Marty: 1955

I didn't expect to find such an endearing, heartwarming character or story after watching the last five or six films that earned Best Picture. Marty is a pleasant surprise. I found myself actually becoming lost in the story, as opposed to checking the time and wondering how much longer I would have to spend watching the film. I think what made Marty enjoyable for me is that it is the story of an underdog, but it's also a story of a love and family and how sometimes our friends and family don't truly understand us.

Marty (played by Ernest Borgnine, who won Best Actor for this role) is a butcher living in the Bronx with his Italian mother. All his siblings are married, and since Marty is the oldest, all his customers (women) constantly ask why he isn't married. The opening scene shows just how frustrating this is for Marty. A few scenes later, Marty's own mother gives him a hard time about not being married, and Marty finally loses it:

Marty with his mother

I couldn't help but feel sympathy for Marty. He's an all-around nice guy, but he can't seem to find a girl. And he's pretty much given up because he's tired of being turned down. Yet the very same night he has this argument with his mother, he meets Clara (Betsy Blair), a sweet girl who has also faced the same heartache as Marty.

Clara and Marty

Perhaps the main reason Marty's story is so appealing is its universality. Who hasn't been let down in love? Who hasn't faced some sort of disappointment? Who hasn't had to deal with family issues? Marty's story reminds us that we shouldn't give up.

Within the film, there is another storyline, albeit small, that focuses on Marty's mother and her sister. Marty's sister lives with her son and daughter-in-law, and this living arrangement simply isn't working. The mother-in-law and daughter-in-law cannot share the same house or kitchen. In this storyline, the screenwriter explores the dilemma of the older mother in the 1950s. As empty-nesters and widows, they have no one to take care of, and unlike today's retired women, they have no hobbies. They know how to and want to cook and clean. Their lives were about their children and husbands, and now that they are alone, they have nothing. Hearing their stories and fears makes me grateful to live in a time when there is life after children. Today, mothers are still mothers, but they embrace their roles as grandmothers and have so many opportunities to be involved in their communities and to simply enjoy life. This storyline reminded me of an interview I heard recently with Ethan Hawke, who starred in Boyhood. When asked about the film and growing older, Hawke explained that growing old shouldn't be feared. All that is happening is we are moving into different stages of our lives, just as we did in childhood, and what we really fear is the change that comes with those stages. His comment resonated with me because I can already look back and see times in my life where I had to move into a new stage and despite the excitement I had I was also scared and wanted to stay where I was. These mothers are in that situation themselves. They are not ready for this new stage in life, and unfortunately, their society doesn't present many options to them.

Marty is absolutely worth seeing, especially if you need a reminder that there are genuine people in the world and that good things do come to those who wait.

On the Waterfront: 1954

Marlon Brando won an Oscar as Best Actor in On the Waterfront, and after seeing the film, it's really no surprise to me. Brando was so completely convincing as Terry, a dockworker who, due to a difficult childhood, has connected with the mob yet feels at odds with his decisions in life. Terry's conscience almost becomes another character in the film he struggles with what he has done in the past and what he should do in the future.

Typically, I'm not a fan of mob movies. I'm not looking forward to venturing into the 1970s on this blog and watching The Godfather, again, or then having to watch The Godfather 2. I get that these films appeal to audiences and create interesting conflicts for filmmakers, but it's just not a genre that interests me. On the Waterfront becomes less about the mob, though, and more about doing what is right even when it's difficult. Terry knows what is right, but his entire life he has looked out only for himself. And it's kind of understandable. Terry was an orphan and lived in a children's home (which he says wasn't much of a home), so to simply survive, he's had to look out for his own best interests. Terry hasn't even been that successful in life. Most of the characters call him a bum, and as far as his role in the local mob, he has little power. He simply does what they tell him to do for a little cash. It doesn't make what he does okay, but it does put him on the border. He's not exactly part of the mob but he's also not a regular dockworker. As a result, he becomes isolated because neither group fully accepts him. In a way, Terry is a sympathetic character despite his selfishness.

One pleasant surprise in On the Waterfront was the chance to hear the original "I coulda been a contender" line:

Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uBiewQrpBBA

Terry is speaking to his brother about a fight he had to throw. I had heard the line quoted many times, but I didn't know the context of the original or the power with which Brando delivered it. The line has become a cliche, but in the original, the line seems so genuine and real. It conveys Terry's disappointments in life and how much he wants his brother to understand what he's given up.

On the Waterfront does have a romantic storyline as well, with Edie (Eva Marie Saint) as Terry's love interest. Their romance faces multiple obstacles and functions primarily to heighten the drama as opposed to providing some hope in a dark world.

Terry with Edie

Although On the Waterfront was worth watching to see Brando's performance and a well-written story in which justice prevails, it's not a film I'll revisit. Most of the film is dark, and while the ending is hopeful, I don't think I need to see it again.

From Here to Eternity: 1953

From Here to Eternity is set in 1941 Hawaii, months before the Pearl Harbor attack, and follows the lives of three soldiers as they deal with the grueling aspects of military power abuse. Prewitt (Montgomery Clift) transfers to the G Unit Regiment after losing his place as top bugler in his old unit to someone with less talent but better connections. At first, the commanding officer Holmes is excited to have Prewitt as Prewitt is a middle-weight boxing champion and Holmes wants to win the boxing championship this year, but when Prewitt clearly and repeatedly states that he will not fight, his life becomes miserable, filled with extra duties and abuse from higher ranking members of the unit. Holmes supports this abuse as he hopes it will break Prewitt. Holmes, as well as other characters, expose the ugly side of the Army, one where higher ranking men use their power against subordinates. I couldn't help be feel sorry for Prewitt; he has good reasons for not wanting to fight and no one in power really seems to care. The ones who do care are unable to help him. Yet Prewitt doesn't want sympathy. No matter what disgusting duty he's given or what punishment he faces (such as trekking up and down a mountain with an extra heavy pack), Prewitt does each without breaking. He's completely stoic, facing each challenge with determination. Only towards the end of the film do we see him start to crumble, and the circumstances have become more than any one person could handle.

In addition to Prewitt's story, From Here to Eternity also follows the life of Sergeant Warden (Burt Lancaster), second in command and Holmes' right-hand man. Warden despises Holmes and cares more about the men in their unit than Holmes does, and in his position, Warden is able to influence Holmes at times for lesser, more reasonable punishments. But Warden's story is more about falling in love with the commander's wife, Karen (Deborah Kerr). We learn early in the film that the commander is unfaithful to his wife and really only stays married because officers should have wives. Any love that was present between the commander and his wife is definitely gone and has been for awhile. Karen and Warden's relationship includes an iconic scene from film, often replicated in humorous ways:

Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1W6AGM-LxGY

Warden and Karen's relationship at times seems melodramatic, but Kerr is so elegant throughout the entire film that it's easily forgiven. She moves with such grace, which makes her cheating husband seem so much more despicable. When Karen shares the history of her marriage with Warden, Kerr's portrayal of a heartbroken, devastated woman is powerful in that at the end, the character still seems strong. Kerr makes her more of a fighter than a delicate flower that must be nurtured. 

Although Prewitt and Warden's stories dominate the film, there is a third character who plays an essential part in capturing the audience's emotions and depicting the brutality of military stockades. Private Maggio (Frank Sinatra) is a goofball who seems to be in the Army because he couldn't find anything else to do. He's often stuck with the more mundane duties, and he's the first one to befriend Prewitt, even defending Prewitt when the bullying begins. Maggio's quick temper and desire for good times quickly lead to his downfall, though, and this likable character faces perhaps the most brutal treatment in the film. Sinatra's charm fits the character perfectly, but I must admit I'm glad the role was small. Maggio was a little over the top as a character, and as a comic relief, he's helpful at times but too much would have detracted from the film as a whole.

Sinatra as Maggio with Lorraine (Donna Reed)

Source: http://www.fanpop.com/clubs/frank-sinatra/images/5928480/title/frank-sinatra-donna-reed-from-here-eternity-photo

The film ends with Pearl Harbor and the start of WWII. Of course, that means there is no happy ending for these characters. But the film isn't so much about the ending for these characters but what they face along the way. It's the lives they lead until Pearl Harbor that are more important than what their future holds. From the beginning, the audience knows, more or less, how the story is going to end because of history. Unlike other war films that have won Best Picture up to this point, From Here to Eternity captures the time just before the war, when war seemed possible yet still so far away. The soldiers are more carefree in this film, focused on getting weekend passes and meeting girls than surviving. In that sense, From Here to Eternity becomes Best Picture worthy because it's just so different.