Bus Stop
Director: Joshua Logan
Year Released: 1956
Rating: 2.5
Man and woman shown at his and her most extreme: Man (Don Murray) as primal beast, dragging his mate through the mud by her hair; Female (Marilyn Monroe) as lounge-act 'whore,' unsure of what she wants and conflicted about the abuse/attention she receives. The two reach a very unlikely agreement here, but not until both are defeated: Female has to admit she's had past 'relationships' to Male and Male has to realize he can be defeated in hand-to-hand combat (he is merely human, after all). Murray is (purposely) irritating as the unbearable cowboy that lassos the animals/women; Monroe is the conflicted object of his desires. As with Picnic, another of Inge's plays, your reaction to it, like mine, may depend on how well you tolerate the scene chewing.
