Some Like It Hot — teenager views classics
The distinction between old and timeless
I recently stumbled onto this flick on Netflix, and boy am I glad I did. This film has opened my eyes to the quality of old pictures, it has encouraged me to watch more black and white classics, and best of all it has introduced me to the legend herself, Miss Monroe.
My prejudice against old movies was always that the plot could be slow. Expositions could take forever, and the story could have little substance. “Some Like It Hot” really surprised me in this aspect. The plot progressed at a comfortable pace and enough was happening on the screen to keep me interested throughout. In fact, barely anything about the film’s age bothered me at all. The story doesn’t rely on its time period to work, yet the Jazz age adds a certain classiness to it. The black and white is no bother either, after getting used to it I can’t imagine the movie otherwise. The obvious, big acting was actually really fun to see, especially in a comedy like this.
The only outdated element that had me cringe is the narrow mindedness. A talent such as Marilyn shouldn’t have to be a minor character in her own film. She doesn’t need to be surrounded by two comedic male actors to tell a story. And while the film technically passes the Bechdel test, it still wasn’t very representative. Furthermore, phrases like “now why would a man want to marry another man?” had me frowning. Then again, this flaw isn’t exactly exclusive to older films.
As a comedy this film works on every level. Like I mentioned the big acting made every scene more fun, and that’s all that it needs to be, fun. The simple and silly premise of the movie reminded me that it was made in a simpler time, when films were made to entertain, and I was very much entertained. The witty, clever humor of the script shines through the ages. The comedic chops of the actors were obvious, and some visual comedy (which modern comedies often lack) added layers of show.
However, nothing in this film compares Marilyn Monroe. Finally, I understand why people used to be (and still are) obsessed with her. There is a reason her name was so big on the posters. Her acting abilities were on a whole different level from her colleagues. She stood out from all in spectacular fashion. Her charm, her sex appeal, her voice, her acting, she deserves to have her name echo through centuries. She’s one of kind, a singular vision. I know this has probably been said a hundred thousand times, all I can say is that I will be watching Marilyn’s pictures a lot more in the future.
“Some Like It Hot” might be old, but it’s certainly not out of date. Billy Wilder wrote a timeless comedy. He was a genius, much like his leading lady. Marilyn Monroe is not to be missed, not in 1959 and not in 2016. Sugar sings “I’m Through With Love” but this doesn’t count for her audience. Even today, we continue to fall in love with the remarkable Miss Monroe.
