OSCAR WILD DAY 9: MARTY (1955)

This film is quite a contrast to the 1954 winner, On the Waterfront. Instead of the ugly, gritty side of life, Marty asks audiences to find beauty in the everyday lives of ordinary people. Relying on understated performances instead of big Hollywood spectacle, this film feels like the most unlikely Best Picture winner I’ve seen so far. That’s not to say it’s not a good film. It certainly is, because it’s harder than you think to portray ordinariness.

Marty Piletti (Ernest Borgnine) is a 34-year-old butcher still living with his mother in The Bronx. Friends and family alike are constantly on him about finding a girl and settling down. Marty knows he’s not the most handsome, most charming, or most desirable type of guy, so he tries to be content to take life as it is, despite his own desire for a relationship. One night, Marty finds his female counterpart in the world while out for a night in the city. Clara (Betsy Blair) is a modest high school science teacher who’s been ditched by her blind date because of her plainness. That’s no hang-up for Marty, and the two hit it off. Ironically, this causes Marty a new host of problems with his friends and family, who now feel threatened that their good ole dependable bachelor Marty might not have the same time or space for them anymore.

As a pretty ordinary person myself, it’s easy to relate to Marty. I wasn’t a bachelor into my 30s, but his tenderness and straightforward approach to life makes him a very likable guy. There’s a sweet sort of innocence to this movie that’s not hard to get behind. Everyone who wants to find love and companionship in this world ought to be able to, so it’s nice to watch that play out. The understated nature of the script, performances, and production serve that innocence well, even if it’s at the expense of audience engagement. This is more story than plot, so you may find yourself feeling more like a detached observer than invested in what’s transpiring.

Borgnine and Blair both deliver muted performances with the kind of naturalness that makes you feel like you know someone like them. The strange part is that it’s so natural that some viewers may find it boring rather than charming. The film is based on a teleplay from 1953 that was a big hit for its snapshot approach to ordinary life. I have to wonder if this movie would have been made if not for the acclaim the teleplay received. On its face, Marty offers none of the usual qualities that draw people into the theater. Something like this probably couldn’t get made today and receive such fanfare. Then again, the romance genre has been diluted by decades of inferior formulaic product, so maybe something like this would get good word-of-mouth publicity for being an honest feel-good movie.

A lot of Best Picture winners feature big performances, offer grand spectacle, and elicit big emotions. Curiously, Marty does none of that. In fact, I don’t see how the story could have been changed to incorporate bigger Hollywood ingredients without taking away its authenticity. It may not grip or excite you in the same way many other movies will, but this film offers an honest but humble story about finding love in a way that won’t give you goosebumps, but it will leave a smile on your face. Sometimes that’s enough.

FINAL RATING: 3.5 out of 5