MovieChat Forums > Me and Orson Welles (2009) Discussion > Ice Queen? (Spoiler)

Ice Queen? (Spoiler)

posted 14 years ago by KLMonline
2 replies | jump to latest

When the guys are having their testosterone-laden talk in the theater about the various women in the cast and crew, they refer to Sonja as "The Ice Queen" and say that every guy in the cast has tried to get in her pants, but she's unapproachable.

But her character seems to be more like "The Party Girl." She can't wait to get her clothes off with Richard and practically bullies him into casual sex. She sleeps with Orson without a second thought because it's useful to her career. And it's strongly intimated that Selznick is next on her list.

Her dialogs with the lovestruck Richard seem to indicate a cavalier and pragmatic attitude toward flings.

I can think of a lot of slang phrases that might be used in 1937 "boy talk" about a woman with that kind of character, but "Ice Queen" isn't one of them.

I'm not morally judging Sonja, I just think that as an audience, we never see the slightest characterization that would make us think she would have behaved in a way to justify that perception by the guys. So it feels arbitrary and conflicted.

[–] Angel2121 14 years ago

Perhaps it's because she appears to be an ice queen to those who can't in any way promote her career?

She's willing to sleep with Welles and Selznick in order to gain prospects for her career. Of course, Richard wouldn't be in a position to help her with her career, but perhaps she was willing to let her guard down with him because he was so young? He was the young new guy who needed someone to show him the ropes, so she decided to take him under her wing.

So, it appears she's attracted to younger men who don't have experience and men who can assist with her career.

The other cast members do not fit into any of those categories, so she doesn't pay as much attention to them.

That said, I do agree with you.--I don't think that her behavior technically contradicts it, but I do think there needed to be a moment in the film that might strengthen the truth of that remark. Show her giving men the cold shoulder (without Richard present so that she won't seem warm to Richard when she gives a man the cold shoulder, which is what happens in the film.)

[–] 14 years ago

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