Author Joyce Carol Oates is supportive of the film adaptation of her novel Blonde. Oates' 2000 novel reimagines Norma Jeane Baker's transformation into the iconic Marilyn Monroe. The upcoming Netflix film is written and directed by Andrew Dominik and stars Ana De Armas as Monroe. During a discussion at the 21st Neuchâtel Intl. Fantastic Film Festival in Switzerland, Oates spoke very highly of the film. Per Variety, the author said:
“Andrew Dominik is a very brilliant director. I think he succeeded in showing the experience of Norma Jeane Baker from her perspective, rather than see it from the outside, the male gaze looking at a woman. He immersed himself in her perspective."
The film explores the perplexing life of Marilyn Monroe, a woman often exploited by the entertainment industry. While the actress died of a barbiturate overdose that was ruled a possible suicide, the author has her own perspective on the untimely and tragic death of the actress.
"Ana de Armas, the wonderful actress who plays her, I think it took her like four hours of make-up. So when you see them on screen, they don’t really exist. It’s like a fantastic image, but to make it a livelihood is to endure a good deal of anguish. As Marilyn got older, she was still being given these roles a young starlet would play, and she was feeling humiliated. You can’t keep playing this dumb blonde nearing the age of 40. Some people say she committed suicide. I don’t necessarily think that. I think she may have died of something like extreme despair,” Oates said.
Oates attended the Neuchâtel Intl. Fantastic Film Festival to serve as president of the international jury. She is an acclaimed author and a multi-finalist for the Pulitzer Prize. She taught at Princeton University from 1978 to 2014, and is currently a visiting professor at the University of California, Berkeley, teaching short fiction.
Playing Marilyn Monroe
Blonde joins previous films that have attempted to explore the complicated life of Marilyn Monroe. The actress, singer, and model rose to popularity in the 1950s, where she made a name for herself playing the bombshell character in many films. During her career, her films grossed $200 million (equivalent to $2 billion dollars today). She remains a pop culture icon whose personal life and death remain clouded in mystery.
Many actresses, including Misty Rowe (Goodbye, Norma Jean), Theresa Russell (Insignificance), and Mira Sorvino (Norma Jean & Marilyn), have played Monroe on film or television. Most famously, Michelle Williams played Monroe in 2011's My Week with Marilyn, which earned Williams an Academy Award nomination for Best Actress.
Blonde is the first Netflix film that will carry an NC-17 rating. While teaser trailers have given audiences a glimpse into the upcoming film, it won't be available on the streamer until September 23.