Patricia Grisafi: Marilyn Monroe is everything golden and grotesque about the star system even today. But what often gets lost in the mythologizing is her humanity. - NBCNewsTHINK
are some of the most powerful — allowing Monroe to be seen as an artist with uncanny talent and passion.
In these moments of creative agency, Monroe demonstrates that she is a genius and a hard worker. She is committed to her art and that gives her life meaning. These glimpses, however, are limited. In one telling episode, Monroe apparently presents a monologue that brings the initially unimpressed Playwright to tears — but the audience doesn’t get to watch her recite it. We see The Playwright’s reaction, not the acting that so deeply moved him.
I’m not saying films about Marilyn Monroe must be filled with butterflies and sunshine, or that art should never be difficult or emotionally disturbing. Rather, I’m saying that it’s important to honor each part of this woman’s life, even in a movie based on fiction. Instead of only lingering on her body in pain, linger on her body in power, too. Embrace a more holistic narrative.
We are ultimately left with a bleak vision of Monroe’s life, albeit one that, perhaps due to de Armas’ acting more than the script itself, is still affecting. How much more moving and thought-provoking this film could have been had it kept Monroe’s trauma in its true proportion instead of blowing it up in yet another portrait of exploitation.Patricia Grisafi, Ph.D., is a freelance writer and editor.
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