Most Helpful Customer Reviews
|
|
17 of 19 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Early 1950s Suspense Featuring Marilyn Monroe & Allusions to Film Noir., September 9, 2005
"Niagara" is a sexually charged suspense film reminiscent of the film noirs of the 1940s, but in bright Technicolor. It was Marilyn Monroe's first starring role and promoted the image of MGM's new rising star. The look and demeanor which Monroe wears in "Niagara" is the image she would create over and over again on screen and with which her name is permanently associated. Polly and Ray Cutler are on a delayed honeymoon to Niagara Falls, where they take a cabin next to another American couple, Rose and George Loomis. George Loomis (Joseph Cotton) is a troubled WWII veteran with "battle fatigue" and an obsessive, unstable manner. Rose (Marilyn Monroe) is his young sex pot wife, whose attentions improve George's state of mind and whose indiscretions inflame him. When Polly (Jean Peters) is kind enough to bandage George's hand after he injures it in a violent fit, George opens up to her about his marriage and his troubles. Rose discusses her husband's illness openly and may have ulterior motives for wanting people to think George is crazy. Polly's sympathy and curiosity draw her into Rose and George's warped and soon-to-be-violent world.
Marilyn Monroe certainly looks the part of Rose Loomis, and Rose is a villainess, not a sympathetic character, which would become unusual in Monroe's career. Rose is a very good role for her, though. Whether Monroe is acting or not is debatable, but beside the point. She is acting like Marilyn Monroe. She wears glossy bright red lipstick in every scene, including in the shower, to bed, and even when it clashes with her hot pink skin tight dress. The stand-out performance here is from Joseph Cotton, as the violently unstable, self-destructive George Loomis. Cotton leaves no doubt in the audience's mind that George is suffering, sometimes hateful of his wife but deeply in love with her, and considerate in his own way when he warns Polly against allowing love to "go over the edge", "like those falls". Rose and George are equally corrupted, for different reasons. But Joseph Cotton makes George sympathetic, despite his many faults. This is in contrast to Polly's husband Ray (Casey Adams), who is a "nice guy", but essentially shallow and chauvinistic. The audience, like Polly and Ray, is at first fascinated by Rose and George. But as the film develops, the interesting, though understated, relationship becomes George and Polly, who are the story's central characters in the sense that they have an emotional arc, while the others are static. Polly is "Niagara"'s brains and its occasionally confused moral center.
For film noir buffs: The 1945 film "Leave her to Heaven" is widely reputed to be the single color film that is classic film noir. But it isn't -it isn't noir, that is. "Niagara" might be a better candidate. George Loomis is probably the only truly noir character in this film, and "Niagara" isn't as introverted as film noir. Its views of sexuality and gender roles are moving into the Eisenhower era. Nevertheless, "Niagara" takes a lot of inspiration from the crime films of the 1940s. Rose is a femme fatale, although her machinations seem more foolhardy than ambitious, and she's not a strong character. Sex is portrayed as a corrupting force, as Rose and George's relationship is contrasted with Polly and Ray's. But "Niagara" is puritanical rather than paranoid. The sex of film noir is primal but attractive, a force of nature meant to exploit human flaws and reveal the fragile and laughable condition of the characters' egos. In "Niagara", it isn't so much Rose's seduction that plagues George, but the fact that his entire self-image is vested in his wife's sexuality. Odd. "Niagara" is a sort of bright, lacquered perversion of film noir. In any case, this is quite a thoughtful film as well as being a top-notch suspense.
The DVD (20th Century Fox Diamond Collection 2004): This is a restored print of the film that looks very good. Bonus features include several theatrical trailers, a Restoration Comparison, and a Still Gallery. The theatrical trailer for "Niagara" (3 minutes) is black-and-white. There are trailers for 4 other Marilyn Monroe films and one for the Diamond Collection of DVDs (1 minute). The Restoration Comparison (1 minute) is a side-by-side comparison of the unrestored print, which was sallow and greenish, and the new one. The Still Gallery includes 18 black and white pictures and 3 color photos of Marilyn Monroe. Most are movie stills, but there are a few publicity and wardrobe photos thrown in. Subtitles are available in Spanish, captions in English, and dubbing is available in French.
|
|
|
7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Marilyn and the Falls, October 19, 2002
This is one of my favorite movies. It's got Marilyn Monroe at her sexiest and the incredible Niagara Falls for a backdrop. What more could you ask for? Marilyn plays the trashy, bored wife of dull, older Joseph Cotten. He thinks they came to Niagara for a vacation, but Marilyn's lover is planning on tossing Cotten over the falls and running off with her. It doesn't quite work out the way she had hoped, however, and someone else is murdered. There is a big subplot involving a fresh-faced young couple who have won a prize trip to Niagra, but get dangerously involved with Marilyn and Cotten. Marilyn is perfect as the cheap floosie who likes to toy with men. She burns up the screen when she sings a torchy song. This is almost cinema ancient history, because her performance is sooooo 1950's, but it's a fun ride, full of suspense and those beautiful Falls. Joseph Cotten is truly pitiable as a rancher with battle fatigue who wants to be loved. If you've ever been to Niagara Falls, this film will bring back some great memories; you can almost feel the mist! Those who haven't been there will want to go after seeing Niagara. It's a dandy of a thriller, well-written and acted.
|
|
|
8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Marilyn at her best, August 18, 1999
By A Customer
I had never seen a Marilyn Monroe film before I came across this one,and I really didn't know what to expect.I had heard all the trash talk of Marilyn's lack of acting skills and decided then and there to give her a whirl and see for myself.I was pleasantly surprised to find myself captivated by not only the movie,but moreover,by Marilyn herself.Not only was she beautiful,but her role of the wife scheming to kill off her husband Quickly dispelled any notions that she couldn't act.In short,I found the movie And Marilyn especially to be of first rate and Well worth seeing again!If you have never seen "Niagara",by all means Do so-you won't be disappointed!I certainly wasn't!(But beware-you just might find the song "Kiss" stuck in your head for days after!)
|
|
|
Most Recent Customer Reviews
|
DVD ~ Richard Widmark
DVD ~ Marilyn Monroe
DVD ~ Robert Mitchum
DVD ~ Marilyn Monroe
DVD ~ Marilyn Monroe
