Blonde
Dramatic and unsettlingly suggestive, this provocative 4-hour miniseries delivers a seductive portrait of the captivating star who became America’s most enduring sex symbol. The stunning saga of Marilyn Monroe’s life, begins with her traumatic upbringing as Norma Jean: the damage inflicted by a psychotic mother, the absence of any father, the devastation of four years in an orphanage and betrayal in a foster home. On the young Monroe’s rocky road to stardom, she performs sexual favours for studio chiefs who underestimated her talent and intelligence, while reaping millions from her movies. Her vulnerability is often camouflaged by volatile behaviour. At times self-absorbed and frightened, Monroe could also be tough, outspoken and vulgar. Her notorious perfectionism is her shield against the ridicule and failure she continually fears. Monroe’s stormy marriages to Joe DiMaggio and Arthur Miller reveal her insatiable need for security and love. She is doomed by an unimaginable combination of Hollywood exploitation, dependence on drugs and flawed choices of lovers and mates. JFK’s cruel manipulation and shadowy intervention is the final blow to her fragile existence. Blonde draws a sharp-eyed picture of the movie business during the 1940’s and 50’s and conveys a nation’s fascination with a legendary cultural icon. Based on the best-selling novel by Joyce Carol Oates
Cast
Griffin Dunne, Patrick Dempsey, Poppy Montgomery
Duration
4 x 60'
Genre(s)
Series, Drama, Biographical
Year of Production
2001