Sunday 2 October 2022

Reflections on ... Blonde (2022)


/ Pictured: Marilyn Monroe photographed by Ben Ross, 1953 /

Quick thoughts on Blonde (2022), Andrew Dominik’s ultra-divisive speculative Marilyn Monroe Netflix biopic. Because you MUST have an opinion and post it, right? 

It’s not a routine biopic, thank God. Rather, it’s a nightmarish hallucinatory swoon through the degradation and suffering of Marilyn Monroe. In Dominik’s interpretation, Marilyn’s life was nothing but uninterrupted relentless torment and you are forced to wallow in it. And it’s almost three punishing hours. I persisted until the bitter end, but I was eventually just willing it to END! 

Objectively, though, this is virtuoso adventurous film-making with moments worthy of David Lynch (one friend has compared Blonde to Inland Empire, another to Mulholland Drive. Blonde definitely presents Marilyn as a doomed Laura Palmer figure). 

Lead actress Ana de Armas is astonishing. The recreations of Marilyn’s onscreen performances are eerie and spectacular.  De Armas’ finest moment: she’s a weeping mess but must perform. Seated at the make-up table she “summons” in the mirror the smiling, radiant Marilyn persona. It’s spine-tingling. But interestingly, for me the stand-out performance is from Julieanne Nicholson as her abusive mother. 

My favourite online review was via theehorsepussy on Tumblr: 

“I’m 2 hours into this Marilyn Monroe movie and I don't know if I can make it much further. There is still 45 more minutes of degradation to endure and I'm exhausted. What's the safe word, Daddy? The movie is real arty and all with its play on the whole iconography and the actress is surprisingly excellent. But if she doesn't have an Eraserhead baby by the end of this, I'm gonna be sorely disappointed.” 

Finally, I never want to see a “from-the-womb” camera POV again. Blonde is a must for aficionados of onscreen vomiting scenes. The Sex Symbol (1974) with Connie Stevens and Shelley Winters is a lot more fun (and less traumatic).


3 comments:

  1. Thanks for the warning. I shan't "go there", then. Jx

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    1. I don't want to discourage anyone from watching Blonde. It *is* a genuine experience - but problematic / disturbing!

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  2. I avoid these artistic bios. I find the nature of celebrity to be incredibly ugly and degrading anyway, which is why I don't watch award shows or talent shows. Ever since I made it through Requiem For A Dream I have also been leery of artistic forays into the depths of humankind. Sorry... I'd rather laugh. That said... I dutifully found and watched Dear Dead Delilah and have been reliving certain scenes in my head. I found the acting quite workable... the cinematography poor - couldn't frame a scene to save their soul, and the direction well-meant, but unfocused. It's a shame, because the dialogue was a scream! Kizzes.

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