Ana de Armas in “Blonde” (Courtesy of Plan B Entertainment)
Andre Dominiquethe last movie of “Blond,has sparked controversy since its very first announcement. The 166-minute NC-17 film is based on Joyce Carol Oates novel of the same name which reimagines the life of film industry legend Norma Jean Baker, better known as Marilyn Monroe. Rather than a biopicthe film, now available on netflixis meant to be an interpretation of Monroe’s internal emotions and impressions.
Well-deserved controversy
The film begins with a young Norma Jean being physically and emotionally abused by her mentally ill mother. While we know Gladys Baker was diagnosed with schizophrenia and was too ill to raise Monroe, it is unknown if the abuse ever reached the level depicted in the film. Either way, Dominik’s depiction of the mentally ill rocking back and forth, screaming in straitjackets, or staring blankly is incredibly offensive and downright unoriginal.
“Blonde” was also called for handling Monroe’s miscarriages and abortions in the worst way possible. There are little evidence Monroe once had an abortion beyond rumors, although we know she had multiple miscarriages and yearned for children. “Blonde” doesn’t claim to be historically accurate, but the film goes so far as to include a CGI fetus who blames Monroe for previous abortions, saying, “You won’t hurt me this time, will you? ” This scene is not only offensive, but it is also just plain weird.
Beyond the CGI baby, the film is visually spectacular. Several scenes reflect famous photographs of the star, building fictional context and sentiment for the scene. Ana de Armas Perfectly captures Monroe’s eerie and seductive facial expressions in Monroe’s signature makeup style. There were times when de Armas looked so much like him that I found myself stopping to check that he wasn’t really the legend himself. De Armas was incredibly dedicated to the role. His Cuban accent comes through quite strongly at times, but I can say with confidence that his presence was one of the few shining lights in an otherwise dark film.
Men don’t pay attention to girls who aren’t miserable
The film takes a Freudian approach to Monroe’s life, essentially saying that everything she did was because she didn’t know who her father was. Monroe only refers to her lovers, always older men, as “Dad”, and although it was a slang term at the time and Monroe uses it in some of her roles, its use in the film is too much on the nose.
“Blonde” is meant to be stylized, feminist reinvent Monroe’s life. But the film only seems interested in rehashing the old story of the tragic, beautiful, and abused starlet that’s both overhyped and fairly inaccurate. There is hardly a scene in the film where de Armas is not on the verge of tears or already crying; you could turn it into a pretty dangerous drinking game.
The third act further exploits Monroe’s trauma by turning her mental illness into an arthouse horror film with levels of unnecessary ’80s nudity. rise to the producer who overworked and underpaid her and got the raise she deserved. In “Blonde”, the same man rapes her.
When asked why the film ignored Marilyn’s work against McCarthyism and segregation or her production company, Dominik simply replied, “OK, she took control away from the men in the studio, because, you know, the women are just as powerful as men. But it’s really looking at it through a lens that doesn’t really interest me. The lens that Dominik finds interesting seems to be the same one that Lana Del Rey used to make her”National anthem” music video — depression is sexy and women’s lives revolve exclusively around men. I suppose 2014 Tumblr sad girls really come back.
Dominik is not a girl’s best friend
Marilyn Monroe was a woman who captivated a generation and survived largely through an overly sexualized image splashed across T-shirts and Playboy magazines. But Norma Jean Baker has been picked up by countless people who sympathize with her struggles and triumphs. We don’t need “Blonde”. Save yourself the insane runtime and just go watch a real Marilyn Monroe movie.
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