MovieChat Forums > The Misfits (1961) Discussion > A little overrated?

A little overrated?

posted 18 years ago by winterm-1
18 replies | jump to latest

i think - and i am ducking for cover - that this movie is somewhat overrated. It is stagey, a little slow, and the themes of the movie don't seem to come together. Marilyn apparently did not like the script. i enjoyed the performances - Clift was a knockout. Marilyn was very good, but it was not her greatest performance I think. I think there was a fair whack of self indulgent acting in this movie. i think it is held in high regard because two of the leads dropped off the perch shortly thereafter. And Clift 5 years later.

[–] foozer_rocks 18 years ago

I see what you mean, but in my opinion I think it's UNDERRATED. It certainly isn't for everyone and yeah at times it can be a little slow moving. I love "The Misfits". It's my favorite film, but I can totally understand your reasoning. Sadly this film was completely ignored in 1961, but over the years it became somewhat more popular.

[–] winterm-1 18 years ago

don't get me wrong. I like it, but i just don't think it is brilliant. I understand why people love it though.

Thanks foozer for your calm rational reply. I was fully prepared to be abused, bashed and belittled. things get a little heated around these boards sometimes!

[–] foozer_rocks 18 years ago

lol no problem.

[–] crashbandit1979 18 years ago

Hmmm....I don't know about "overrated". This being my all-time favorite film, it's hard to negatively critique it. But there were a few off moments in the movie. I loved all of the characters immensely...."Isabel" included. (Thelma Ritter was a cool old lady) I've seen just about all of Marilyn's films, and sad to say, she was the ultimate victim of "typecasting". Always a ditsy blonde character for her....truly sad. The Misfits proved to me that had she lived, she might've broken free of that terrible stereotype. ("Bus Stop", though a bit corny, was an inkling of her dramatic ability. "Don't Bother To Knock" was one too.) I honestly think she was a talented person who yearned to show what she could truly do. But talent doesn't get one far with personal demons that she had. But her emotional portrayal in The Misfits was incredible to me. I've been a fan of hers since my early teens.

{Jim}-"You live here, don't you?"{Judy}-"Who lives?." Rebel Without A Cause

[–] winterm-1 18 years ago

her acting in "ditsy blonde" roles i thought was spectacular. Her incredible timing is someting that very few actresses have. It is a shame that some don't fully understand and appreciate the skill and pure magic shown in some of those roles. Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, Some Like It Hot and esp Seven Year Itch. She was brilliant.

Billy Wilder once said that the sexiest thing about Marilyn was her ear. because she had incredible timing and a knowledge of how to make even the most simple line funny.

[–] crashbandit1979 18 years ago

Oh, no no....Don't get me wrong, hon. I fully understand that she was purely magical in comedic roles. She did indeed have that great timing for them. But every biography ever written about her depicted the fact that though she was grateful for the fame brought to her by those roles in comedies, she longed to be taken seriously as a dramatic actress. She wanted to have that level of talent and the respect that would come along with it. She was once quoted as saying "Please, don't make me into a joke." She simply wanted to show what she could do, given the opportunity. Monroe was a gem in comedies, truly. But she wanted to expand herself into serious drama. And perhaps had she lived, she might've done it. Believe me, I absolutely loved her comedies. The Seven Year Itch is one of my faves.

{Jim}-"You live here, don't you?"{Judy}-"Who lives?." Rebel Without A Cause

[–] winterm-1 18 years ago

i just re-read my post. i wasn't saying you were some idiot for not liking her comedies! Clearly not.

But ( I am not attacking you here) even you say in your post that she wanted to "expand" into serious drama, which suggests, somehow, that it takes more talent to play drama. And I don't believe that. (and thats probably not what you meant) Obviously people in her day, and some still today, seem to believe that Marilyn was not acting in her comedies, merely being herself, which was obviously untrue. That is why she wanted to do dramatic roles because of the perception - perhaps even held by herself - that they meant more.

Can I suggest a book for you? I get the impression you have read a few bios of MM. This one is my favourite "The Many Lives of Marilyn Monroe" - by Sarah Churchwell. It is basically a critique and study of all the major and some minor bio works and basically attempts to cut through all the rubbish. it shows how much information about her life is drawn from earlier works that themselves were based on shaky and unreliable assumptions. A whole heap of circular arguments. It gives MM much more dignity than so many other books.

it is very easy to read and I highly recommend it.

[–] krp-7 18 years ago

Hey, Polly Holliday had an IQ of 172 and is noted to that said that she had to be smart to act that stupid.

I too have watched a lot of Marilyn Monroe films lately and although she is GREAT to look at, I am amazed at her talent. Normally I would think that a woman that glamourous and that gorgeous would be extremely fragile, but the physical comedy and action that she plays in her films makes me to believe that she is far more than just eye candy which had never occured to me in my life.

As for Bus Stop, the film was a poor adaptation of the play, but what got me was how, after all the years of hearing clips of her, barely-above-a-whisper Hollywook voice, I was blown away at her diction of Cheri's accent. I can't say for certain that her accent was accurate, but she never broke character and I found that to be amazing.

NOTE: As for me, her voice for Cheri sounds exactly like Brittany Murphy's character on "King of the Hill"

[–] smobe12 17 years ago

No I think the movie is a little underrated. But I'm just an ant not a God.

"Morality is temporary. Wisdom is forever."

[–] winterm-1 18 years ago

I am not saying this to offend, or attacking your opinion, but I find it interesting that people often point to the misfits to show what kind of actress MM was becoming. I am not sure, but it seems to suggest that her performances before this film were inferior, and that it is only through drama that one can be considered talented or skilled. MM's early performances in "Itch", "Blondes" , "Some Like It HOt" etc show a remarkable talent, and an incredible sense of timing that really cannot be matched. Those performances required real talent to execute. I wonder why people can't see that. Not saying you cant. You know what I mean?

[–] 18 years ago

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[–] winterm-1 18 years ago

Yes, I agree esp about Bus Stop. but i still think her "dumb blonde characters" were quite different to each other, and there really were not that many. I don't think she just turned up and out they came on to film. I think there is a great deal of work and effort there. But I agree, it would have been great to see what she could do with more dramatic roles. She was good in the Misfits. Imagine how great she could have been if she was healthy and not addicted to all those drugs. Quite sad really

[–] kdf31 17 years ago

I just watched this film and frankly, I thought it was very boring. While Clark Gable and MM were both fine, I didn't think they had a lot of chemistry together.

I also thought the story dragged and was boring.

What does everyone else think?
I just didn't think there was much of a story at all.

I also think its dumb when critics claim MM came to the filming late because she was "afraid" to act...It appears she was not "afraid" at all (how could she be wasn't she acting for years) but rather frequently late because she kept abusing pills???

[–] 17 years ago

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[–] tnikkane 15 years ago

I used to think it was boring as well, but now i see "slow moving" is part of it's character-and appeal!

It has absolutely no "Hollywood-glamour" in it!

[–] 17 years ago

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[–] info-17114 17 years ago

She never looked younger or fresher. Remember she's playing an ex-stripper and the 50's stripper stereotype is "a little dozy, simple and sexy." Albiet, not much of a reach for marilyn but she owned at vunerable. Instead of acting, she was re-acting the entire film. Just as it should be. (I'm still in shock over the reply that they filmed in B&W to cover her bloodshot eyes! Trust me, if I could buy Visine in the sixties, so could she. Colour film is often distracting and if you want the focus on the players or the story, nothing sorts that like black and white.)

[–] BwlBoy 15 years ago

This is one of the strangest films I have ever seen in my life and is not in my opinion a fitting tribute to the careers of Gable, Monroe and Clift. I can say it is the worst John Huston film I have seen along with Casino Royale. Gable's attempt at a drunk was dreadful. Clift at times looked like a cross between Karloff's Mummy and a Thunderbirds reject. Monroe looked tragically confused and I didn't like all the voyeuristic camerawork showing her falling out of her clothes and zoom ins on her backside. When she was screaming in the desert towards the end of the film it was like a casting call for a Russ Meyer film. There is a scene early in the film where she is sat with Gable at the breakfast table and whilst he is shot in sharp focus when the camera switches to her the image is blurred. This was obviously deliberate but I have no idea why. The amazing thing about Monroe is even though she is filmed in black and white she still manages in several scenes to glow almost angelically.