“Blonde”: A Slap in the Face to Marilyn Monroe

By Brooke Manuel, Skyline Desk Chief

ALPINE – “Blonde” is a futile attempt to fictionalize the life of Marilyn Monroe, aka Norma Jeane Baker. Although the film includes some very accurate and raw facets of Monroe’s life, she was portrayed as something that she was most definitely not, weak.  

Netflix’s 2022 film “Blonde” paints Marilyn Monroe in a very ugly light, basically throwing dirt on the icon’s name. Monroe was an illustrious woman who was intelligent and powerful.  

Marilyn Monroe was a strong and determined woman who traversed the abuse, objectification and misogyny that was the film industry during the mid-20th century. “Blonde,” however, portrays Monroe solely as a mentally ill, unstable woman.  

Monroe did suffer from mental illness, but she is characterized in “Blonde” as merely a hysterical woman who cannot seem to keep it together. Instead of characterizing her this way, the screenwriter and director could have chosen to show how she became the most famous woman in American history despite her struggles with mental health.  

The most frustrating part of the film was the fact that Monroe was pictured half naked for a large percentage of the movie. Everyone already knows how beautiful she was, so why not focus on something other than objectifying her... Don’t even get me started on the disgusting scene of her performing oral sex on former President John F. Kennedy.  

The inclusion of Monroe being forced to have two abortions was mortifying as there is no evidence to back up whether this is accurate. I understand that the film is historical fiction, but why make that up? Abortion is a sensitive topic, and a forced abortion is an even more sensitive topic. In today’s society and after the recent overturn of Roe V. Wade, I find it extremely hard to believe that the abortions were included as anything more than anti-abortion propaganda. 

As for the highlights of the film, actress Ana de Armas’ performance and the artwork within the film were immaculate. 

De Armas did an amazing job of portraying America’s famous ‘blonde bombshell.’ As Monroe, De Armas is a delicate crystal glass that is already falling apart when we first meet her in the film. Throughout the movie, she teeters between Norma Jeane Baker and Marilyn Monroe living life almost as if she is two separate people. Towards the end of the movie, however, De Armas/Norma Jeane Baker begins to resist “becoming Marilyn.” She even goes as far as to say, “I’m a slave to this Marilyn Monroe.” 

“Blonde” did do a good job of showing the ‘normal’ side of Monroe. Deep down, Monroe just wanted to be able to live a normal life and be seen as an intelligible member of society instead of just a sex symbol.  

Another noteworthy facet of “Blonde” was the artwork that was weaved throughout the film. The way that the scenes alternate from black and white to color is unique and reminds the audience of the history of the story. During a sex scene that included Monroe and fictional versions of Charlie Chaplin Jr. and Eddy Robinson Jr., the actors’ bodies are melded together, and lines are blurred to the point of which viewers cannot tell who is who. I loved this scene because I saw it as symbolism of what happens to our souls when we give that part of ourselves over to someone else.  

Although De Armas does an amazing job of imitating Monroe, the movie is honestly just horrendous. This review really just hits the main points. Netflix should be embarrassed by the way they painted America’s ‘blonde bombshell.’