Movie Reviews for Niagara

Niagara

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Movie Reviews of Niagara

Movie Review: Fun, Fifties Technicolor Noir
Summary: 4 Stars

I liked this film but I'm not sure it was for good reasons. I went to Niagara Falls with my parents sometime in the fifties or sixties and this brought back happy memories. The shots of the Falls and the sound of the pounding water are wonderful. I loved all the tourist stuff--the log cabins, the yellow slickers and boots, the trip underneath the falls, and the gift shop!

As for a more "objective" review of the film: Marilyn Monroe does her sexy thing here. I noticed that a lot of the reviews by men were more flattering than the ones by women. Marilyn was a beautiful woman and a beautiful person, I think, but her pseudo-sexy routine was sort of pathetic, in my humble, female opinion. However this was what passed for hot sexy stuff in the USA at the time, so she became famous and played the role again and again until she finally managed to move out of it, towards the end of her career. As for raw sexuality, I think the noir heroines of the 40's did the job much better---eg. Lana Turner.

However we are in the fifties, moving into the post war prosperous Eisenhower years and this film is in sunny technicolor. Still, there is a clear line of distinction between good girls, like Polly, (Jean Peters) who is happilly married to a really dopey cereal salesman, and wears sensible shirtwaist dresses and Keds; and the bad ones like Rose (Monroe) who wears indelible glossy red lipstick that never wears off and tight cocktail dresses and stilletto heels around the campground. Her walk, which I guess drives some men wild just strikes me as silly and I wonder if it's because she really thinks it's sexy or if her feet just hurt.

Anyway her husband is one of the guys who is driven wild by Rose, so wild that his judgment is a little impaired and he does some unwise stuff. He did do a stint in a veterans' hospital for the mentally ill (named "Letterman" which I found sort of funny,) so his instability is not all Rose's fault. Joseph Cotten's performance, as Loomis, Rose's husband, is quite wonderful and brings the film to a higher level---or tries to. The relationship between Loomis and Polly would have made a much more interesting story, but the film doesn't go there. We're stuck in the stereotypes of the era and although there are a few little plot turns, basically you know how it's going to end.

The use of the Falls is quite wonderful and make the film worth seeing. It reminds me of Hitchcock's use of Mt. Rushmore in North by Northwest, but this is even better. The contrast of the "normal, nice folks" and the wierd, sexy, interesting, crazy folks is a sign of the times. If you love Marilyn Monroe and/or films noir, you'll probably love this. Or if you enjoy memorabilia from the 50's, you'might find this enjoyable too.

Movie Review: Seductive Thriller. . . .
Summary: 4 Stars

"Niagara" is virtually the only Marilyn Monroe movie that explored the seamy, unsavory side of her Blonde Bombshell schtick. Undulating across the screen in a flaming red dress, Monroe plays a conniving, unrepentent adulteress with a jealous, near-psychotic husband (Joseph Cotten) shadowing her every move. Set up in the idyllic (and ironic) honeymoon atmosphere of Niagara Falls, this thriller owes a great debt to the suspenseful, tales-of-the-unexpected style of Alfred Hitchcock. Aside from the provocative chemistry between Monroe and Cotten, "Niagara" offers a tantalizing glimpse of the kind of actress Marilyn Monroe could have become had she been more frequently afforded the chance to escape the typecast of a dumb-but-voluptuous-blonde (even though she was a supremely gifted comedienne in such roles). Monroe's screen time here is cut relatively short, but this movie is yet another testament to her astonishing screen presence--so much so that she is sorely missed whenever she is not around (absent Monroe, the movie suffers a slight but noticeable dip). Still, "Niagara" remains one of Marilyn Monroe's most intriguing star turns.

Movie Review: (Niagara w/Marilyn Monroe)
Summary: 4 Stars

I have seen the movie Niagara on tv. It is a great movie with
suspense and unexpected twists. The background of beautiful Niagara
Falls adds to the enjoyment of this movie. I would recommend this
movie to anyone who likes old movies, suspense (not gore), and/or
Marilyn Monroe. (Please note that I never received the dvd from the seller.)

Movie Review: Wonderful classic movie
Summary: 4 Stars

I loved the movie, and Mrs. Monroe shone in it. The only problem I had was with the DVD quality. The colours were occasionally blurred, which really distracted from the experience of watching. Sometimes, I think, colourizing a classic is not the best option. Otherwise, I recommend this movie highly - very enjoyable!