Elizabeth Padron

Watched Blonde on Netflix last night. First, Ana de Armas gave a stellar performance as Marilyn Monroe. She was magnificent; definitely award worthy. Dont care if she still had a little bit of an accent, she was amazing, period. Proud of her as a fellow Cuban too! Way to go hermana!😍👍 Second, the movie's portrayal of MM as a tragic victim of child abuse and later on as a victim of sexual abuse and physical abuse as well as exploitation from the movie industry urges us to sympathize with her and view her personal history and disfunctional life from a different perspective - possibly MM's own reality, since some of the difficult and unpleasant scenes were narrated in first person. Lastly, although I knew that this was not going to be a glamorized version of MM, but a more factual and historical account of her life, I felt deeply sad and badly for her, and wished her life could have been happier, especially since she was such an intelligent, visionary, positive person that cared deeply for others; a civil rights activist, and a bright light for many. A true Gemini!! Reminds me of Elton John's song "Candle in the Wind", which was a beautiful tribute to Norma Jeane. Despite some of the harsh criticism and negative reviews, I still found the movie to be worth watching. As a woman , I can only imagine all that MM went through during those times when women were viewed as property by powerful men for their own pleasure and gratification. A period of time when women's decisions were not respected or valued. This movie exposes the ugly side of the movie industry, and how unfair and sexualized it was, and continues to be at some level for actresses, inspite of the Me Too movement. It further highlights her many traumas, many stemming from childhood, such as abuse, neglect, and abandonment. The film poignantly illustrates her numerous regrets (abortions and miscarriages), and horrific experiences (rape, sexual harassment, and domestic violence). Moreover, it accurately shows, how despite her best efforts to cope and heal, Norma Jeane was unfortunately never allowed to do so. Instead, she was dismissed and highly medicated as a means to control and subdue her anger and volatile tantrums and uncontrollable emotions, which were increasingly becoming a problem for the movie studios. Unfortunately, Norma Jeane Baker had to reinvent herself as Marilyn Monroe, and had to develop a fake persona in order to be loved and admired by Hollywood and the fans. Nevertheless, the movie reinforces her desires of wanting to escape in order to be true to herself and find true happiness outside of Hollywood. For inspite of all the fame, beauty, and glamour, all she truly wanted was to be loved and respected by her fans, but most importantly by those she loved, not as MM , but for who she truly was inside, as Norma Jeane, with all her flaws and imperfections. Something that I'm sure many of us aspire to do, but also unfortunately fail to accomplish in our own lives. This is why MM is such an icon and enigma, because her lifestory is so tragic yet relatable to so many. Her story and character resonates with so many, but I think especially with those that feel at some level abandoned, unwanted, or unnoticed, yet by all means appear to be happy, successful and satisfied to those looking from the outside,. However, they are all the while silently suffering and enduring an enormous amount of pain, trauma, and regret - only visible, if rarely, to those that really see us, and accept us for whom we truly are as damaged individuals.