up until the last few minute of this film and this be a truly wonderful film . bette davis do an exceptional job play an extremely manipulative woman who repeatedly overplay her hand . at the beginning of the film she be engage to nice guy henry fonda . but and time and again and she pick fight with him and try to dominate him until he eventually tire of this and leave her . a year later and fonda return and davis be ready to apologize and pick up where they have leave off only to find out that fonda be now married . true to her manipulative nature and she then scheme to have fonda and the hot head gentleman and george brent and get into an argument . what she do not anticipate be that after fonda be call away and that brent would continue this argument with fonda wife until eventually fonda young brother challenge brent to a duel . soon afterwards and brent be dead and davis see that her scheming have get way out of hand . she love manipulate others and make them miserable and but this death really shake her . so and a short time later when fonda be stricken with yellow fever and she try to redeem herself by volunteer to follow him into quarantine to nurse him back to health at which time the movie end . so after that summary and let talk about the good and bad of the movie . a for the good and there so much to like about the film . the performance be wonderful davis receive the oscar for best actress and be the standout performer in the film . fonda and brent give excellent support and be not overshadow by davis . even the supporting actor be excellent and though i really do not think that fay bainter ( play davis aunt ) deserve the oscar for best support actress ( though she get it ) and a her role be pretty small and not particularly transcendent . i really think they give it to her because of the overall movie and not her individual performance . also and a major plus to this movie be the incredible cinematography . this be simply the most beautiful black and white film i have see and it obvious the cameraman and director ( wyler ) be top in their field . it really amaze how despite be film in a sound stage and the film look so good . a for the bad and and this keep the movie from receive a 10 and it be the stupid conclusion to the film . throughout the entire film and davis play a self center manipulator . but and after see her plan go out of control and she repents and be willing to give her life to save fonda . this just isn not in character at all and seem like a hollywood end . i really want a more thought out end maybe where she do go with fonda into quarantine but only to try to win him back or perhaps him die and her go about her merry way while hardly skip a beat . that would have be more in character . one other note represent you will no doubt notice that this movie give a very idealized view of slavery . the slave seem universally happy and well treat . for the sake of reality and i kind of wish they would show less of bette hobnob with the slave ( something a society woman never would have do in the old south ) and maybe order some of them to be whip .