Marty

Starring: Ernest Borgnine, Betsy Blair, Joe Mantell, Esther Minciotti, Augusta Ciollo, Karen Steele, Jerry Paris
Directed by: Delbert Mann
Rating: Not rated
Genre: Comedy, Drama, Romance
1955

Times Seen:
Tim: 1

Summary: A lonely butcher (Ernest Borgnine) has just about given up on love when he meets a friendly school teacher (Betsy Blair).

Review:

Tim: What most impressed me about Marty is how much the film connects with the audience on an emotional level, without needing anything flashy or momentous to happen. No one is stricken with cancer, no cruel twists of fate occur, and yet, this is a very sad, powerful, memorable movie. I loved how the movie touched a nerve by telling a regular story about normal people. That's where the real power comes in.

Marty is really a story about small people, but how amazing, kind, and beautiful regular people can be. Our title character, Marty, is a butcher who did decently in school. He is stocky, bigger man, self-described as not much of a looker. The girl he meets is described by many around him as a "dog". It was so funny watching this film, when in today's world, most of the romantic movies are about glamorous, successful, rich people falling in love. That's great, but the common man (and woman) don't have much a role in many Hollywood movies these days. I loved that this film was about truly normal people.

The reason this film is so heartbreakingly beautiful is due to the performance of Ernest Borgnine. Today, so many films struggle to connect their protagonist with the audience. This movie should be required viewing for that problem. Within the first 10 minutes, we absolutely identify with Marty. Director Delbert Mann does a fantastic job of framing Marty and his small, quiet little existence. Here's a man who suffers from questions like, "What's wrong with you, why aren't you married yet?" and just smiles, masking his pain. Borgnine puts so much emotion into the role. His performance is restrained, except for a few moments when he just explodes with emotion. It's this small-big transition that reveals how incredible Borgnine is here. He's a man who holds so much inside of him, until he absolutely can't take it any more, erupting with emotion. He is a kind, long-suffering, but good-hearted man. Borgnine makes this character real, and he makes us not only identify with him, but truly care about him. Borgnine won the Academy Award for Best Actor for this performance, and he absolutely deserved it. The story around him is small, but his performance makes it feel like the most important thing in the world.

The supporting cast is pretty good. Betsy Blair plays Marty's school teacher, and she does a very good job. She mirrors Borgnine in many ways- playing an ordinary, lonely woman, who meets someone kind and caring. While she doesn't have the intensity Borgnine has, she still makes the movie better. She was nominated for Best Supporting Actress. I also thought it was interesting that Joe Mantell was nominated for Best Supporting Actor. He plays Marty's best friend, in a mostly unremarkable role. When I thought about his screen time, nothing really jumped out at me as special. And yet, there is something about the look in his eye and the way he conducts himself in the role. His performance just feels so real. He feels like the friend we all had at one point- not really going anywhere, unsure of what he wants, struggling quietly with life. His performance is not flashy, but it was powerful.

I was surprised at how straight-forward this story was. It was a stripped-down film- boy meets girl. That's about it. This is an unlikely Best Picture winner, because it is devoid of the scope and epic quality that so many Academy favorites have. At 90 minutes, this was the shortest film to ever win Best Picture. What is amazing is how much emotion Delbert Mann packed into such a short time frame (one of the reasons he likely won the Academy Award for Best Director).

Marty is an unlikely Best Picture winner. While not complex or expansive, the film is a beautiful study of an ordinary guy, living his life and trying to maintain his pride and optimism. It's a story about love, but devoid of all that Hollywood shine that makes so many films feel cheesy. I loved this realistic, entertaining, unforgettable little movie.



Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating: 8


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