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Actors: Bette Davis, Joseph Cotten, Brian David, Minor Watson, Ruth Roman
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| Review Summary and Plot Commentary about Beyond The Forest |
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Rosa Moline has lived her entire life in the little mill town of Loyalton, WI, and hates it like the plague. She's constantly at the train station, watching people leave for Chicago. She's married to a good-hearted doctor, Lewis, who treats patients even if they can't or haven't paid him.
Lewis hasn't satisfied Rosa's longings for pleasure, big city life and lots of money, so she has an affair with a visiting millionaire from Chicago, Neil Latimer. Their trysts take place at Latimer's hunting cabin near
Rosa's house.
Latimer's vacation ends and he returns to Chicago. Rosa schemes to visit him. She hounds Lewis into collecting outstanding accounts and uses the money to get to Chicago, lying to Lewis that she's going to buy a new wardrobe. Ironically, she's out of place even in Chicago. When she meets up with Latimer, he rebuffs her by telling her he's going to marry and that the girl, unlike Rosa, is unsullied. Humiliated, Rosa returns home and submits quietly to the ever-kind Lewis.
It turns out that Rosa's gotten pregnant. Lewis looks forward to the child, believing it will settle Rosa and improve their relationship. Unfortunately, Latimer shows up again at a party given by Moose, caretaker of his hunting cabin and friend of the Molines. Latimer now tells Rosa he's
broken off his engagement and wants her in Chicago with him. Rosa is more than ready, but Moose has heard everything and confronts Rosa alone, threatening to tell Latimer of her pregnancy if she quits Lewis. There's a hunting party the next day and Rosa shoots Moose dead, claiming it was an
accident. She gets away with it but then is overheard talking to Latimer by her husband. He's willing to let her go on one condition--she has to have the baby first. Rosa tries to abort the baby through various means. She succeeds, but never makes it to the train. Note for film buffs: Bette Davis as Rosa says the famous line, "what a dump," which is what the Elizabeth Taylor character in "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf" tries to imitate.
--Karen Law, Resident Scholar
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| Analysis of Beyond The Forest |
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Our unique search engine provides a wealth of detail about
books by breaking them down into many different literary
elements, all of which are searchable (click here). |
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale (Low to High)
Plot
Time/era of movie:
- 1930's-1950's
Romance/Love/Hugging
Yes
Kind of romance:
- inconveniently married while playing footsy
- Unprepared for birthing/child rearing
- marriage going to pieces
Main Character
Identity:
- Female
Profession/status:
- homemaker/wife
Hair color?
- brunette (Black)
Hair type
- (woman) medium/shoulderlgn wavey
Body type
- (woman) average
Events of movie makes character more...
- aggressive
Ethnicity/Nationality
- White (American)
How sensitive is this character?
- hard edged
Sense of humor?
- Cynical sense of humor
Intelligence
- Average intelligence
Physique
- average physique
Secondary Main Character
Identity:
- Male
Hair color
- brunette (Brown)
Hair style
- (man) short/standard wavey
Body type
- (man) average build
How much in movie?
- 60%
Ethnicity/Nationality
- White (American)
Main Adversary
Identity:
- none
Setting
City?
Yes
City:
- Chicago
Small town?
Yes
Small town people:
- nice, like Andy/Opie/Aunt Bee
Style
Accounts of torture and death?
- generic/vague references to death/punishment
Movie makes you feel...
- depressed/sad
Check here if B&W
Yes
Any profanity?
- None
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Resident Scholar Profiles
TOP SCHOLAR:
 Karen Law
SCHOLARS:
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Note: the views expressed here are only those of the reviewer(s). | |
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