The Misfits

At his worst, Arthur Miller tries for a poetry that feels like imitation Tennessee Williams. And some of that shows up in his script, but so does a haunting look at lonely people in a sad world. And the acting is first-rate: Clark Gable in particular seems a poignant symbol of Old Hollywood in a modern, Method act-y setting. Marilyn Monroe captivates, Eli Wallach perfectly seethes with jealousy. John Huston's direction reaches its height in the "mustanging" scenes; Alex North's score is superb.

A haunting movie. A very sad movie. The ghosts of and presence of Hollywood linger in every gorgeous frame. Broken beautiful people looking for something. Looks sell but who is buying?? John Huston’s filmography varies so wildly in style and in my feelings for them.

Star Rating: ★★★★★

The deconstruction of Hollywood and its stars is what makes this a winner for me. But even without that extra layer this is a good, somber drama with excellent performances.

Sad and interesting, especially considering the real life tragedy that surrounded it.

What starts out as a promising character study of a small pack of lost souls becomes buried under Miller's terrible script. The dialogue has a theatricality to it that it doesn't earn. Characters are constantly speaking in philosophical quips, introspective musings and symbolic observations. Huston's direction fails to leave an impression, and the film's score is overdone. There's a lot of wasted potential here, with an intriguing cast of characters. A film that deserved to be better than it is.

Appreciated much of this--largely quality writing with a filmmaker who knows what to do with a camera. The actors are great (including the oft-ignored Thelma Ritter), providing texture and especially vulnerability in an environment that doesn't lend itself to that. Huston's camera effectively communicates the flailing, the desire, and the impotence of these characters.

This went in a different way than I expected -- not necessarily a bad thing, but it makes it harder to rate. It's a few random souls who somehow have to figure life out. There aren't any real winners here; it almost seems to set the stage for the "anti-hero" movies of the 1970s. It's a little uneven (intentionally or perhaps a result of the dysfunctional production); the individual parts tend to outshine the whole.

Excellent Arthur Miller penned, John Huston directed revisionist western with a lot of ideas and very well developed, three-dimensional characters. This was Monroe's last film and it's one of her better performances, as she has a chance to really dig into a dramatic role. Gable is also excellent. It reminded me somewhat of Elia Kazan's Tennessee Williams collabs, though maybe that's Miller reminding me of Williams in this case.

The Arthur Miller script credit had me expecting a bit more than a "look at Marilyn Monroe" showcase, but it is what it is. The morality angle to this is really weird. Is Marilyn Monroe's character a vegan or something?

What a beautiful oddity of a film, and Monroe's and Gable's last. It's soaked in liquor and angst and despair. It could easily be called 'The Left Behind'. Monroe's inability to think for herself and who's trajectory changes willy nilly based on whatever the men tell her kind of spoiled this for me, but it's a great overlooked film with a remarkable final quarter.

87.00

As my favorite podcasters are wont to say: "Liked it, didn't love it." But I did find the relationship between Gable and Monroe (both in their final roles) very memorable. And in fact, the two other cast members, Wallach and Clift, are good too. So: "[Definitely] didn't hate, [but] wasn't [quite] great."

Monroe and Gable's final film carries a heavy burden that is undoubtedly responsible for its improved reputation since their untimely deaths; it's hard to not view their performances as being personal heartfelt expressions of their respective emotional states at the time. Monroe is particularly vulnerable as a divorced woman desperately seeking something real, while Gable is effective as a man out of time, but the story just isn't consistently compelling enough to justify the hype.

Could have done with being a tad shorter, and less horse mistreatment, but otherwise this is extremely solid. This being my first Monroe film, I was surprised at just how great she actually was. The real life story of the film being cursed is pretty interesting too.

Doesn't quite stick the landing, but until then it's kinda stunning. Gorgeous to look at, and the excellent acting and writing creates fascinating, multilayered characters.

The Misfits is more famous as a cultural landmark than as a film. Yet it's worth remembering that it follows one of director John Huston's favorite subjects: horses. Huston could look at a horse and see just the wild four-footed miracle. Yet somehow this aching movie is driven to see the horses as symbols of lost purity in America. Miller can't deliver these people as real and ordinary - while Huston can't see that if they're not "grand" or "epic" then he'd be better off not filming them.

I expected this to be a lot more lighthearted than it was, which probably hampered my enjoyment of it a bit. The Misfits is actually a tough-to-watch study of collapse, as applicable to the old Hollywood style of film-making as the wild west motifs pictured. Suffers a bit with a poorly paced plot, unfortunately.

very happy to see lovely Marilyn in a "real" movie... great portrayal of troubled characters

Good acting, but the story is a bit dull and eventful. The only character that garners any kind of compassion is Clift's and the film really relies on connecting and having emotion for all of the characters.

#712

Marilyn Monroe's best performance

a little naive, but cool

although it lost a few points on rewatching, I still find myself moved by the incredible atmosphere and visuals

Watching Monroe "act" in this movie was an irritating experience. But she apparently hates her appearance in this, too, so I guess we're in agreement.

"Deconstructs Hollywood's cowboy myth with a mythic Hollywood cast: Gable, Monroe and Clift."

Way darker and complex than I expected it to be. These big time Hollywood stars does a convincing job portraying misfits of society, wounded individuals who find it hard to come to terms with what is considered normal way of life. Script sometimes comes a bit short and theatrically philosophical dialogs might seem unnatural, but that doesn't hide the fact that this film is actually trying to say something.

Contains considerable stretches of brilliance that never quite get sustained on the while. Monroe, Clift, & Gable are so perfect for these roles that it hurts. One negative - a rewatch revealed Eli Wallace’s characters to be distractingly out of place as the plot progresses and ultimately unnecessary.

A bit slow and scattered at first, until things come together in the last part, the'mustanging' bits in particular were most captivating and beautifully shot.

666

so many people see this as a sad movie, but i didn't find it too sad. i did think it was a pretty decent watch, somber yes, sad no. the only real problem is that it's fairly impossible to relate to any of the characters and they just dont seem to have their minds made up on how they feel or what they believe.

Deeply sad film on so many levels. Life seems to imitate art. Monroe had come to believe Gable was her father and Clift was struggling with a disfiguring accident and substance misuse. Three misfits who struggle to find meaning in their lives - art or reality you decide. Gable and Monroes last film and the start of Clift's decline. Damaged lives. Slowish plot, deeply thoughtful but too little action for todays taste. - Moving.

531

It's dark and interesting with good performances and a strong script. Except for the strong ending none of it stands out much though, just a very good interesting movie.

# 601

sad, but great film.

Didn't care for this one...shame when it was Gables & Monroes last film

Os Desajustados estreava há 60 anos nos EUA e há 120 anos nascia Clark Gable. Como a Marilyn está maravilhosa nesse filme, aliás, como esse filme como um todo é maravilhoso. Toda a maldição da morte do cowboy que o John Ford já estava colocando em seus últimos filmes aqui é mostrado de uma forma contemporânea e lírica. Céus, esse filme é bonito demais. BlurayRip no MakingOff.