MovieChat Forums > The Prince and the Showgirl (1957) Discussion > Marilyn's magic

Marilyn's magic

posted 12 years ago by intofilm
6 replies | jump to latest

I was never a total MM fan, I always liked her. I started watching this today just to have something to distract me while eating lunch, but I couldn't stop watching it. I thought it was a very mediocre movie,and a terrible role for L. Olivier, but Marilyn was so CAPTIVATING I couldn't tear myself away from her. She is so vulnerable, canny, beautiful, modest,canny, bright, naive. She's all over the place, and her face is so expressive. I did want to see her in other costumes, but the same dress did make focusing on her more likely. I read above that the play was written for her character to be English, but I thought it played out much better for her to be an American, full of democratic ideals and American emotional freedom.

[–] denis-38 12 years ago

I consider this to be her greatest performance. The film itself is not so hot, but Monroe is simply brilliant.

[–] SnoopyStyle 12 years ago

In other movies, she tends to be an object. For example watching her butt go in Some Like it Hot. Or pose on the grill in Seven Year Itch. She's much more a complete character in this.

[–] denis-38 12 years ago

Dear Snoopy...And unlike many of her other movies, she is on-screen almost constantly. If only the script had given her (and Olivier) more to do. The plot just went around and around and then came its surprise ending--Elsie's odd decision. But she is so delightful here. Full of vitality and high spirits and smart, too. Her gradually getting drunk on vodka and trying to evade Olivier's advances is screen acting of the highest order.

Well, at least France and Italy gave her their Oscars!

[–] SnoopyStyle 12 years ago

Well that's the difference between being just an object and being the subject of the movie.
Serves to show that she had more to give as an actress if given a chance.

[–] denis-38 12 years ago

Dear Snoopy...yes, sad to say, that "TPATS" was one of her very few "leading lady" roles. It seemed her image was turning from object to leading lady at the point, but the flim's failure, her long absence from the screen after it, and the dissolution of her own company, put an end to to that. She returned in "Some Like Hot," a film she really didn't want to do, and was back to being an object.

I actually laughed when I watched an interview with Arthur Miller, in which he stated that "The Misfits" was the "only movie that doesn't objectify her...that's not all about her body." I guess he forgot the endless scenes up and down her dress, the closeups of her backside in the bar, the closeup of her backside riding the horse, running out of the late in her bikini, her breasts falling out of her dress, naked in bed...and on and on. Wilder actually objectified her less than Miller than John Huston did!

[–] SpikeHat 8 years ago

Watching this on TCM, because of "My Week With Marilyn"; all I can say is, Damn was she stacked up! That dress couldn't contain her. What classic curves. I can tell, also, that she worked pretty hard on this film.