Review of Some Like It Hot (1939) by Brett C — 24 Sep 2014

Review In A Nutshell:

When one first dives into the works of Austrian director, Billy Wilder, one usually watches Some Like It Hot and The Apartment. I can understand the reasoning behind it as they are both well-crafted films and features comedic elements that allow it to be accessible. Many have claimed the two films as the director's finest works, especially The Apartment, but after seeing Sunset Boulevard, no other film, at least so far, has shaken its place on the throne.

The core plot of Some Like It Hot involves two musicians, who have witnessed a murder, flees and conceal themselves as female band members in order to avoid the mob from assassinating them. Before seeing this film, I already had seen the Wayans Brothers' White Chicks, which I thought wasn't the worst thing in the world, and I was a bit sceptical on whether this film would still surprise me, especially in its comedic ability. The film certainly succeeded but not by very much. There are two genres in classic films that I always find difficult to appreciate, those are comedy and horror. Both genres tend to lose their spark as time passes and particular ideas or issues have long been resolved, interwoven or forgotten in society, therefore a satire on it would prove ineffective. Some Like It Hot remains funny now because it relies on its superficial hilarity, which is much harder to disintegrate with time. Even though most of what occurs in this film plays out the same way as what I have seen in White Chicks, it still was able to leave me mostly engaged, particularly towards the characters.

Wilder, and his co-writer I. A. L. Diamond, have provided a strong set up and a sound reason on our two protagonists put themselves in such a ridiculous situation; I appreciate comedic films that can achieve this type of storytelling, as it doesn't insult the intelligence of its audience. The film's crime plot, allowed Wilder to pay homage to the crime/noir genre of the past; I think this was the main reason why Wilder decided to shoot the film on black and white, as it allows the audience's perception towards the story be more serious, actually feeling the threat that the characters are in.

The major flaw that drags this film down with only a "good" score was the romantic aspect of the film. The film honestly showed potential towards the relationship between Monroe and Curtis' characters, which if done correctly, would have provided wonderful character development. It only reaches to a serviceable level that left me sighing during a couple of moments, particularly during the scene between the two characters in the boat. The romance in Lemmon's character was purely present for comedic relief, and it succeeds strongly, resulting in me laughing over multiple scenes, not being able to hear what the succeeding dialogue was.

The three leading protagonists in this film were fantastic, with each one deserving of high recognition for their efforts. Tony Curtis was an actor, I only was aware of through his minor role in Spartacus; I never thought of much of his ability as an actor, but seeing him in this film changed that. Curtis was able to provide comedy, tenderness, power, and suave when the role demands for it. Jack Lemmon, whom I have experienced in other films such as The Apartment, provided equally strong performances in this film. He provided what was needed for his role to fulfil its responsibility in service to Wilder's vision. In short, Lemmon is a comedic genius. Marilyn Monroe surprised me in such a way that no other role she has ever played has done before. I came into this film assuming that she would perform in her usual ditsy and sexy attitude, which by now has been overkill. Thankfully, with Wilder's strong direction, she provided a sense of grounding in this contemporary role, coming off as beautiful but not having to do much to prove it. Wilder understands that an explanation would be futile and to place most of Monroe's focus elsewhere in her performance.

Some Like It Hot is a strong entry by Billy Wilder, but fails to live up to the hype that many have built around it. It may grow on me in the future as I further explore Monroe's and Wilder's filmography.