marilyn would be horrified at this. even knowing how apparently offensive this was, even if it weren’t about marilyn, this thing is trite and overly peppered with a myriad of stylistic choices that bog down any possibility for a successful narrative, a explo of trauma porn led by an indirect storyline that only begs work from the cinematographer and the constant, constant tears of de armas. this is maybe the biopic of biopics, the perfect tragic portrait for those who expect the horrible worst of all the historic victims they worship, hoping to glimpse in not only into the dealing with the strife but the strife itself (in this case, repeated rape, abortion and generally abuse). abuse filtered, cropped, lit, dressed, zoomed in on and filmed for the big screen.

this had some nice cinematic moments, i’ll admit, when the cinematography was undoubtedly incredible and the score was excellent, when there were lines that i could take seriously. but that is a coincidence from the abundance of mediocrity that fills the rest of the film, most scenes feel created for the purpose of being used as a gif on tumblr.

now, blonde is not based on the real norma jean, which is hilarious because in blonde marilyn’s image overpowers norma and turns her life into huge lie and a huge mess, essentially tarnishing her real self, which is, exactly, how different from what this movie does to the real figure it is about? the aesthetics and the glamorized trauma and the fictional abortions and relationships and scenes of self-harm and so much more that are maybe speculated and definitely shoved onto marilyn to create what? a metaphor for the systematic abuse of women? to show how stardom isn’t worth it? i think this maybe the most egotistical and selfish film to exist.

on my screen i failed to see marilyn, but an imitation. ana was always in perfect makeup, even in her worst moments, screaming in distress. the worst of the worst scenes is horrendous and i don’t even know how a group of people decided to point a camera to it and film it. it is absolutely heinous and disrespects marilyn to the core. this entire film is disrespectful to marilyn and a complete waste. just a slideshow of pretentious filmmaking with no coherent narrative at all. the switch of ratio was nauseating. i don’t feel a shred of empathy from andrew dominik in this film, just a narcissistic work on the fictional and sometimes real abuse of a real woman pictured nude, beaten, raped, on hospital tables, doing drugs, cutting herself, and dying. what i felt at the end was nothing. norma jean was a human being full of life and passion and strength and love and this movie showed none of her humanity. i wish you people left her in peace already.