MovieChat Forums > The Misfits (1961) Discussion > The Misfits ! A 7.3 rating? You've GOT t...

The Misfits ! A 7.3 rating? You've GOT to be Kidding!

posted 12 years ago by guyinnanaimo
16 replies | jump to latest

Don't get me wrong: Gable and Clift..they were good in their time, but let's be really honest: they didn't amount to much in this one.
They were just GOOD at best.
And MM, well, let's just say she was 'good', but I'm stretching that 'good' label a bit!
In my opinion, she was eye candy at best in MOST of her ditsy roles.
And this was just another.
This movie is BORING and the dialogue at times it just plain BRUTAL.
Let's be honest: this movie survives on the fact that Gable and MM both died shortly after filming {and Clift not long after}, so being their last flick, CARRIES this doggy after all these years.
Anyone watching can see this ~ it just doesn't stand up to a CLASSIC rating, at all. Period.
Any rating over a '5' average is probably a couple of points too many...but let's be fair!
'You can't HANDLE the truth!'

[–] 12 years ago

[deleted]

[–] SnoozeAlarm 12 years ago

OP, I wholeheartedly agree with you.

I will add that the dialogue is pretentious and the plot is meandering, and both are ultimately lazy and empty.

http://tinyurl.com/cjsy86c

[–] geoffrey-jackson 12 years ago

I concur.

The only reason I watched this film was because I'm going through a Montgomery Clift's phase at the moment. He certainly changed a lot from his earlier films like A Place in the Sun and Red River.

Before reading this thread I gave The Misfits a rating of 4/10.

[–] PrometheusTree64 12 years ago

You folks are whack. THE MISFITS is a great movie, a haunting parable. It's probably my favorite MM film.

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[–] franzkabuki 12 years ago

"And MM, well, let´s just say she was ´good´".

No, let´s not - she was barely adequate with her one-note "soulful" whimpering. Looks particularly lackluster next to Gable, Wallach and Clift who all give absolutely excellent, almost great performances.

Otherwise... what a bizarre, immature OP with its baseless assertations and suppositions (besides, the rating of 7,3 is, in fact, indicative precisely of a ´good´ film, not a ´great´ one or a ´classic´).

"facts are stupid things" - Ronald Reagan

[–] guyinnanaimo 12 years ago

Hey bozo...it's one person's OPINION. You have yours, I HAVE MINE.
'You can't HANDLE the truth!'

[–] PrometheusTree64 12 years ago

Hey bozo...it's one person's OPINION. You have yours, I HAVE MINE.

And both your opinions are stupid.

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[–] guyinnanaimo 12 years ago

well...3 bozos don't make it right?

'You can't HANDLE the truth!'

[–] ajgenard 11 years ago

I must admit I was a little let down by this film after finally seeing it in it's entirety last night. I think a lot of people simply fool themselves into thinking it's some kind of forgotten gem due to it being Monroe & Gable's last [completed] film. But in reality, both stars were past their prime and in poor health (be it mental or physical). This is a very rare instance where the story and circumstances behind a film are more interesting than the movie itself.

So yeah, this movie is definitely overrated. Normally I'd rate a movie like this as a 5 but bumped it up to a 6 because of the fascinating backstory and the fact John Huston managed to finish the damn thing before he drank and gambled his life away. It's no secret that by this time Marilyn was extremely difficult to work with. Between Marilyn's drama, her marriage with Arthur Miller in total meltdown, Miller's constant re-writes, the desert climate it must have been hell to direct. John Huston is the unsung hero here.

[–] guyinnanaimo 11 years ago

I agree .... and an EXCELLENT review, by the way!
Thanks/appreciated.
'You can't HANDLE the truth!'

[–] benGsboat 11 years ago

I caught a bit of this on the MGM channel a few weeks back, and decided to rent the blu-ray after thinking about it a couple of times since.
I watched it tonight and came here to see what other people thought. I didn't know much about the 'backstory' of this film, but I found the movie itself to be completely involving from beginning to end. I was really drawn into the setting and these characters' lives.
I respect anyone's opinion if they think a movie is boring, or overrated, or has moments of brutal dialogue and so forth. However, when someone says things like 'let's be honest' or 'anyone watching can see this' and especially 'this movie survives on the fact that...' it's more like an obnoxious statement than an opinion; they're speaking for everyone who likes it. If your favorite film is Rebel Without a Cause, and I said 'hey be honest, it's only because JD died before its release', would you simply accept that as my opinion?
loudmouth99 said, ' I think a lot of people simply fool themselves into thinking it's some kind of forgotten gem due to it being Monroe & Gable's last [completed] film.' He or she isn't giving viewers much credit. I think people who like it are glad their last film was a good one, and fans of M & G who don't like it it feel the opposite.

It's only an island if you look at it from the water

[–] ajgenard 11 years ago

loudmouth99 said, ' I think a lot of people simply fool themselves into thinking it's some kind of forgotten gem due to it being Monroe & Gable's last [completed] film.' He or she isn't giving viewers much credit. I think people who like it are glad their last film was a good one, and fans of M & G who don't like it it feel the opposite.

If you truly enjoy the natural character development in this movie and become drawn into it's setting (which I'll agree are valid arguments a person could make), then I certainly wouldn't lump you in with the people I'm referring to. Admittedly, I made a very broad statement and acknowledge the fact not every single person sees it that way. But I stand by my original belief that a lot of viewers fail to judge The Misfits on it's own merits because they are preoccupied with the fact it's the last movie from not only one, but two Hollywood giants.

Virtually every review I came across was predicated on "it's their last film - it's great" and nothing else. Compared to Monroe's and Gable's other films, there was little discussion about the writing, direction and performances in The Misfits. The focal point of a review should never be a coincidental footnote in it's production context, which many people have chosen to do. It just seems to me that many people made up their minds this movie is great before even seeing it for themselves - largely because it conveniently fits the age-old theme of "going out with a bang." With all that being said, it's certainly not a bad movie to end a career on. If you want to see a genuine turd of a final movie then look up Lon Chaney Jr.'s last flick.

[–] ziggystar86 11 years ago

The story is ijnteresting but yeah the film could have been made mutch better. A lot of stupid dialog and scenes.

[–] PrometheusTree64 10 years ago

Oh, heaven help us avoid movies with "dialog and scenes."

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Non-sequiturs are delicious.

[–] london777 8 years ago

Yes, it's a train-wreck. I give it 5 (but my 5 is equivalent to 6 on IMDb because I rate a point lower on average). And like any train-wreck it has a sort of morbid fascination.