Niagara

Although I think Marilyn Monroe suited comedies better, this somewhat hitchcockian thriller is nevertheless a convincing demonstration of her more serious acting abilities, and also one of the finest films she starred in.

"Niagara" introduces Monroe as a seductive, wily wife wanting to get rid of her jealous husband (a very good Joseph Cotten). Her lover, an awfully small and stereotypical role, is played by Richard Allan.

Funnily enough, it seems that it's Jean Peters who has the film's biggest part. As the innocent honeymooner, her character is clearly designed as a contrast to Monroe.

The breathtaking surroundings of the Niagara Falls are a significant supplement to the film's atmosphere.

Niagara is one of those wonders who came out of the dream factory of the fifties and still manage to leave deep impressions in fresh viewers. Technically it is simply perfect: the story is like in a film noir, but Niagara is anything but «noir»! This is a true color movie with high artistic and aesthetic value. The best possible use was made of the location; it is an idealized place for honeymooners, with gleaming surfaces, gaudy colors and happy faces. The viewers see the postcard-image of the place – it's the era of President Eisenhower, renowned for its uplifting moral integrity, right? But behind the surfaces are dark rooms, depression, madness and scheming thoughts. Innocuous facades conceal quarrels, discontent and eventually murder. And in its midst roars the waterfall, at once beautiful and menacing. The message of the movie is conveyed largely through pictures, the location not the screenplay is the story.

The actors are part of the location. As far as I can remember there are hardly any close ups. Marilyn Monroe looks feverish and disturbed throughout, she elicits compassion rather than arousing sexual desires. Joseph Cotten is very good in the role of her confused and deranged husband. His mental condition seems to stem from war experiences (although in the movie this is treated as a kind of a side remark, its being mentioned is worth remembering, it happens seldom enough). To the disturbed couple are added a «normal» couple and an older, «seasoned» couple (very good, sensible performances by Lurene Tuttle and Don Wilson). The cast aptly represents the chances and pitfalls of life and human relations as behind them water flows down the river and falls over the edge.

Niagara shows a highly artistic approach to a specific place and uses symbols in the way of earlier black and white movies. I can highly recommend it to everyone. It is a pity that the potential of the technical means of this kind of widescreen color movies was not explored further in that direction, creating a direct link between the style of film noir and that of «film couleur». The wet asphalt in the early morning light is just unforgettable.

Marilyn hype aside, this is quite a good thriller. The sheer drama of the falls merge strikingly into the story as a whole. Some of the camera angles really showcase the waters in their crashing majesty, a sinister backdrop to the shadowy events. Then too, I hope TCF gave poor Jean Peters hazard pay for the way she gets doused around in that little boat. No glamour girl there.

I expect the movie's overall quality is due to director Hathaway, long one of Hollywood's most underrated movie makers. Catch, for example, that marvelous overhead shot in the bell tower of Marilyn lying dead. It's a composition worthy of the best of Welles. Also, I kept watching for process shots, Hollywood's usual expedient when dealing with difficult action set-ups. The only one I could spot in that long river sequence is Peters on the rock awaiting rescue. To me, that's quite a feat of expert movie-making.

Nothing special about the storyline itself. Faithless wife Monroe two-times her unbalanced husband Cotten who then stalks her amid the touristy Niagara setting. In fact, Cotten gets to do a lot of sinister lurking around. On the other hand, wholesome newly-weds Showalter and Peters make a charming, non-sappy contrast to the other couple-- and I'm not surprised that in real life, the notorious love-'em and leave-'em Howard Hughes ended up marrying the no-nonsense Peters. My only gripe is with the ever-exultant Don Wilson. He was such a good pitch-man on TV, but here it's like he's trying to sell us his glad-handing role instead of acting it out.

Anyway, the movie remains more than simply Marilyn's breakthrough role-- good as she is-- and can stand on its own as an expert scenic thriller.

Marilyn Monroe may not have been one of my favourite actresses, but she was a real beauty and there was something really magnetic about her screen presence, 'Some Like it Hot' being a fine example. Joseph Cotten was responsible for some fine performances, my first exposure to him being in 'Shadow of a Doubt' and still remember how creepy he was in that. Henry Hathaway was a more than able director, while not caring for everything that he did.

'Niagara' is not quite either of them at their best, though they still come off well. But considering how intriguing it sounded a big part of me was hoping for a great film rather than the in my view (as others have liked better, and also worse, than me) a decent one. One that would have lived up to its potential with a better-written second half and if there was a better supporting cast. Don't let this make you shy away from watching, as 'Niagara' does have a lot that works in its favour.

Will start with the bad. Don Wilson, in scenes that add very little to the film, and especially Max Showalter badly overdo their roles and are really annoying (Showalter embarrassingly so).

Some of the second half can be implausible.

However, 'Niagara' is significantly advantaged by the remarkably vivid photography and quite ravishing Technicolor. Niagara Falls looks utterly majestic and captured on film with such beauty and atmosphere. Monroe's wardrobe is a sight to behold, in a good way. The music was in good keeping with the film's tone without overbearing it. The script has a fair share of clever and entertaining moments, even if it was also 'Niagara's' most uneven component.

The story in the first half is highly intriguing and a lot of fun, with some lovely character interaction, helped by that director Henry Hathaway shows that he knew what he was doing. Monroe is something of a sensation and she positively smolders. Cotten makes his character an interesting one, it is not easy making a character such as his affecting as well as menacing but Cotten manages it. Jean Peters sparkles and for me she was 'Niagara's' most likeable character.

All in all, uneven but with a lot of well done things. 7/10

This nifty thriller represented one of Hathaway's few forays into noir (he was largely known for Westerns). It was unusual for noir in being filmed in shimmering Technicolor rather than the pallet of grays, blacks, and whites more commonly associated with the genre, but then, given the resort setting, this was almost inescapable.

The storyline is straightforward: an amiable Midwestern couple, the Cutlers, Polly and Ray (Jean Peters and Max Showalter, billed as Casey Adams) arrive at the Falls to find the cabin they've reserved is occupied by another, more fractious couple: the Loomises. George (Joseph Cotten), the husband of the latter couple, could be nicknamed "Gloomy Loomy" given his downcast and cynical demeanor; we learn that he spent time in a psychiatric hospital for war veterans. His ravishing and none-too-faithful wife, Rose (Marilyn Monroe) provides ample reason for his suspicions. Turns out she's been two-timing George with a man who looks like the textbook illustration of a smooth gigolo (Richard Allan) and she and loverboy are planning something most foul for George.

But Polly, the distaff half of the Cutler twosome, has witnessed some of the hanky- panky, and when Rose and her lover's nefarious plans run into trouble, Polly finds herself caught between a vengeful husband and a scared-out-of-her-wits wife. The suspense arises from Polly-in-peril and her efforts to extricate herself from another couple's troubles.

Monroe is excellent in one of her few villainous roles in a non-comedy, and Cotten is riveting as the troubled, betrayed husband bent on revenge. His voice-over during an insomniac late-night/early-morning walk by the Falls at the start of the film is almost worth the price of admission alone. And the Falls? They never looked more beautiful- or deadly.