had not realized that Ms. Sharp was that type of character for some reason. And I've been meaning to see the Reese Witherspoon movie for a long time, too...

[mollyringle]

The film is kind of a super-condensed version, but it'll get the point across, and is at least pretty. :)

As for other films, this may not be strictly bitch virtuosity, more "strong audacious sexy woman," but I can't help recommending Dangerous Beauty because it's so romantic and gorgeous and intelligent. (Courtesans in 16th-century Venice were the only women allowed much education and a modicum of personal freedom, so that's the profession the heroine chooses.) And apparently it's based closely on a true story, making matters kind of awesome.

[dessieoctavia]

Forever Amber is an excellent book. Amber definitely has bitch virtuosity, though Scarlett has a redeeming sense of duty and Amber, cough, doesn't.

It's thought that Becky Sharp was one inspiration for Scarlett; Margaret Mitchell admired Vanity Fair very much.

For my own recommendation, I'm going to say Maia. Not Maia, but lots of other women in that book have bitch virtuosity.

[kalquessa]

Would this be the Maia by the same author that wrote Watership Down?

[dessieoctavia]

Yes!

There are some Issues with the book - some unconscious sexism - but it's so good that I forgive them all.

[kalquessa]

Heh, I've been running into a lot of sexism (unconscious and possibly not-so-unconscious) during this black-and-white movie kick of mine.

[feliciakw]

I saw All About Eve for the first time recently, too. My enduring impression of Eve, and the thing I leaned over to George and whispered (I saw it in an actual theater) is, "She's a stalker."

We also recently saw Queen Bee, starring Joan Crawford. This might be something that appeals to you. I recommend it. (Based on a book, if you want the reading experience of it.)

George also recommends The Strange Woman, starring Heddy Lamar.

He also suggests Detour, which of course if film noir, and the "bitch" is not the main character.

Now, if you find the stalker aspect of Eve intriguing, the first two movies that come to mind are Fatal Attraction and The Hand That Rocks the Cradle. Both, iirc (it's been a long time since I've watched either, as I wasn't particularly taken with either) are about women who try insert themselves into and take over the lives of someone else. These are, of course, thriller flicks rather than dramas like Eve and GWtW, so they might not be quite what you're looking for.

[kalquessa]

I took a detour while on my black and white film kick and have started on a noir kick, so "Detour" sounds particularly enticing, and I'll check out "Queen Bee" too! Joan Crawford was one of the possibles to play Eve, if I remember correctly. Thank you, my dear!