Every picture a frame: Blonde trailer brings Marilyn Monroe photos to life

Blonde, the upcoming Netflix movie, sees Ana de Armas turn into troubled American icon Marilyn Monroe. The NC-17 movie is based on Joyce Carol Oates’ novel of the same name, and the 34-year-old de Armas told Netflix Queue, “Every scene is inspired by an existing photograph”. 

The trailer shows some easily recognizable scenes, like Monroe’s billowing white dress from The Seven Year Itch. Here’s a look at the scenes with de Armas as Norma Jean, or Monroe, and the original snapshots. 

Fix my dress

Blonde focuses on how Monroe comes undone when the spotlight is on her, unable to deal with the incessant public attention. The trailer shows several behind-the-scenes instances when Monroe’s interactions off-screen come to light. 

The tweet below compare Ana de Armas as Monroe getting ready for a show, and Monroe herself when the original photograph was taken. 

Gentlemen prefer pink 

Monroe in the pink dress became famous in pop culture due to the success of Howard Hawks’ Gentlemen Prefer Blondes. The shocking pink dress left a mark as Monroe belted out Diamonds are a Girl’s Best Friend, and the song features in Blonde too. 

Where have you gone Joe DiMaggio

Monroe and American baseball player Joe DiMaggio had a tumultuous relationship. He was her second husband and in Blonde the role is played by Bobby Cannavale, who’s been a revelation in mob films and shows like Boardwalk Empire. 

Monroe and DiMaggio had a photo shoot by a window, which has been recreated for director Andrew Dominik’s movie as well. 

In the trailer, Cannavale’s DiMaggio and de Armas’ Monroe have a conversation where the latter admits to being “discovered” before getting a chance in the movies. 

The man who had all the luck 

Monroe’s third husband was notable American playwright Arthur Miller whose works like Death of a Salesman remain incisive views into the working class psyche of the nation. 

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Adrien Brody plays the role in Blonde and the movie creates an iconic scene where the couple was photographed back in 1957. 

The seven-year cliche 

The Seven Year Itch perhaps led to the most famous Monroe photograph, which can even be seen as a wax statue in Madame Tussauds, London. The actor is seen standing above a subway air vent when a hot blast sends her dress billowing. 

Ana de Armas recreates the look for Blonde, smiling as the cameras flash – just as Monroe did. 

Marilyn comes to life 

There are several other scenes in the trailer, and definitely more in the film, which are recreations of photographs of Monroe’s life. 

A Twitter user made a collage and shared the same. 

de Armas told Netflix Queue that the deep dive into the icon’s life was to understand how Monroe might have been feeling at a particular moment when the photo was taken. 

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“The first question was always, ‘What was Norma Jeane feeling here?’ … Fame is what made Marilyn the most visible person in the world, but it also made Norma the most invisible”, the No Time to Die actor added.