The second film on this list after Lost Weekend (1945) to win the two biggest prizes in film. Nobody else would manage to win at both Cannes and the Academy until Parasite (2019). The expectations are set.
We meet Marty (Ernest Borgnine) – a butcher in the Bronx. He is 34, single, living with his mother and suffering dating burnout. I personally found it hard to relate to his struggles but did my best (ahem). It’s 1955 so he’s not yet resorted to dating apps. Instead, he is inspired by his mother to attend the Stardust Ballroom on a Saturday night – those were the days! There he meets Clara (Betsy Blair) who is really struggling on the dating scene too. Could this be a match made in New York heaven?
Ernest portrays Marty’s transitions between suffering and joy extremely well. Anyone who has struggled in love can relate to his ups and downs. His short, idiosyncratic speeches hold your attention and your heart.
However, with a running time of 90 minutes, it is over quickly and doesn’t quite possess the magical stardust sprinkled on the classics that rank above it.
Rating:
7/10
Reflections:
1. Don’t go looking for love. Let it find you.
Oscar Best Picture Rankings:
1. Casablanca (1943)
2. Rebecca (1940)
3. Lost Weekend (1945)
4. All About Eve (1950)
5. Hamlet (1948)
6. How Green Was My Valley (1941)
7. Gone With the Wind (1939)
8. Mrs. Miniver (1942)
9. All Quiet on the Western Front (1930)
10. Wings (1928)
11. Mutiny on the Bounty (1935)
12. You can’t take it with you (1938)
13. The Best Years of Our Lives (1946)
14. On the Waterfront (1954)
15. Marty (1955)
16. Cimarron (1931)
17. Grand Hotel (1932)
18. An American in Paris (1951)
19. From Here to Eternity (1953)
20. It Happened One Night (1934)
21. Gentleman’s Agreement (1947)
22. Cavalcade (1933)
23. The Life of Emile Zola (1937)
24. Going My Way (1944)
25. The Great Ziegfeld (1936)
26. All the King’s Men (1949)
27. The Greatest Show on Earth (1952)
28. The Broadway Melody (1929)
Previous or current ranking leaders are in bold.
With credit and thanks to the patrons of the Best Picture Film Club:
Dr Sophie Bloomfield
Dr Caspar Briault
Dr Fionnuala Durrant
Dr Meera Radia
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