Did Alma want to be raped?
I saw this movie with my parents when it first came out, and they both said, “She wanted to be raped, and she was irritated when Lon stopped it from happening.” A few years later, my girlfriend said the same thing.
I dismissed their remarks without argument, because I’ve always believed that No means No. But I just read Pauline Kael’s essay in her book I Lost It at the Movies, in which she argues that Alma wanted to be raped. Her reasoning is that Alma wanted Hud, but if she had simply given in to him, she would have been just one more woman he had sex with. But if he had to take her by force, he would feel all guilty about it in the morning and realize she was something special. This would lead to a permanent relationship.
So, I would be interested in the opinions of others on this matter.