A look at the rise to fame and the epic demise of actress Marilyn Monroe, one of the biggest stars in the world.
When word came out that Cuban actress Ana de Armas would portray Marilyn Monroe in the fictionalized biopic “Blonde,” fans were divided, but as soon as photos emerged of de Armas as the blonde vixen, those fears were laid to rest. While the film is a dramatization of the inner life of Marilyn Monroe, de Armas is mesmerizing in the lead role. She depicts Monroe perfectly; from her signature bleach blonde hair to her famed breathy speaking voice, she captures Monroe’s personal characteristics and idiosyncrasies flawlessly.
It’s a pity I can’t say the same about the movie because while the story focuses on specific moments from Monroe’s life, from her childhood to her death, a lot of important information is deliberately omitted. In “Blonde,” Monroe is presented as a dumb blonde, an attribute she portrayed in many of her films, but in reality, she was a brilliant woman who founded her own production company, Marilyn Monroe Productions, stating she was tired of playing the same sexy roles and wanted to concentrate more on dramatic films.
“Blonde” does cover a lot of Monroe’s life, but most of the narrative is told from her perspective, her inner voice, so a lot of what we see and hear is purely speculative. Much of what transpires onscreen happened in real life; her early days as a model and subsequent transition into movies, her marriages to Joe DiMaggio and Arthur Miller, her interactions with John F. Kennedy (although the scene we witness is up for debate), but her inner monologue is entirely fictional, and as a result, you begin to question what really happened and what did not.
Director Andrew Dominik constantly changes the screen’s aspect ratio, from 1.00:1 to 1.37:1 to 1.85:1 and 2.39:1, obviously wanting to duplicate some of Monroe’s more iconic moments; black and white for when she posed over the updraft of the New York subway grating while filming “The Seven Year Itch,” glorious widescreen color for her memorable “Diamond’s Are a Girl’s Best Friend” performance in “Gentleman Prefer Blondes,” and back to black and white again for her comic interactions with Jack Lemmon on the set of “Some Like It Hot.” The frequently shifting aspect ratios are a little bothersome, especially early on, but as the story progresses, you become accustomed to it, and after a while, you don’t even notice it.
While de Armas portrays Monroe magnificently, many of her co-stars follow suit; Adrien Brody and Bobby Cannavale are the spitting images of Arthur Miller and Joe DiMaggio, respectively, and when they are onscreen, side by side with de Armas, it’s sometimes impossible to comprehend that they are actors and not their real-life counterparts. One of the significant controversies surrounding “Blonde” is the film’s NC-17 rating. While there is nudity throughout, it is not hardcore, so the NC-17 rating might have been given, or requested by the filmmakers, to elevate the film’s status, and if that was the intent, it has worked; the so-called nudity is all some people are talking about. The rating is for bare breasts, a rape scene between JFK and Marilyn, and a vaginal point-of-view shot that is more artistic than sensational. An R-rating would have sufficed, but because of its new rating, it is guaranteed to attract a bigger audience.
In the end, “Blonde” is more fictional than factual, an assortment of real-life scenarios blended with imaginary ones, and as the film nears the end of its two-hour and forty-six-minute runtime, you realize you have learned absolutely nothing new about Norma Jeane Mortenson, aka Marilyn Monroe, because if the filmmakers can haphazardly deliver fictitious, and at times, even slanderous narratives, and fabricated personal recollections that, as far as we know, never existed, then the veritable scenarios presented could also fall under scrutiny, especially from those not familiar with Ms. Monroe, and then history turns into imagined history, and all becomes hazy. Ana de Armas articulates almost every emotion known, and I would be shocked if she were not at least nominated for an Oscar come awards season.
“Blonde” will release globally on Netflix Wednesday, September 28th
