Blonde presents Marilyn Monroe as a never-ending victim. It’s not hard to fathom the horrors and anguish that Norma Jeane Mortenson may have experienced as an actor trying to make it in Hollywood in the 1950s and 1960s given her status as one of Hollywood’s sex symbols.
Marilyn Monroe experienced abuse and was frequently judged only on the basis of her physical allure. Many people both loved and hated her. That love is portrayed in Blonde as an obsession.
Although some may consider director Andrew Dominik’s interpretation of Marilyn Monroe life daring, it’s difficult to believe that anyone could have made this film if they didn’t view Marilyn as nothing more than a sex object and a never-ending victim.
Blonde only perceives Norma Jeane Mortenson as one of many things that she was. She is there to be abused, left behind, beaten, used, and raped — all in full view of the camera — because she lacks agency.She treats the camera with the same contempt as the men in Monroe’s life do for her.
This movie is the best illustration of the male gaze if you’ve ever wanted to learn what it looks like. It holds a doctorate in male gaze. Given that Monroe spent her whole life in the spotlight of men, effectively being tied to a stereotype she wished to break free from, perhaps on some level this might fit a movie about her.
A Film for Men Who Despise Women
With its overwhelming use of nudity, Blonde never seems to be making a statement. For nearly a third of the film, Ana de Armas is topless; in the majority of these sequences, she is by herself or lost in thought.Marilyn Monroe is being used as a sex object at this time. Even the most horrifying of these scenes tend to sexualize her by framing her from an exploitation-oriented position.
Marilyn Monroe resembles a rag doll in her other scenes rather than a real person. She is being moved against her will as she is kicked and screamed while pleading for compassion. It feels distinctly like this is a movie made for a man who hates women and wants to see successful, talented women get punished. The kind of viewer who will eat this movie up is that one.