Netflix: 5 facts about “Blonde”, the film about Marilyn Monroe starring Ana de Armas

Netflix revealed the first trailer for “Blonde”, a fictional series about the life of Marilyn Monroestarring Anne of Armsdirected by Andrew Dominik (“Killing Them Softly”) and based on the novel of the same name by Joyce Carol Oates.

“Blonde” paints a fictional portrait of the model, actress, and singer’s life, chronicling her journey from Norma Jeane Baker, abused daughter of a single mother, to the world’s most sought-after celebrity.

“Andrew’s ambitions were very clear from the beginning: to present a version of Marilyn Monroe’s life through her lens,” says Ana de Armas.

“I wanted the world to experience what it really feels like to be not only Marilyn, but also Norma Jeane. I discovered that she was the most daring, unapologetic, feminist version of her story that she had ever seen.”.

Imagining what might have transpired behind closed doors gave Dominik the opportunity to delve into Monroe’s inner psyche. “She is deeply traumatized, and that trauma requires a split between a public self and a private self, which is everyone’s story, but with a famous person, which often plays out publicly, in ways that can cause additional trauma,” says Dominic. . “The movie is very concerned with the relationship with herself and with this other personality, Marilyn, who is both her armor and what threatens to consume her.”

Just like in the novel, Blonde Meticulously recreates iconic moments from Monroe’s life and career, including her spectacular performance of “Diamonds Are A Girl’s Best Friend” in the 1953 Howard Hawks musical Los Angeles. gentlemen prefer blondes , but he also takes dramatic license with his life. features characters that are based on historical figures as well as amalgamations of people he might have known. The film’s strong supporting cast includes Adrien Brody as the playwright, Bobby Cannavale as the former athlete, and Julianne Nicholson as Norma Jeane’s mother.

“We worked on this film for hours, every day for almost a year,” recalls de Armas. “I read Joyce’s novel, I studied hundreds of photographs, videos, audio recordings, movies, everything I could get my hands on. Each scene is inspired by an existing photograph. We carefully examined every detail of the photo and discussed what was happening in it. The first question was always: ‘What was Norma Jeane feeling here?’ We wanted to tell the human side of her story. Fame is what made Marilyn the most visible person in the world, but it also made Norma the most invisible.”

De Armas’ commitment to Blonde she was tireless, spending between two and a half to three hours doing her hair and makeup each morning of the film’s 47 days of shooting before arriving on set to work on a series of emotionally wrenching scenes. His fearless and multifaceted performance constantly impressed Dominik. “I was very lucky to have Ana because she could do anything,” says Dominik. “She was so good. She would come so fast. Her feelings were so under her skin, and whatever he said to her, she really understood. The scenes always came to life because Ana was there.”

Although early reports have focused on the NC-17 rating of BlondeDominik says the material’s larger and more complex themes — the human cost of the Hollywood system, the power and dangers of female sexuality, the lifelong impact of childhood trauma — demanded an unflinching focus.

“The movie is sincere. It is made with love. It is made with good intentions. But at the same time it’s full of rage,” says Dominik, “I seem to get into these situations where people find me provocative, but it’s never what I’m trying to do. I’m just trying to say it as clearly as I can. My ambition is to make you fall in love with Marilyn.”

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