Review of Marty (1955) by Trevor H — 08 Dec 2010

Few films, even in today's so-called "liberated" climate with all colors on display, tackle a love story between ugly people. While the leads certainly aren't hideous (Ernest Borgnine is no Joseph Merrick, and Betsy Blair is no bearded lady), the protagonists in "Marty" are definitely not what one would consider photogenic. Furthermore, they admit their ugliness, and -- through both spoken dialogue and unspoken, expressive movements -- recognize their physical limitations.

And yet they find love anyway.

Thanks to a momentous performance from Borgnine, "Marty" manages to be sweet, charming, funny, and often searingly honest, with sterling support from Blair as his new love and the rest of the cast as overly critical, insecure friends and family. As a blue-collar Italian living in a New York City that manages to be both stifling and supportive, Marty Piletti has limited options; at 34 years old, he's expected to be married.

This demand seems impractical until Marty meets Clara, a young schoolteacher whose bookish shyness makes her unattractive to more emboldened suitors. After a chance meeting at a local dance club, the two stay up until the wee hours talking, discovering that, despite oppressive social norms, they could be just right for each other.

Apart from "Before Sunrise" (released 40 years after "Marty"), no other film has so convincingly catalogued two burgeoning lovers' first meeting with such accuracy and effectiveness.