Marty

'Marty' is a movie that can be summed up simply in three words. It's very honest. Ernest Borgnine and Betsy Blair play the two main characters, Marty and Clara. The bulk of the movie takes place over one night, the night Marty and Clara meet. Everything is really that simple. The thing that is great is that neither of the characters is anything but human. They are flawed, they are insecure, and they are awkward around each other and don't know how to act in certain situations. The chemistry between Blair and Borgnine is absolutely beautiful. They give us a relationship that is real. There are moments in the movie, that I won't give away, that are almost hard to watch and its hard not to feel sympathy. At the same time, its hard not to relate to the characters on some level. They are human, they are flawed, and its beautiful to watch, yet sad at the same time. I was surprised by the charm of the movie and I recommend it to anyone. 8.5 out of 10.

Okay, so I'm in the Business. I don't believe this movie could get made today except as an art house film. Its beauty lies in its simplicity. Starting with a terrific script by Chayefskey (arguably one of the five best playrights of the 20th century), this movie eschews every that's big about motion pictures for a story about Everman who didn't have a date on Saturday night. Rod Steiger first performed the role on television. It won a number of Emmys. "Opened up" for the silver screen, it retains the intimacy of its characters. Ernest Borgnine has probably been in 100 movies, but this was his shining moment. He breathes live into the hapless Bronx Butcher whose soul longs for love. When he gives his "I'm gonna get down on my knees..." speech, the tears begin to flow. Why? Because in our heart of hearts, each of us feels the need for love and self validation. Marty doesn't need special effects or action sequences. Marty is in a class by itself. Had it never been made we would have all missed an opportunity to look inside ourselves. Maybe in this day and age, with all our CGI and Virtual Reality, we need another Marty, to remind us who we really are.

10/10

The only reason I gave this movie nine stars instead of ten is that it ended too soon!

It is hard to find a single thing wrong with this film. Stretching the imagination, one could call some of the attitudes "dated". (For example, the mothers think college girls are "one step from the street", during an era in which wives were still expected to be stay-at-home moms.) But still, this remains almost the perfect film for the group of viewers who appreciate heart- warming stories. (It will probably leave the "Rambo" crowd cold.)

I usually judge the success of a film by the "squirm factor"; if I am sorry to see the film end, I know I've watched a good film. By this standard, Marty is a superb film in every way. We really do care what happens after the credits roll.

See this film!

I have known, loved and seen this film many times in the past fifteen years and finally bought it recently on DVD in the UK. The story is timeless and I am very surprised that no-one has yet attempted a plausible re-make of it. Stangely made in black and white ( for economic reasons I suppose, as color was widespread enough in 1954 ), the film depicts the horrors of trying to find a soul-mate with family pressures on hand to boot. No doubt italo-Americans will appreciate even more. I found Betsy Blair extremely attractive although she is supposed to be portraying someone "ugly" - the subject is fascinating and endlessly complex as beauty is in the eye of the beholder. The general impression given was one of a depiction of a real-life situation, which is of course to the credit of the film !! I remained hungry at the end and would have liked the film to continue just a little more to show the genesis of their amorous relationship !! But some would argue that at the end of a film you should be left wanting for more .......... I also loved the theme music which is actually sung at the end over the credits where they show the name of the actor plus a view of the actor from the film - this is a technique used all too little nowadays - and this absence is most regrettable as it enabled you to put a face to a name !! I was both surprised and amused that in the 1950's, ugly people were referred to as "dogs" - sounds so funny now - but I think the word "squares" or "cornballs" was also used disparagingly !! Definitely a most original film and which (exceptionally) seems to have attracted a unanimity of positive reviews on IMDb !!

Marty, starring Ernest Borgnine and Betsy Blair, is a touching story from the 1950's about two people who fall in love and want to be together. However, they come up against the gossip, social pressure, and expectations of family and friends that hold them back from their natural instinct to marry and love one another. Both are "older" by the standards of the time but that does not stop them from wanting someone special. They are both excited about the prospect of spending their lives together and then, there is a pause as the elation runs up against reality. Borgnine and Blair are excellent in the role of a young couple who desire to break away from the bonds of friends and family to form their own home life. How will it turn out? This movie is a departure from the glossy Hollywood movies of the 1950's that used colour and celebrity talent and lacked the realism and honesty of this classic. Marty was a more mature movie, with a more effective treatment of social divisions and complicated relationships. Paddy Chayefsky wrote the script and Burt Lancaster was the producer. Both were creative forces in the film world of the 1950's. Delbert Mann directed; he also directed other fine movies such as Separate Tables and Middle of the Night. This is a precious film with a place in the history of American cinema.