Warning: This post contains MAJOR spoilers for BlondeBlonde’s ending reveals quite a few bombshells. The film, a reimagining of Marilyn Monroe’s inner life, is based on the novel of the same name by Joyce Carol Oates and is written and directed by Andrew Dominik. The Netflix film made headlines in the months leading up to its streaming release — be it due to its NC-17 rating or the backlash Oscar nominee Ana de Armas received over her accent in the film, Blonde has certainly become a buzz-worthy film.
After being forced to perform oral sex on the President, Norma Jeane Mortensen (aka, Marilyn Monroe) undergoes another abortion procedure. At this point in Norma Jeane’s life, drugs have become the norm in a consistently tumultuous life. Following the death of Cass, Marilyn Monroe receives a letter he’d written prior to his death that confirms Norma Jeane’s “tearful father” is a fabrication. Cass returns her stuffed animal and Marilyn Monroe spirals, taking out her frustrations on-set and heavily medicating before she dies from an apparent overdose. The film moves between various time periods in Marilyn Monroe’s life before ending on a sad note that includes her final days. There is a lot to dissect in Blonde, such as the decision to exclude the names of Monroe’s husbands, her relationship with her absent father, and what is actually true in the film.
Is Blonde Actually Based On Marilyn Monroe’s Life?
Netflix's Blonde is based on Joyce Carol Oates’ novel, in which aspects of Marilyn Monroe’s life are reimagined and rendered in a fictionalized way for the audience. Blonde takes its cues from Oates' book, which explores Marilyn Monroe's inner life, but the details in both the film and book are reworked. Blonde being based on fiction more than fact doesn't mean there isn't plenty of the latter. The film documents Marilyn Monroe's Hollywood persona, which she helped craft, as well as two of her three marriages, and the trauma she experienced from the men in her life. To that end, Blonde is simply a very loose adaptation of Marilyn Monroe's life, one that alters certain facts to provide more of an intimate look at her history.
Why Cass Pretended To Be Norma Jeane’s Father
Blonde establishes early that the men in Norma Jeane’s life are not upstanding people. While Cass and Eddy are two Norma Jeane seemed happiest with during the film, Blonde’s ending implies that Cass was the one writing to Norma Jeane while pretending to be her father. Cass would sign each letter with “Your tearful father,” which allowed de Armas' Marilyn Monroe to hold on to the hope that he would return and be a part of her life.
Cass’ actions are cruel, but he might have written to her because he knew she felt a void in her life due to her father’s absence. It’s possible Cass didn’t think she would let the idea of her father go, so he encouraged it, which only served as a reminder that he was never coming for her. Cass' actions are another example of the abuse Marilyn Monroe reckoned with, even by someone she was once close with. Cass used Norma Jeane's traumatic past against her, which did the opposite of what was perhaps intended, with the actress clinging more fervently to the idea that her father, in some small way, did love her and wanted to be a part of her life.
Why Norma Jeane & Marilyn Monroe Are Separate Identities In Blonde
Blonde is very clear on the distinction between Norma Jeane and Marilyn Monroe. The latter is who appeared while filming, in photo shoots, and at movie premieres. Blonde suggests Norma Jeane is the actress' true identity and that the persona of Marilyn Monroe was crafted to protect her from the cruel and demanding life of an actor, as well as Norma Jeane's trauma. Norma Jeane is heard calling on Marilyn as though a friend seeking help. Marilyn is juxtaposed as the confident, alluring sex symbol to Norma Jeane's wide-eyed, vulnerable state.
The film asserts that the Marilyn Monroe persona is all an act, and that Norma Jeane is truly who she is at heart. It's an interesting dichotomy in a film that is focused more on Norma Nora's everyday life and less on her celebrity. The Netflix film often shows Norma Jeane being at odds with Marilyn, in that she wanted to settle down and live a simple life with a husband and children, but Marilyn stood in Norma Jeane's way of that perceived happiness she was chasing.
Blonde True Story: Fact Vs. Fiction
Considering Blonde is based on a fictionalized version of Marilyn Monroe's life, many of what audiences witness in the film aren't necessarily facts. However, the film has enough kernels of truth to make certain moments and characters immediately recognizable, including John F. Kennedy. In real life, Marilyn Monroe did marry retired baseball player Joe DiMaggio and playwright Arthur Miller. Monroe's marriage to DiMaggio was indeed tumultuous, and he was less than pleased with the attention she received and sought to control her. According to DiMaggio's sons, the ex-athlete physically abused Marilyn Monroe and their marriage lasted all but nine months before they divorced. As depicted in Blonde, Marilyn Monroe was happy with Arthur Miller and the pair met similarly to how they did in real life.
What's more, Norma Jeane did suffer a miscarriage during their time together (several, in fact). Marilyn Monroe's abortions seem to be fabricated for the sake of the film, as there is no concrete evidence the actress decided to abort a pregnancy because of her mother's mental illness. The throuple Norma Jeane had with Cass and Eddy in the film may also be fiction, as there is no proof the trio were romantically involved at the same time or that the actress became pregnant with Cass' baby. That said, Marilyn Monroe was in a brief romantic relationship with Cass at some point in real life. As for her mother's mental illness, that part is true. Norma Jeane's mother was diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia and spent much of her life in and out of hospitals.
How Marilyn Monroe’s Relationship Ended With Cass & Edward
Blonde suggests Marilyn Monroe was in a throuple with Charlie "Cass" Chaplin Jr. and Edward "Eddy" Rodriguez Jr. While it is depicted as a happy time for the actress, Norma Jeane becomes pregnant, and it's from there that the trio's relationship begins to wane. Cass and Eddy seem thrilled at the prospect of Norma Jeane's pregnancy, but their relationship fizzles out after she decides to have an abortion. It's possible Norma Jeane became so consumed by sorrow that she drifted apart from Cass and Eddy. It could also be that all three of them decided to go their separate ways after, slowly becoming less close than they used to be.
Why The Men In Marilyn Monroe’s Life Are Never Named
Marilyn Monroe's father and husbands are never referred to by their real names in Blonde. Adrien Brody plays Arthur Miller, who is credited only as "The Playwright," while Bobby Cannavale's Joe DiMaggio is referenced as the "Ex-Athlete." Norma Jeane's father's identity is never revealed, either. The latter remains a mystery because it suits the story. After all, Norma Jeane can't go looking for her father if she doesn't know who he is.
It's possible Arthur Miller and Joe DiMaggio aren't named outright because Blonde wants to showcase how, no matter which man comes and goes in her life, they only add to Norma Jeane's pain and trauma. It could also be because they are also men who are closely associated with Marilyn Monroe in real life, whereas Cass and Eddy, as an example, are not. What's more, keeping the names of Marilyn Monroe's husbands out of the film made it easier for the actress to project the identity of her father onto them. They were not solely her husbands, but placeholders for the absent dad she never knew.
Blonde Earned Ana De Armas An Oscar Nomination
Though the Joyce Carol Oates book touches on more conspiracy theories surrounding the demise of Marilyn Monroe, Netflix’s Blonde attributes Monroe’s death to an accidental overdose following her own grief. That take has proved controversial, in addition to de Armas not affecting an accent closer to Monroe’s. Despite the divisive responses to the movie and Blonde's debatable status as a biopic, de Armas’ work in the role has been praised, and she’s seen quite a bit of recognition for her work.
De Armas received her first Academy Award nomination for the role. She’s been nominated for Best Actress in a Leading Role for the 2023 Oscars. It’s a landmark nomination for de Armas. Not only is it the only nomination for Blonde, but it marks the first time a Cuban actress has been nominated in the category.