Excellent
- The Misfits review by Mike
I saw the film when it was released in the 1960's, and was so pleased to see it again on DVD. One of my top 20 films !
2 out of 3 members found this review helpful.
“Horse killers!”
- The Misfits review by LJ
Four childish alcoholics beat up some horses, I don’t know what I was supposed to get out of this ‘contemporary western’.
1 out of 2 members found this review helpful.
I had forgotten just how stunning this Hollywood production was
- The Misfits review by mc
All five principal actors are brilliant, alone and together. Monroe is so young and comes over so mature, An equal in acting maturity with the others AND beautiful. I love the authenticity, the horror of the rodeo and capture of the mustang, the daring of he mountain flight and roping of the animals. It is a very beautiful and fearful play and I love it. Malcolm
1 out of 1 members found this review helpful.
Star Power with Bruises Underneath
- The Misfits review by griggs
It’s set in a Nevada that’s basically dust, heat, and too much open space — the kind of place where people talk like they’re being honest, even when they’re kidding themselves. Arthur Miller’s script is doing the heavy lifting: romantic, sad, and not remotely shy about how people can hurt each other while insisting they’re “fine”.
The cast is the real hook. Marilyn Monroe is terrific — funny, bruised, and far more grounded than her icon status suggests. Thelma Ritter turns plain talk into truth without even trying, Montgomery Clift brings that fractured vulnerability he does so well, Clark Gable surprised me by being properly solid, and Eli Wallach is the standout: restless, charming, and a little dangerous.
What it keeps circling is the tug-of-war between commitment and escape, and the way masculinity turns into a performance — loud, proud, and oddly fragile. It got under my skin in a sneaky way, because the film never begs for sympathy; it just lets people keep making the wrong call.
The only thing stopping it being a total knockout is Huston’s tone. He can’t quite find the balance: is this meant to be an outright Billy Wilder-style comedy, or a melancholic western about people realising their lives don’t fit anymore? It keeps wobbling between the two, so scenes sometimes land with a shrug when they should land with a sting. Still, The Misfits is absolutely worth your time: star power with real bruises underneath.
1 out of 1 members found this review helpful.
Monroe Emotes.
- The Misfits review by Steve
This contemporary western breaks into two contrasting halves. There's a static first hour heavy with Arthur Miller's dialogue which is neither realistic nor poetic. Then director John Huston wakes up for the later action scenes of macho horse wrangling, with the thematic content stowed away in the subtext. And this is really very good.
The lead role of the hyper-emotional ex-showgirl who gets tangled up with some vagabond cowboys was clearly written for Marilyn Monroe. But she hasn't the necessary gravitas. Problems in her personal life also led to her being photographed (by the great Russell Metty) in such extreme soft focus that she is sometimes oddly blurred.
Clark Gable is plainly too ill to play her rugged, virile lover. Montgomery Clift brings a welcome surge of maverick volatility but in an insubstantial role. This isn't Alex North's most memorable score, though the Nevada desert in b&w is a big bonus. There are so many prestigious names involved, except some were in decline. Including the director.
And then there's the pathos soon to overtake Monroe, Gable and others. So it's a sort of farewell to them, as well as the old west. This has been served as evidence that Marilyn was a great dramatic actor- or unprofessional, depending on the agenda. So there is poignancy and debate, as well as a barnstorming second act.
0 out of 0 members found this review helpful.