Feel the passion!
In the interest of full disclosure, no one has ever considered The Prince and the Showgirl a must-see movie. Any movie featuring Laurence Olivier, one of the most respected thespians of all time, and Marilyn Monroe, who is…not, as a romantic comedy couple is probably better lost to the mists of time.
For the first thirty minutes, we watch as Olivier does his level best to date rape Monroe. As the titular Prince, he tries to make it with whatever hot piece of tail he stumbles across when visiting England. Monroe wardrobe malfunctions her way into his heart, so he plies her with alcohol, lies to her, and blocks the exits from his bedroom. At some point, Stockholm Syndrome sets in and Monroe is suddenly convinced she loves him.
By this time, the Prince has begun to have date raper’s remorse, since Monroe won’t shut up with that high-pitched giggly voice of hers. The stalker becomes the stalkee as Monroe keeps finding ways to impose herself on the Prince’s social circle before he’s forced to flee the country. Supposedly the Prince has fallen in love with her before he ditches her for eighteen months, but even Laurence Olivier can’t sell that.
Even beyond the awkward romance, the movie is inexplicable. Much of the movie deals with the political intrigue between the Prince and his son. The Prince’s son plans to overthrow him, but is convinced not to by Monroe, possibly just to quiet her bat squeals. Somehow the Prince says this happy turn of events could lead to civil war in the Balkans. Since this is 1911, the movie might be implying that Marilyn Monroe started World War I. For that theory alone, this weird little movie is worth a watch.
Rating: Must-see
Did I fast-forward: No. Muting is not the same as fast-forwarding.
Posted by dagrabbit 
