Blonde is a biographical film based on the book of the same name by Joyce Carol Oates.
There have been very few global icons who attained the fame conquered by Marilyn Monroe. But her glitzy life was a coverup for the tragedies she hid behind it. Andrew Dominik’s Blonde attempts to bring some lesser-known details of the star’s private life to public attention with this fictionalized retelling.
Starring Ana de Armas as Marilyn Monroe, Blonde takes the viewer through the actor’s life as the story surfs through various stages from her childhood to her later stint as a Hollywood sensation. Here’s a breakdown of the story of Blonde.
Blonde Story Summary
On her birthday, a young Norma Jeane is given a surprise glimpse of her father by her mother who points to a photograph. However, Norma Jeane’s mother refuses to share the name of the man and asks Norma Jeane to keep the fact that she has seen her father a secret.
When the hills at Hollywood burn in fire, Norma’s mother desperately tries to take the child to her father, but she fails at her attempt, resulting in a meltdown. She attempts to drown Norma Jeane in her bathtub. Norma Jeane’s mother believed that Norma Jeane was the reason her lover, her child’s father, left her.
When the doctors decide that Norma Jeane’s mother is unfit to look after her, she is transferred to an orphanage by her neighbors.
A tragic childhood paves the way for a tragic adulthood as Norma Jeane (Ana de Armas) chases a career as an actor – a path that leads to her exploitation by her agent, studio head, and other people she comes across who refuse to identify her for her talents. Instead, Norma Jeane becomes a victim of constant objectification at the hand of men who control the film industry.
Visiting her mother after years, Norma Jeane tells her mother that she’s under contract at the same studio her mother and father once worked at. Norma Jeane has been looking for her father’s photograph in the files at the studio but hasn’t found any success yet.
During her time at the L. A. Actors’ Circle, Norma Jean meets Cass (Xavier Samuel), the son of Charlie Chaplin, and Edward (Evan Williams), the son of Edward G. Robinson. The three grow into a throuple, soon making it into the local tabloids as the “threesome”. Norma Jeane finds in Cass and Edward some respite from her career persona as Marilyn Monroe.
Norma Jeane’s agent Mr. Shinn warns her about being seen with the boys in public. But Norma Jeane, for the first time in her life, has found others like her who want to be identified by their own identity and not that of their fathers’ or anybody else’s.
Norma finds happiness when she discovers that she is pregnant. She shares the news with Cass and Edward. She decides that she will not be taking the role she’s being offered in Gentlemen Prefer Blondes when she discovers the low salary she’d be getting as compared to the male lead.
However, when she uncovers that her mother’s illness could be hereditary, Norma Jeane agrees to abort her child.
Norma Jeane then crosses paths with Joe Dimaggio (Bobby Cannavale) as she looks to settle down in her life. Norma’s struggle with her identity as Marilyn Monroe continues to haunt her.
One day, Norma Jeane receives a letter from her father. In the evening, she’s told that a date is fixed with somebody “special”. She expects it to be her father, but upon going to her suite, she finds that her boyfriend Joe Dimaggio is waiting for her. When Joe proposes to Marilyn, she agrees to marry him.
Marilyn’s marriage life hits a roadblock when Cass and Edward return to her life to blackmail Joe with nude negatives of Marilyn. Joe beats Marilyn at home and asks her to stop taking more roles that cheapen her. As the domestic violence continues, Marilyn and Joe part ways in an ugly public divorce.
Blonde Ending Explained
Much later, Marilyn meets Arthur Miller (Adrien Brody) while working on a play. They fall in love with each other and soon marry. Unlike others, Arthur appreciates Norma for her intelligence and not just her beauty. In time, Norma gets pregnant, and Norma and Arthur get ready to welcome their child. However, unfortunately, Norma goes through a miscarriage.
Afterward, Marilyn Monroe’s worsening mental health becomes a public debacle as her issues start interfering with her work. The trauma of losing her father at a young age and her children much later affects Marilyn badly.
However, a public star, Marilyn Monroe cannot afford to let her inner troubles be laid in front of the cameras that follow her everywhere. She tries her best to keep her worries to herself.
Does Marilyn Monroe ever meet her father?
By 1962, Marilyn’s substance abuse had grown beyond control as she continues to be haunted by the memories of her childhood and the tough life that followed. It’s understood that Marilyn Monroe developed some kind of relationship with J. F. Kennedy (Caspar Phillipson).
In a scene that follows, she is seen taken to J. F. Kennedy, who assaults her and leaves her to the mercy of her officers to be taken to her house. Later, when Marilyn gets pregnant with Kennedy’s child, she is abducted by the government officers who make her abort forcefully.
Torn by her drug abuse and her worsening mental health, Marilyn finds peace in her father’s letters.
One day, Norma gets a call from Edward who informs her of Cass’ death. Edward sends Norma a memento left behind by Cass for her. By this time, Norma is completely alone and left to live by herself.
The memento turns out to be a stuffed toy similar to one that Norma had when she was a child. The accompanying letter reveals that it was Cass pretending to be Norma’s father all this time and writing her letters.
Completely broken by this revelation, Norma Jeane lives her last days alone before dying from substance abuse. Even in her last moments, she thinks of her father, who abandoned her – just like everybody else in her life.
Blonde is now streaming on Netflix.
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