In this post, we will look at an early classic neo-noir and slow-burn thriller, directed by Henry Hathaway, starring Marilyn Monroe in a deliciously wicked role. True to its name, it is set on the Canadian side of Niagara Falls, where a couple on a delayed honeymoon meets a dysfunctional couple, turning their vacation into a living nightmare.

Filmed in rich Technicolor, the movie is a visual treat, with awe-inspiring footage of the falls and the charms of Monroe. The movie opens with scenes depicting the furious waters of the falls and the surreal scenery around it. A scowling man, George Loomis (Joseph Cotten), in a miserable mood, drenched from the waters, walks back to his motel. As he enters his cabin at a resort, his ravishing wife, Rose (Monroe), pretends to be asleep, adding to his despair.

Elsewhere, a salesman Ray Cutler (Casey Adams) and his wife Polly (Jean Peters) make it past customs and are on their delayed honeymoon. The Cutlers then arrive at the same resort where George and Rose Loomis are staying.

After a series of incidents, the couples get acquainted. The Cutlers realize that all is not well with the Loomises. George is permanently depressed. On one occasion, while the Cutlers are on a guided tour of the falls, Polly sees Rose passionately kissing another man. On another occasion, at a social gathering at the resort, a provocatively dressed Rose makes herself the center of attention by strutting around the area and playing the song “Kiss” on the gramophone.

George, unable to control his emotions, storms over to the gramophone, tears off the record, and breaks it with his hands, cutting himself. Polly notices that Rose is indifferent and volunteers to bandage the bruise.

George, who is suffering more from emotional pain than the cut, vents to Polly and Ray about Rose’s callous attitude towards him and her flirtatious ways with younger men. He also narrates the tale of how they met.

Rose tells the Cutlers that George is not stable, hinting that he had stayed at a mental facility after the Korean War. It is soon revealed that Rose is making sinister plans by conspiring with her younger lover Patrick.

She leaves the cabin on a false pretext, knowing that the jealous George will follow her. She lures him to a tourist tunnel near the falls, where Patrick is hiding, waiting to kill George, and then returns to her cabin. When she hears the song “Kiss” played from the Rainbow Tower, she assumes it is a signal from Patrick that he has killed George. She then frantically tells the Cutlers that George is missing and that he was not in a stable state of mind.

Soon, she is brought in by the police to identify George’s body. She is in for a surprise. Events will now unfold that will place Rose and the Cutlers in mortal danger. The climax of the movie is a riveting chase on the turbulent waters of Niagara, impressive even by contemporary standards.

“Niagara” is a slow burner, entrusting the magnificent scenic falls and the charms of the inimitable Marilyn Monroe to keep the audience’s attention while the plot sets the stage for intense events to follow. Both the falls and Monroe deliver in this regard, making the movie an all-time classic.

Hathaway incorporates many elements of classic film noir. Marilyn Monroe is at her seductive best, playing Rose, the quintessential femme fatale. Cotten plays the brooding male who has served in the war, another facet of film noir movies. Finally, the cinematography from Joe MacDonald masterfully blends nocturnal light and shadow effects with light from the falls, enhancing the visual experience.

“Niagara” is a timeless classic and a visual treat for all fans of noir.