#2020PopCultureResolution - Niagara

Niagara

Director: Henry Hathaway

Length:  92 minutes

Cast: Marilyn Monroe, Jean Peters, Joseph Cotten

Release Date:  January 21, 1953

Synopsis: Rose Loomis (Marilyn Monroe) and her older, gloomier husband, George (Joseph Cotten), are vacationing at a cabin in Niagara Falls, N.Y. The couple befriend Polly (Jean Peters) and Ray Cutler (Casey Adams), who are honeymooning in the area. Polly begins to suspect that something is amiss between Rose and George, and her suspicions grow when she sees Rose in the arms of another man. While Ray initially thinks Polly is overreacting, things between George and Rose soon take a shockingly dark turn.

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I went into Niagara with barely any expectation. I knew it was a thriller and that it was one of the few Marilyn Monroe movies I had yet to see. It is, perhaps, the movie I had the most fun watching for my #2020PopCultureResolution event (at least so far). It's a satisfying, suspense filled film that is well directed. It uses its setting to great effect, and manages to make even the more outlandish elements work for it. The setting itself is almost a character in a way and definitely used for symbolism.

The movie follows a vacationing couple who are finally taking their honeymoon. They run into a another couple and things quickly start to deteriorate from there. This film nails that sense of impending doom. It's like a ticking clock always in the background. It's this element that keeps the movie zipping along. It makes this film's already short run time feel even shorter.

The plot, which revolves around sex, jealousy, and murder, is not anything unique or revolutionary. It's a fairly by the book thriller that has an almost comfort feel to it as a result. You feel the impending danger but it's a known one. It allowed me to drift along with the characters and enjoy it for what it is. The sharp turns are definitely clever, they're just not new. 

The performances in this are all perfectly fine. Nothing stands out as either awful or remarkable. The one exception is Marilyn Monroe. This offers one of Marilyn's first leading roles. She is a pure temptress in this one. Gone is any of the comedic chops she'll showcase in later movies. She's luminous and entirely captivating in a fragile way. She really carries the movie in a way that becomes evident later on in the film. It's often noted as her star making turn and it is easy to see why. 

The ending of Niagara is ridiculous in the extreme. It almost feels like an afterthought. Something tacked on to the end of the film to wrap things up. The first half is taunt and well paced which makes the final act feels all the more ludicrous as a result. Will you still have fun while watching it? Yes, and that is precisely why I enjoyed it so much. If your looking for a fun, thrilling noir style film with a Marilyn Monroe performance that saves the film it is one I would recommend.