Decoding Marilyn Monroe and her legacy in film and culture
When it comes to Hollywood icons, very few have obtained the level of fame and success that Marilyn Monroe reached. Even after all these years, Monroe is undoubtedly one of contemporary culture’s most legendary stars. Born Norma Jean on June 1st, 1926, the actor cemented herself into pop cultural DNA through her onscreen performances of comedic ‘blonde bombshell’ characters, a term synonymous with Monroe. From this, she became one of the most popular sex symbols of the 1950s and early 1960s. Film and society employed her as a statement badge for its re-assessment of sexual expression.
Furthermore, Monroe made a name for herself as a top-billed actor for a decade. In 1999, the American Film Institute ranked her sixth on their list of the greatest female screen legends from the Golden Age of Hollywood. In the aftermath of her tragic passing, film critics and media outlets have proposed Monroe be perceived as one of the best actors never to have received an Academy Award nomination. Essentially, Monroe’s legacy may never be replicated.
Monroe made her film debut in the 1946 drama Dangerous Years, directed by Arthur Pierson, where she played Evie, a waitress, a small part that is the calm before the storm she would start in film history. Monroe then had minor roles in The Asphalt Jungle and All About Eve in 1950 – two performances against the typical ‘dumb blonde’ typecast.
Later, the actor received her breakout role in 1953 in Niagara, directed by Henry Hathaway, a film that prioritised Monroe’s appearance over her skills. Following that, she went on to appear in her most-known efforts: the first, Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, was released in 1953 and directed by Howard Hawks. Soon after, this was followed by Billy Wilder’s The Seven Year Itch in 1955. Meanwhile, Monroe’s final film, The Misfits, was released in 1961, written by her husband, Arthur Miller and directed by John Huston.
Monroe captivates the attention of film historians and enthusiasts because, in movie history, she is somewhat of an enigma. To elaborate, she was the most desirable sex symbol on film, with beauty and charismatic energy that we may never see again. However, Monroe suffered a troubling side due to mistreatment and her mental health. These psychological issues came from an abusive childhood where Monroe was neglected. However, I argue that this classification of Monroe as an enigma and its reasoning exists because of a lack of critical thinking – a mere testimony to how society fails to dissect women as something multi-dimensional. There is no mystery or quandary riddle to Monroe existing as someone who was both beautiful and suffering from issues. A woman is still allowed to experience problems with her mental well-being even though she upholds society’s standards of beauty. Arguing Monroe has to be seen as something confusing to be solved just because she experienced events unrelated to her appearance is refusing to perceive her for what she was: a human being.
Associated with Monroe’s legacy and her status as an enigma is the sex symbol branding, a term necessary to understand her career. But first, we must speak frankly: Marilyn Monroe was not a sex symbol. Marilyn Monroe was hyper-sexualised. I propose there is no such thing as a sex symbol, just objectification. By calling a woman in the industry a sex symbol, you are simply remitting that you are reducing her to something void of humanity and respect. This classification that infiltrates any conversation about Monroe justifies her being sexualised. It essentially haunts her legacy. Reaffirming it is to align with those who mistreated her. Monroe said it best herself: “A sex symbol becomes a thing. I hate to be a thing”.
Monroe reportedly rejected and detested any citings of her as nothing more than eye candy, risking her career by refusing projects that upheld this and founding her own film company in 1955 to combat being underpaid. In the same year, the actor took up a method acting class under Lee Strasberg at the Actors Studio. However, Monroe’s efforts were unsuccessful in negotiating with the studios, press and public, all of whom further emphasised her sex appeal.
One of the most notable mistreatments Monroe experienced was in 1953 when Playboy Magazine published nude photographs she had taken before her career without Monroe’s knowledge or consent, only fuelling the previous and proceeding restrictions of her career. In a contemporary outlook, this would align with today’s female stars having nudes leaked. We can also identify Monroe’s misogynistic struggles in today’s entertainment industry, with modern stars such as Britney Spears, Megan Fox and Sydney Sweeney all suffering this same sexualisation which results in psychological issues.
Furthermore, Monroe is closely related to broader discourses regarding the media, fame, and consumer culture and how they are linked to sexual imagery. A prominent example of this comes from the film The Seven Year Itch, which features the most iconic image of Monroe in a white dress which is conveniently lifted by a gush of air. Not only is this sexual image of Monroe her most recognisable, but the film also refuses to credit the star as a real character. Instead, she is called ‘The Girl’ who, as the leading man Tom Ewell says, “Looks like Marilyn Monroe”. This line highlights what Monroe achieved in pop culture, becoming a self-referential symbol.
In a most upsetting way, Monroe is still experiencing consumer exploitation and abuse even 61 years after her passing, not just through all the edited images used for bedroom posters, T-shirts and those weird ‘Yas Queen’ Facebook posts. Conspiracy theorists infiltrate Monroe’s status by arguing that her death, ruled as a suicide, was an assassination orchestrated by the Mafia due to her alleged affair with JFK. However, many historians have pointed out that Monroe never even had an affair, let alone was murdered.
Furthermore, at the 2022 Met Gala, reality star Kim Kardashian grabbed the headlines by wearing the same dress Monroe wore in her happy birthday speech to President JFK, one of her last public appearances. Kardashian not only milked Monroe’s name to gain a spotlight, but she also tore the dress, sparking outrage from Monroe’s fans.
However, the most disturbing incident came from Andrew Dominik’s semi-fictional semi-biographical Netflix film Blonde, adapted from the 2000 book of the same name by Joyce Carol Oates. There are no corners to cut here; Blonde is nothing more than an abusive exploit of Monroe’s name and image. The film is just one trauma porn fabrication after another designed to upset audiences, with Monroe placed as the subject to ensure people will watch. Dominick himself is aware of that and oddly unapologetic about it. In an interview with Sight and Sound, he shared the unsettling vision of the film: “The film is a rescue fantasy”.
This ‘fantasy’ element involves Monroe being forced to have abortions, then experiencing disturbing visions of her fetus blaming her, being sexually assaulted by JFK and then suffering a public breakdown while hysterically screaming and hurting herself. It must be emphasised that there are no current implications to argue that any of these events took place. The director, when asked about the fabricated assault scene and its disturbing nature, replied: “I don’t look at it on those terms. It just happens, it’s almost glossed over, and then the feeling follows her later.”
Dominik’s vision of Blonde as a “rescue fantasy” filled with showcasing rape and other sexist examples of oppression tarnishes Monroe’s legacy and Monroe as a person. Filming and presenting such acts about an actual person is severely disturbing. Monroe was not some weak damsel in distress. I believe anyone who watched Blonde and contributed to it gaining a top 10 spot on Netflix whilst knowing its content is complicit in this mistreatment.
What’s even more unsettling is the opinion held by Blonde’s original author, given in a 2000 interview. Oates essentially victim-blames Monroe, stating: “She fell into the trap. She made herself into the blonde who looks dumb, who is very sexy”. This harsh outlook fails to align with what Monroe said herself about how she hated the idea of being reduced to what a sex symbol was – just a thing. Again, blaming Monroe for the restrictions placed on her is a scathing alliance with misogyny.
Blonde’s portrayal of Monroe doesn’t hold a candle to what the star was like in real life. You don’t have to search far and hard to discover the real Marilyn Monroe. She owned a book collection of 403 publications that she read and examined thoroughly. She wrote and read poetry. She spoke out and acted out against other forms of oppression taking place in the industry. The most notable example is when Monroe befriended Jazz artist Eliza Fitzgerald, who wasn’t allowed to play Hollywood’s most popular club because she was Black. Monroe called the owner, booked the whole place out for Fitzgerald and appeared at the front table every night. The musician spoke of Monroe utilising her status and privilege: “She was… a little ahead of her times. And she didn’t know it”. Maybe a biographical film portraying these elements of Monroe’s character should be in the works.
Marilyn Monroe remains a beloved and insightful icon in film and culture. Whilst parts of her life and career are tragic, her charisma, attitude and magnetic performances combat this. Her legacy remains as strong as ever and can continue through re-evaluations of her work. Furthermore, there needs to be an acknowledgement of her persona, that she wasn’t some hysterical emotional wreck shrouded in tragedy and bitterness. Nor was she just a pretty face devoid of any intellect. Yes, she was sad sometimes. Yes, she was beautiful. However, this was the last thing she offered. More importantly, she was a warm, sentimental, intuitive and passionate actor who inspired generations of young girls to follow their dreams.
