Overview
Blonde is a psychological drama film released in 2022 that was both written and directed by Andrew Dominik. The film is a fictionalized account of Monroe’s life, and it is based on the novel by Joyce Carol Oates published in 2000. Blonde features Ana de Armas as the titular character, and although it is referred to as a biopic, it is instead described as a haunting film that depicts the trauma and mythmaking surrounding one of Hollywood’s most celebrated stars.
The film became available for streaming in September 2022, but within days, it generated controversy over its use of graphic content, artistic interpretation, and its narration style. In addition to receiving accolades for Blonde’s leading performance and cinematography, the movie also faced backlash due to its framing of Monroe as a timeless victim which sparked significant discourse on ethical concerns surrounding biographical depiction.
Plot Summary
The narrative of Blonde is non-linear, intertwining real events with dreams and imagined sequences. It begins with the protagonist’s destabilizing childhood, portraying a mentally ill mother and a mythologized absent father, idealized by the child. Such early trauma is depicted as formative to the emotional dysregulation and intense love-deprived longing for connection experienced by Norma Jeane.
The film depicts Monroe as a woman split between her public persona and private anguish as she transforms into Marilyn Monroe and emerges into full-blown adulthood. She appears to be perpetually battling the inflexible molds that are thrust upon her by studios, lovers, fans, and even herself. Monroe is presented dealing with a succession of toxic relationships, including unnamed representations of actual people: “The Playwright” (Arthur Miller), “The Ex-Athlete” (Joe DiMaggio), and “The President” (John F. Kennedy).
Within the scope of the film, we observe the gradual disintegration of self-concept experienced by Norma Jeane. Her sense of reality becomes overtaken by pervasive guilt, hallucinations, and grief. She incessantly converses with her inner child while searching hopelessly for a paternal figure who never came. Her escalating desperation to be truly seen and unconditionally loved as Norma Jeane instead of a projection of the domineering idolized figure of Marilyn pushes her further into suffering. The film concludes with her portraying an overdose death as the inescapable consequence of a life inexorably defined by exploitation and abandonment.
Ana de Armas’ portrayal of Marilyn Monroe
Ana de Armas’s portrayal of Marilyn Monroe captures deep emotional layers of the character. With a mix of fragility and ferocity, she embodies the struggle of Norma Jeane’s innocence colliding with the sexualized version of herself, Marilyn Monroe. De Armas’s work is painfully expressive, almost too much to bear at times. Vocal mannerisms and body language drew acclaim beyond expectation, a surprise consideration being her Cuban roots and initial skepticism about her casting stemming from it.
Navigating emotionally distressing scenes depicting drug use, sexual assault, and profound personal loss, many of which are graphic and deeply troubling, poses a significant challenge to her. She embraces the pull of Monroe’s anguish and allure, often offering one of the most transformative performances of her career.
Recurring Motifs and Themes
Identity Fracture
Blonde’s defining and core theme is the interplay between Norma Jeane and Marilyn Monroe. It is exemplified through the film’s overemphasis on the duality; Monroe is a fabrication, a mask, layered upon Jeane by her to navigate the treacherous waters of fame. As the narrative unfolds, the divides between the two identities erode, resulting in utter mental collapse.
Fame as a Nightmare
Blonde subverts the traditional celebratory biopic by treating fame like a horror show. The adoration bestowed upon Monroe is cruelly dehumanizing. Monroe is relegated to the status of a fantasy figure who is only used, discarded, and never cared for as a real human being. Instead of empowerment, fame becomes a trap that isolates Monroe from meaningful connection.
Abuse and Exploitation
Monroe endures multiple forms of abuse throughout the movie—emotional, sexual, and professional. From lecherous studio executives to possessive lovers and political figures, the film depicts a woman perpetually vulnerable to men who desire to dominate, shape, and annihilate her. These disturbing sequences serve the film’s bleak vision of gender, power dynamics, and celebrity.
Longing for Father and Family
Monroe’s haunting motif is an absent father that perpetually eludes her grasp, and letters from a man claiming to be her father deepen her suffering. The anguish resulting from abandonment gives rise to her sense of self-worth and her relationships with men, who serve as potential guardians or figures of the father she longed for, instead of the protector she yearns for.
Visual Style and Direction
Andrew Dominik utilizes a stylized, often oscillating between color and black-and-white, surreal imagery, and modifying aspect ratios. Dominik’s film does not adhere to the standard biopic format. Rather, it ingrains the audience into Monroe’s crumbling psyche. Fragments of scenes are filled with disorientation and the sensation of dreaming, mirroring her confusion, fear, and emotional fragility.
Hollywood’s glamour and horror are both captured within Monroe’s constrained, polished wide shots. Breathtaking, poised captures of her on the red carpets stand in stark contrast to her breakdowns, drug-induced hallucinations, and traumatic flashbacks, which are stark, claustrophobic, and grotesque. These contrasts accentuate the idea that Monroe’s public persona was a performance, bearing little resemblance to her true self.
Reception and Controversy
In 2022, Blonde became one of the most controversial films to release. While critics loved visual storytelling and Ana de Armas’s performance, the film’s emphasis on suffering sparked controversy. Critics condemned the film for dehumanizing Monroe by portraying her life as a mere cycle of victimhood and despair.
Some audiences accused the film of exploiting Monroe’s trauma instead of honoring her legacy, especially given the work’s fictionalized nature. Others noted the omission of her notable accomplishments, the insights, along with her self-awareness. There was also significant debate regarding the film’s NC-17 rating for the sexual assault and nudity scenes.
Supporters of the film countered that it was never intended to be a biography, but instead a psychological horror film about the myth of Marilyn Monroe—a tale used to warn about the pitfalls of fame rather than an accurate recounting of events.
Conclusion
As as mentioned issues with her portrayal, Blonde is not an easy film to watch. It is emotionally punishing, visually relentless, and deliberately incendiary. It dismantles Marilyn Monroe not only as a figure of stardom, but as an emblem—one ruthlessly crafted and destroyed by the unyielding trappings of fame, patriarchal systems, and elaborate fantasies. Ana de Armas delivers a career-defining performance in a film that offers no comfort or celebration. Whether labeled as artful or exploitative, Blonde compels viewers to grapple with the unsettling reality that lies beneath Hollywood’s gilded surface.
Watch Free Movies on Gomovies