I know this film was released a few weeks ago (September 28, 2022 on Netflix) and may not be as fresh in people's minds as other newer releases. But Blonde has become polarizing enough with critics and viewers that I had to prepare my own comments.
First of all, it's important to remember Blonde is adapted from a novel of the same name by Joyce Carol Oates first published in 1999. This novel is more like a work of historical fiction, because it blends real-life historical events of Marilyn Monroe's life with imagined private conversations and explorations of personal relationships we will never know the truth about. In this mixture of fact and fantasy, Blonde is reminiscent of last year's historical fiction film, Spencer and even the 2018 film, The Favourite.
With much of Blonde relying on creative license, it goes in a surprisingly very dark direction. Our main character endures a mentally abusive mother, sexual assaults, abusive marriages and failed pregnancies. All this subject matter, along with a lot of female nudity, easily gives this film an NC-17 rating. And a film with this rating is not a film for everyone. Having a running time of two hours and 47 minutes, I understand this movie is long and has a lot of tragedy and sadness thrust upon viewers. That can be too much for some people.
Blonde has zero comic relief and no moments of levity. But its consistent solemnity helped me understand this film is not a biopic, not a tribute to Marilyn Monroe's life, or not even a cautionary tale on the dangers of Hollywood. In fact, Blonde is a horror film that gives an unflinching, plaintive look at the terrors of the male gaze and the traditions of objectifying women. Much of the film is covered in grim shadows and black and white coloring.
Marilyn Monroe sees phantoms from her past and talks with some of them as they haunt her through the years of her fame as a 1950s movie star. (One of these haunting scenes shows Marilyn having an inner conversation with her unborn child.....who is nervously hoping to survive.) A frightening scene in an operating room with Marilyn undergoing a "procedure" shows an impressively frenzied yet well-sustained tension. During a slow-motion scene on a red carpet, flashbulbs and adoring fans are overshadowed by a crowd of ravenous men; their mouths agape with an entitled, predatory desire.
This film's technical brilliance should also not be forgotten. The scenes of Marilyn's famous films Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (1953) and Some Like It Hot (1959), as well as the trailer for her dramatic turn in Niagra (1953), are recreated with so much precision, I honestly thought for a moment I was watching those actual films.
From innocence to rage and woundedness to a dreamy yearning, Ana de Armas (No Time to Die, 2021) is so incredibly authentic as Marilyn Monroe. From her breezy hair to her breathy voice, her transformation is a masterful sight to behold and a strong shot for an Oscar nomination. So many close-ups of her face show her internal fears and anxieties battling with her desperate need to be loved. So many people looked at Marilyn Monroe when she was alive, but so few people actually saw her. Blonde may not be an easy film to watch, but it's an incisive representation of the #MeToo movement and will get people talking.
