Niagara (1953)
Is another noir film but not so in the real sense as it is done in colour. To justify the use of colour, they highlighted the various dresses and the undressed form of America's favourite sex symbol, Marilyn Monroe. And of course, there is the picturesque full glory of the misty and rainbow filled Niagara Falls.
Marilyn Monroe takes the role of a conniving femme fatale wife who destroyed the life of her slightly older husband (Joseph Cotten, who had been seen in many Hitchcock and Wells' movies) to the brink of insanity.
A honeymooning couple (Mr and Mrs Cutler) lands in Niagara Falls just to find that the room that they booked is occupied by Mr and Mrs Loomis. Mr Loomis, who is apparently unwell, discharged from a mental hospital, was resting. Hence the Cutlers took another room instead.
The Cutlers noticed that Mrs Loomis was dressed to kill and was seen embraced in a passionate kiss with a younger man.
Mrs Loomis is actually planning to kill her husband with the help of her lover. She was painting the husband as a raving lunatic and make him appear like he had fallen off into Niagara Falls.
With a twist of events, the lover gets killed instead, and Mr Loomis goes on hiding. He returns to kill his estranged wife and create a lot of high tensions, excitement a speed boat, the strong currents and one of the seven wonders of the world in the background.
The story would not be classified under the same levels of classics like 'The Third Man' and 'Citizen Kane' but just another movie of a bygone era with fine actors who probably would not fade in the annals of time.
