Monroe’s truth is a little more bitter: Her mother told her that her dad “was killed in an auto accident in New York City,” but Monroe doubted that. As a fire rages in the Hollywood Hills, Gladys drives her young daughter into the flames, claiming to police that the child’s father has a fireproof house that can protect them. In the movie, her unstable mother, Gladys, played by Julianne Nicholson, points at a picture and says, “Norma Jeane, look - that man is your father,” telling her that he works at the same movie studio she does.

The way it plays out in Blonde is actually not dissimilar from what Monroe describes in her posthumously published memoir, co-written with Ben Hecht, My Story. Throughout Dominik’s movie, we see a photograph of Monroe’s supposed father, a handsome man she idolizes but who remains elusive. Others think it’s punishing for no good reason, sucking Monroe’s nuance away in favor of her sorrow.īut which parts of the film are actually based on truth? And what is for dramatic flourish? Some moments are obvious inventions, whereas others build on complicated and messy myths about Monroe that have developed over time. Some have argued that Dominik’s relentlessly tragic epic starring Ana de Armas successfully puts the onus on the viewer who relishes in the pain of Monroe’s story. As for how effective that is? Your mileage may vary. The intention is to be an impressionistic portrait of the actress and icon - more reflective of what she represented and how she suffered than who she actually was as a person. And then there is Blonde.Īndrew Dominik’s movie, based on the novel of the same name by Joyce Carol Oates, is about Marilyn Monroe - that much is very clear - but it also plays extremely fast and loose with its historical details. There are films that are only loosely inspired by a person’s life (think Velvet Goldmine). There are biopics that aim to present a mostly factual version of a person’s life (think Walk the Line). Photo-Illustration: Vulture Photos by Netflix and Bettmann/Contributor

Ben hecht my story