In 1961 John Huston’s The Misfits was released. Despite the hefty star power attached, it was a commercial failure, and would be more known for being the final films for both its stars: Clark Gable and Marilyn Monroe.

It was a rare dramatic turn for Monroe, written by her then husband Arthur Miller from one of his short stories, that would gain critical acclaim, to the point it’s now considered a classic.

Now boasting a 4K restoration, it gets an opportunity to return to the big screen.

Finalising her divorce in Reno is Roslyn (Monroe). She’s staying with Isabelle (Thelma Ritter) who’s helping her out. They call out a mechanic, Guido (Eli Wallach), who they hope to buy her busted up brand new car, that got that way because men would drive into it, according to Isabelle, just to get Roslyn’s attention.

Guido can understand why, instantly smitten with her as he is, and offers to drive both of them into town.

It’s there that he bumps into them, in a bar, when he has his cowboy friend Gay (Gable) with him. He too finds Roslyn attractive, and Guido quickly invites them to his house he has in the country, and they agree to go.

It’s there that Roslyn and Gay’s relationship blossoms, as Roslyn finds herself staying there in a bid to find herself. It’s a dusty road that gets tricky however, with both of them coming from two very different worlds.

Monroe saved arguably her best performance ‘til last, in a film that could be considered a misfit itself within her filmography. And although her character had a similar trait to many of her others, playing a woman adored by the men around her, her Roslyn has more depth than that, with a more relatable vulnerability, rather than just the usual ditzy blonde that made her not just a star, but a screen icon.

Roslyn has a bewitching beauty, casting a spell over every man who drifts into her orbit. Her relationship with Gay is different, or so she believes, in that his mature age allows him to see past her beauty, and care for the real woman inside.

It’s difficult to get that nuance from Gable, whose Gay is clearly taken by Roslyn’s striking looks, as is everyone else, including Guido, and another young cowboy Perce, played by Montgomery Clift – who only had three further films himself after this one before dying from a heart attack the age of 45.

Huston gets some terrific performances from his entire cast, as he explored the masculinity that comes from being a cowboy, and how a stranger from out of town breaks through the stubborn barriers with a vulnerable sexuality. Surprisingly the age difference between Gable’s character and Monroe’s, isn’t raised at all, despite the more than obvious gap.

It’s finale may prove to be a difficult watch for some, with the rough treatment of a few ‘wild’ horses to prove a point, their wrangling is heavy handed making a strong cinematic statement.

Only two days after filming, Gable died of a heart attack, age 59. Monroe did manage to start another production, 1962’s unfinished Something’s Got to Give, before her highly scrutinised death at 36, in August, 1962.

This re-release is a truly wonderful opportunity to witness two Hollywood icons, up on the big screen where they belong, and although it may not be considered roles that they are known for, they deliver touching, heartfelt performances, doused with beauty, that only strengthen their legacies.