ToD has always been my favorite of the films! Now prepare to be shocked...I like Willie better than Shorty
I mean no offence to any Short Round fans {the kid does have his moments...'No time for looove!'} but I've always found Willie to be interesting in that she grew up on a farm, won some beauty pageants and got used to the good life. She tries to make it big in Shanghai with Lao Che {Who is AWESOME by the way!} as a sugar daddy and lives like a princess.
Indiana Jones walks in and in a literal matter of ten minutes ruins everything for her.
Suddenly, Willie is thrust into situations that she couldn't have dreamed of {much less, wanted to take part in!}. She had to endure a gun fight, {'With REAL God-**** Bullets!'
} and a car chase. She had to sleep among chickens on a plane that ended up crashing over the Himalayas, the guy she's traveling with carts her onto a life raft that careens down the slopes {Something that would have scared the living sh-t out of me!} and then down the white water rapids {ruining her dress from Paris
}. For sustenance, she is given {what I can only assume} fly ridden rice, and mystery meat.
Just when she's getting her mind wrapped around the idea of going to Delhi.
Lovely Dr. Jones escorts her for a two day trip by Elephant to a palace that is supposed to be deserted.
After breaking down and barely lasting the night she is brought to Mogul Indian Palace and receives treatment greater then anything she has ever experienced before.
Now things are starting to look up for Willie {she was THIS close to bedding Indy!}, now Indy charges in, fondles a statue and disappears with the eleven year old into a dark secret passageway.
Suddenly Indy begs for Willie to come to his aid! Willie has a little Epiphany and realizes that life isn't all about self preservation and the high-life. She ventures into a claustrophobic chamber filled with hideous insects of all varieties. She doesn't know exactly what Indy and Shorty are experiencing but assumes that it must be better than insect hell. Following Indy's instructions {and keeping in mind that he's better then any other man that she's ever been with} she saves his life.
Now, Willie witnesses a sacrificial ritual that shocks her nearly to madness. What's worse is that Indy wants to go down into the now deserted Temple and risk his life for some stupid stones for the sake of his 'Fortune and Glory'. Indy kisses her and Willie realizes that she loves him.
After seeing Indy disappear through a crevice in the wall. She and Shorty are ambushed by the cultists. Shorty is captured and Willie manages to escape {don't ask me how she made it back through the sealed Spike Room, though!
] and tries to find the suave and genteel Chatter Lal to assist her. She finds him but he is unwilling to believe her. The British Captain Blumburt is also skeptical. Willie shows the two men the passage entrance in her suite just as Indy dashes out! Willie is relieved as Indy tells her to rest and all will turn out fine.
Willie sleeps, when she awakens she is attacked by a demonic Indy. Willie doesn't understand, why is the man she loves trying to kill her?! She is kidnapped and brought back to the wicked Temple where she discovers that Chatter Lal and the kid Maharajah are part of the cult. She is bathed and clothed in a Rajput maiden's gown and fine silver jewelery and dragged out to the Temple where Indy seals her in the metal sacrificial frame. Willie tries to make Indy see the light but she cannot and she is lowered into the pit where pool of molten lava awaits!
Willie faints do to the increasing heat, she randomly comes to a few times but cannot discern very much. Finally, she awakens in Indy's arms, she slaps him, unsure if he is still a puppet of the Thuggee cult, but Indy has returned to normal. They kiss and Willie begs to leave but Indy tells her that they can't leave without first saving the children who have been imprisoned in the mines.
Willie takes part in the freeing of the emaciated prisoners and feels for the first time what it is like to help people rather than asking for things.
Now, Willie, Indy and Shorty are chased by Thuggee's in mine carts, Willie now completely breaks out of her shell and punches a guard in the face!
But still, Willie's ordeal is not over, she barely escapes the rapidly flooding mine tunnels, only to be once again captured by Mola Ram and used as bait to coerce Indy to hand over the stones.
What ensues is something that scars Willie for life, she dangles on the severed half of an ancient rope bridge and watches the rest of the Thuggee die at the hands of hungry crocodiles.
Finally, Willie is safe, she loves Indy and wants to be with him, they go to Delhi and Willie's fate is left to the damning obscurity of good old Uncle George.
Oh dear, I see I've gone a little off topic but Willie really
is one of the main reasons I love ToD the most. The others being the darker and edgier feel and the superb villains Mola Ram and Chatter Lal!