Movie Review: “Blonde” (2022) – UCSD Guardian

The woefully inaccurate however stunningly stunning “Blonde” (2022) managed to spark controversy for its discourse; nonetheless, a very good portion of the criticism appears to be a lot ado about nothing. Thus, with a fine-toothed comb and a magnifying glass, senior author Fabian Garcia breaks down what “Blonde” is de facto making an attempt to say, with perhaps just a few bumps alongside the best way.

The second try at adapting Joyce Carol Oates’s 2000 novel “Blonde” comes within the type of Netflix’s latest authentic film of the identical identify. Already making headlines for its uncommon NC-17 score, the high-profile launch was additional underscored by public response towards the subject material of the movie and the character of the primary topic’s adaptation on display. Regardless of this, these concerned with the movie keep that their portrayal of Marilyn Monroe (Ana De Armas) is a piece of fiction, nothing extra. Is it attainable that the borrowed identify from the hallmark movie actress is de facto meant to behave as a vessel for what’s doubtlessly a deeper narrative about Hollywood and the idea of the actor itself? Is it equally attainable that the lengthy journey to get to these arguments is riddled with blunders extra frequent than one would favor? Sure, all the above.

“Blonde” has nothing to cover. It at all times reveals its hand proper earlier than it begins to play, insistent on telegraphing precisely what the character onscreen is feeling whether or not it’s by means of unfathomable digital camera methods or not-so-subtle visible metaphors. Facet ratios bend and flex liberally and palettes change from technicolor to monochrome on the drop of a hat.

As Monroe feels trapped in her spiral of vitriol and exploitation, immediately the body tightens round her face, and the facet ratio bins itself in, the greyscale pictures emphasizing the poignant shadows solid throughout her face. A protracted shot presents a ravenous theater applauding the display earlier than them, Monroe middle stage, the body outstretched as extensive as attainable in full and wonderful coloration. Whereas these are fundamental conventions and used accordingly, they’re usually broad strokes when in comparison with the trivialities of what’s actually taking place.

Probably the most outstanding dilemma that “Blonde” faces is the sheer proven fact that there are solely so some ways to speak the identical feeling, the identical emotion, with out teetering into territory that feels gratuitous and grotesque. Author and director Andrew Dominik’s treatment for this challenge is bloating the movie stuffed with fairly photos and cutting-edge cinematography in an effort to keep a constant aesthetic language — an antibiotic to a contagious superbug. In opposition to all odds, “Blonde” makes it attainable to show a degree a bit too properly. A slightly moot level at that.

Cinematographer Chayse Irvin has labored on many music movies and music movies up to now, together with Beyonce’s “Lemonade” movie and Sampha’s “Course of” quick, and it might seem he’s taken quite a lot of these sensibilities and utilized them to “Blonde” in an overt trend. There’s a noticeable quantity of care put into crafting the world of “Blonde,” with every scene deftly created to look as beautiful as humanly attainable. A brand new gimmick is consistently being utilized in an effort to talk some underlying temper, very similar to you’ll see in a high-budget music video.

A SnorriCam rig is used to speak emotional misery in two completely different scenes. A well-positioned mirror shot options Norma Jeane begging Monroe to “come again” proper earlier than a dramatic shift happens between the sobbing face of Norma Jeane and sunny disposition of Monroe. A hazy filter and shallow lens is utilized to Monroe proper earlier than her abortion to visually categorical her absentia. The apparent nods to the ever-surrealist tendencies of David Lynch are a intelligent homage however an equally pale imitation. The movie depends so closely on visuals alone to convey what are, in all honesty, very simple sentiments. It’s not an inherently obnoxious factor, however slightly a second that’s by no means correctly seized. To reiterate, if graded on appears to be like alone, “Blonde” would stand in a league of its personal, however sadly, that isn’t the case right here.

There are severe ramifications for leaving the extra profound ideas to be spoon-fed to the viewers in ham-fisted methods. The writing too usually suffers from showing correctly disingenuous. Monroe whispers to her aborted fetus about her lapsed being pregnant in a scene that feels uncharacteristically supernatural. She habitually struggles to fulfill the calls for of males she seeks validation from because of an absent father determine. She feels the necessity to show her value both sexually or intellectually to her face-warped followers. There’s a evident lack of subtlety and nuance in articulating these notions, which in some circumstances comes throughout as if Dominik thinks the viewers is simply too silly to grasp what’s actually occurring.

As well as, not a lot is completed to flesh out the abuse the movie capitalizes on. There isn’t a catharsis to this obvious idée fixe “Blonde” has with mistreatment. We watch her grow to be victimized, we are able to see issues aren’t proper, and we are able to empathize with what’s taking place to her, however nothing extra is being stated or mediated. In its close to three-hour runtime, the message it carries may be diminished to a couple sentences, not to mention the thousand phrases an image deserves.

With all that stated, is it honest to say these flaws come throughout as disrespectful? Effectively, the reply isn’t all that straightforward. Marilyn Monroe is handled as a personality, and Norma Jeane correctly follows go well with. But, the bulk has discovered that this route has in some way bastardized the individual it’s based mostly on, despite the fact that it’s sarcastically not any completely different from what the general public has already executed to Norma Jeane Baker as an individual. Above all else, the movie contends the truth that a story has already hooked up itself to Norma Jeane whether or not we prefer it or not. What the movie seeks to do is blur that line additional. Dominik alleges we are going to by no means really know who Marilyn Monroe is, or was, nor do we actually need to.

In distinction to the assorted themes of the movie, nothing substantial about Monroe’s precise life or profession is explicitly revealed to the viewer. “Blonde” assumes you already know all the things about her, however in actuality, we’re solely getting snapshots of the well-known star, recognizable items everyone seems to be sure to affiliate and determine with. It opts to recontextualize these moments in a brand new mild, in contrast to an actual biopic which might current them as a definitive truth. Watching “Blonde” play out is like taking a look at these pictures you’d see of Marilyn Monroe on temper boards or 50s-themed diners and creating the story round them, tracing the road that finally fell to the arms of destiny. On this case, the movie excels at utilizing these references, nonetheless very similar to its different subtleties, or lack thereof, they don’t at all times land fairly how they’re meant to. It’s not simple to determine with somebody based mostly on iconography alone. Though, to Armas’s credit score, she does promote the appear and feel of Marilyn Monroe to an uncanny diploma, sufficient to the place these moments of weak point may proceed to droop your disbelief.

For what it’s value, “Blonde” doesn’t appear involved with being an ultra-realistic, true-to-form biopic in regards to the convoluted lifetime of Marilyn Monroe. It additionally doesn’t appear excited by being a neo-feminist condemnation of Hollywood and the abuse actresses suffered throughout this era, nor does it actually have to be. As an alternative, we now have a hyper-stylized portrait of psychosis, the drama of a Hollywood Star misunderstood, misappropriated, and minimized. It’s way more content material with being a metaphor of itself. Monroe laments that every one films do is “reduce, reduce, reduce,” and in observe that does usually appear to be the case for “Blonde.”

In most circumstances, Monroe’s ache looks like a spectacle, which does make it simple to interpret the movie as exploitative and borderline disrespectful. Nonetheless, that narrative can’t assist however really feel a bit cut-and-dry beside the unmistakable polish utilized to a lot of the movie.

Very like David Fincher in his 2020 characteristic “Mank,” Dominik had the unattainable job of recreating 1950’s Hollywood within the modern-day. It’s a feat simpler stated than executed and was achieved virtually flawlessly. It’s exhausting to disclaim Armas’ compelling potential to channel Monroe. She isn’t a carbon copy, however as an alternative captures the essence of a timeless film star, and you may’t assist however really feel such as you’re watching her grace the silver display as soon as once more. The plethora of breathtaking photographs all through the movie appears to be like virtually one-of-a-kind, if not a bit intoxicating. Distilling the work to a meek sexploitation movie is grossly dismissive.

“Blonde” goes means above the decision of responsibility however manages to overlook just a few of its marks, every of which varies in significance. Did the world of cinema actually need this depiction of Marilyn Monroe as a helpless sufferer? Are we actually simply including to the noise? Not essentially. Not in contrast to how Norma Jeane is trapped in “Blonde,” the real-life Norma Jeane is ceaselessly confined to the collective reminiscence of society: the head intercourse image of Hollywood’s golden age, recognized for taking part in a “dumb blonde,” regardless of by no means really being both of these issues. In an all too merciless and customary twist, the very fact of the matter is, even actual life may be inaccurate.

Grade: B-
Directed by: Andrew Dominik
Starring: Ana De Armas, Adrien Brody
Launch Date: September 16, 2022
Rated: NC-17

Picture courtesy of Netflix