291. Marty (1955)

Directed By Delbert Mann

Synopsis

A 34 year-old butcher has problems getting a woman to get married to. Everyone wants him to get married, and when he finally finds a girl that likes him and that he likes, the people around him seem to think he can do better.

Review

It is strange how a film could have won both the Best Picture Oscar and the Palme d'Or at Cannes in 1955 and remain kind of unknown today. This is particularly strange because it is a really good film. There must be few films which paint a more candid image of relationships in the mid 50s.

Ernest Borgnine is excellent here, playing a part that is not usual for him, a sensitive down on his luck man who cries sometimes. What is great about it is that Borgnine infuses the character with such pathos that he is truly believable.

There isn't much to the story itself, but the sincerity of the film is disarming in itself. It is just lovely, a meeting of people who feel oppressed by the demands of life, of being beautiful, fun and witty, of satisfying everyone's expectations. In the end the characters triumph over pettiness and that is always good to see.

Final Grade

9/10

Trivia

From Wikpedia:

At the Cannes Film Festival, the producers were initially taken aback when it was announced that the film won the Palme d'Or (Golden Palm). After they had won, they decided to promote the film heavily for its general release. (The trailer has Burt Lancaster claiming the film was superb in every way.) The opinions of critics were overwhelmingly positive. Ronald Holloway of Variety Magazine felt it was an excellent film and said "If 'Marty' is an example of the type of material that can be gleaned, then studio story editors better spend more time at home looking at television." TIME felt the film was "Wonderful". Louella Parsons enjoyed the film however, she felt that it would not likely be nominated for Oscars.[3] At a budget of $343,000 (USD) the film generated revenues of $3,000,000 in the USA alone, making it a box office smash. The film ended up receiving eight Academy Award nominations, with four major wins: Best Picture, Best Director, Best Screenplay, and Best Actor, becoming one of two films to date to win both Best Picture and the Palme d'Or.

Trailer: