Film review: Some Like It Hot
Director: Billy Wilder
Screenplay: Billy Wilder, I.A.L. Diamond
Cinematography: Charles B. Lang
Film Editing: Arthur P. Schmidt
Cast: Marilyn Monroe (Sugar Kane); Tony Curtis (Joe/Josephine); George Raft (Spats Colombo); Jack Lemmon (Jerry/Daphne); Joe E. Brown (Osgood Fielding 3rd).
Upon its release, Some Like It Hot became one of the most successful films of the year in the comedy genre(Nytimes.com).Wilder manages to weave the characters to humorously communicate issues regarding free love, homosexuality and gender issues, all the while evading the criticisms of moral custodians or being viewed in bad taste. The film seems to draw an inspiration from German movie-Fanfares of Love, which features two unemployed musicians. In their bid to survive, they switch attires to suit the different bands available. This includes dressing up as women to join the exclusively female bands. Much of Wilder’s film revolves around this(Nytimes.com).The film was nominated for six academy awards but only wonBest Costume Design, among other awards.
“Well, nobody is perfect”. This legendary last line is all that Osgood says after realizing that his wife to be is a man. It leaves an almost permanent quizzical expression on a viewer’s face. Is this all the surprise he could gather or was he blindly in love so much that gender issues mattered not? Is it a man to man proposal? Billy Wilder manages to elevate an otherwise timeworn story into the most farce comedy that will arouse a laugh all the time.
Musicians Joe (Tony Curtis) and Jerry (Jack Lemmon) are eyewitnesses to St. Valentine’s massacre masquerade and barely escaped with their lives. To elude the mob and earn a living, they masquerade themselves as ladies and join an exclusively female orchestra. Sugar Cane (Monroe) has a lust for money. Curtis lusts for her but he does not have money; he fakes a millionaire to win her over. In an ironic but humorous twist, it’s Lemmon who hooks up with a real millionaire but do they get married?
One of the successes of the film got to be characterization. Monroe was appealing and had a classical charm. In all her films, she stole the show. She is sexually appealing and her role demanded that she be sensual and compassionate. Arguably, no one could do better than her and Wilder did the film a great favor to pick on her. Moreover, the duo-Curtis and Lemmon, stages a sterling performance and are majorly the source of humor in the film: Wilder successfully uses them to underscore the essence of friendship.
The Film’s costume designer won an Oscar: this point to the fact that the characters’ costumes are well thought out. They fit the occasion and purpose. For instance, Monroe is an astounding beauty with classical beauty, sensual and charming and Orry-Kellydid not fail in dressing her in her roles. All through the film, she donned a series of seductive costumes that revealed her natural curves. Ultimately, Kelly got the award since his costumes successfully emphasized Monroe’s sexual charm but was not taken for nudity………………
