Address: Andrew Dominik
Translators: Ana de Armas, Bobby Canavale, Adrian Brody
premiere: 28.09.2022 (Netflix)
Joyce Carol Oates penned Blonde as a difficult, luminous novel that delves into the life of Marilyn Monroe, also known as Norma Jeane. The film adaptation, directed by Andrew Dominik, treats the source material as fiction infused with real elements rather than a straightforward biography of a famed American actress. Dominik pays homage to the landscapes and textures that define Oates’s narrative, while offering a cinematic meditation on the fragile, nervous, and often misunderstood persona that the public labeled as the dumb blonde. The story, though sprawling in its literary form, is distilled into a compelling visual journey that invites both reverence and scrutiny, making it one of the most provocative adaptations in recent cinema. The book itself runs to nearly a thousand pages, and the film distills its essence into a sweeping, 166 minute experience that still manages to feel intimate and piercing. The film presents Marilyn as a complex figure moving between vulnerability and control, a delicate balance that Dominik harnesses with precision and care. Blonde emerges as a visually arresting and deeply thoughtful interpretation that stands on its own while honoring Oates’s original vision.
Dominik experiments with a rich mix of cinematographic strategies, weaving together diverse tones and formats to mirror the multifaceted life of Marilyn Monroe. The camera shifts between square, panoramic, and wide scopes, alternating color with black and white to reflect moods, memories, and moments of perception. Early footage captures the tender and chaotic relationship between a young Norma Jeane and her unsettled mother, delivering a horror-infused cadence that unsettles the viewer. The sequence feels almost like a fever dream, a stark reminder that the world Marilyn inhabited was as fraught as any nightmare, a place where fame and fear often collided with a performer’s deepest insecurities.
A standout stretch in the film focuses on the triangular dynamics among Marilyn, Charles Chaplin Jr., and Edward G. Robinson Jr., the sons of famous actors who intersect with her life in ways that reveal desire, status, and the hunger for companionship. In these scenes, Dominik and the actors explore planes of longing that blend nostalgia with aspiration, capturing the tension of a celebrity era saturated with public fascination and private longing. The portrayal hints at a rare moment of happiness as Marilyn contemplates a possible trio with trusted friends who jokingly call themselves Los Dioscuros, a nod to mythic figures that underscores the myth-making surrounding her life while grounding the drama in human longing and risk.
Ana de Armas steps into the role with a bold blend of reverence and risk. She follows in the footsteps of actresses who previously inhabited Marilyn in film and television, drawing inspiration from performances by Theresa Russell, Michelle Williams, and others who tackled similar terrain. De Armas navigates the daunting task of translating a legend onto the screen with a blend of vulnerability and resolve. Her work is enhanced by intricate makeup and hair design that evoke Marilyn without becoming a mere impersonation. The performance invites a direct contact with the public memory of Marilyn while offering a fresh, interior perspective on her life. Dominik pushes the boundaries of conventional biopic storytelling by integrating De Armas into archival footage in ways that blur the line between past and present, reality and representation, inviting viewers to question what they see and how memory is constructed on screen. The result is a portrayal that feels alive and unsettled, anchored by strong emotional honesty and a willingness to embrace ambiguity. De Armas’s presence resonates beyond likeness, translating Marilyn’s perceived fragility into a lived, visceral experience that lingers long after the credits roll, making the performance a central achievement of the film.