Marty (1955)
Written by Paddy Chayefsky
Directed by Delbert Mann
I think it’s kind of funny: after a string of average or just-slightly-above-average films, Marty, the shortest film to win Best Picture (at least as of the 90th awards ceremony), packs a huge emotional punch. Perhaps it’s because I see a lot of myself in the title character, or maybe just because it’s a nice change of genre, but this film really was great.
Ernest Borgnine and Betsy Blair
I have to say, seeing Ernest Borgnine in this role was amazingly refreshing. I’ve seen Borgnine in two other roles: 1972’s The Poseidon Adventure (the role I know him from the most), and 1953’s From Here to Eternity (which I just reviewed a week ago). In both of those films, he is gruff and antagonistic. Here, he’s a sweet, kind-hearted, slightly-put-upon man who’s ready to settle down but is leery of getting his heart broken again. Being roughly the same age as the character, and having experienced many of the same things he has, I sympathized IMMEDIATELY with Marty. His stories of rejection and pain are relatable on a basic level, and Borgnine portrays that perfectly. There’s a storytelling stumble when he tries to forcefully kiss his date, Betsy Blair’s Clara, but the film recovers, and Clara never just submits to him.
The supporting characters of the film, on the other hand, are...truly terrible. They’re either nagging Marty constantly to get married (GET OFF HIS BACK ALREADY), or telling him that Clara is “a dog”, and he can do better, which...what?? Marty needs to elope with Clara and move somewhere else IMMEDIATELY.
Also, I just want to give a shout to Betsy Blair. The role doesn’t really give her a lot to do, but the scene of her watching TV thinking that Marty has stood her up was heart-wrenching.
Borgnine in the film’s final scene
If I’m really going to fault Marty for anything, it’s the ending. After coming to his senses and realizing that everyone he knows is wrong and that he needs to listen to his own heart, he calls Clara...and the film ends. I have nothing against ambiguous endings (I love the ending of Inception, for example), but this one was infuriating. I credit that to the filmmakers, who, over the course of 90 minutes, make the audience so invested in their characters that this ending is so aggravating. However, the brilliance of the film doesn’t negate that we’re watching a love story, and it deserves some real closure.
I have to admit I was pleasantly surprised by how much I liked this film. I wasn’t expecting to connect as deeply as I did with the film, but it hooked me early, and it hooked me good. It’s a cute, simple story, and it’s definitely a gem on this list.
FINAL GRADE: A
