Ana De Armas' Portrayal of Marilyn Monroe Sheds Light on the Lifelong Impact of Childhood Trauma

Marilyn Monroe was beautiful, graceful and the epitome of what it meant to be a blonde bombshell.

An emblem of the sexual revolution of the 1950s and early '60s, the American actress, born Norma Jeane Mortenson, lived a short yet intense life which ended in suicide in 1962 after she overdosed on barbiturates.

Almost sixty years after her death, her life continues to be the object of obsession and curiosity. So, what was she like, really?

This is a question writer and director Andrew Dominik hopes to answer in the upcoming film Blonde, a fictional portrayal of the novel by Joyce Carol Oates that chronicles the life of Monroe as we've never seen before, which will see actress Ana De Armas at the helm.

The film takes us behind closed doors and dives into the psyche of the abused daughter of a single mother and how she carried this trauma for the rest of her life.

"Andrew's ambitions were very clear from the start—to present a version of Marilyn Monroe's life through her lens," De Armas said. "He wanted the world to experience what it actually felt like to not only be Marilyn, but also Norma Jeane. I found that to be the most daring, unapologetic, and feminist take on her story that I had ever seen."

The film recreates iconic moments from Monroe's life and career, including her performances, photographs and important people who influenced her life.

The star-studded cast that includes Adrien Brody, Bobby Cannavale and Julianne Nicholson as her mother.

"She's deeply traumatized, and that trauma necessitates a split between a public self and a private self, which is the story of everyone, but with a famous person, that often plays out publicly, in ways that may cause additional trauma," Dominik said. "The film's very much concerned with the relationship with herself and with this other persona, Marilyn, which is both her armor and the thing that is threatening to consume her."

In addition to recreating important moments of her life, the film remains loyal to the human experience behind Norma Jeane and the effect fame had on her psyche.

"The first question was always, 'What was Norma Jeane feeling here?' We wanted to tell the human side of her story," Dominik added. "Fame is what made Marilyn the most visible person in the world, but it also made Norma the most invisible."

De Armas was also deeply committed to honoring Monroe's legacy through her artistic versatility, vulnerability and respect for the character's story.

"Our movie is not linear or conventional; it is meant to be a sensorial and emotional experience," De Armas explained. "The film moves along with her feelings and her experiences. There are moments when we are inside of her body and mind, and this will give the audience an opportunity to experience what it was like to be Norma and Marilyn at the same time."

In the teaser trailer, audiences can begin to get a sense of the duality behind the star while connecting with the cost of her Hollywood fame.

The movie, which will stream on Netflix, has been rated NC-17, something Dominik deemed necessary to explore the material's content.

"The film is sincere. It's made with love. It's made with good intentions. But it's full of rage at the same time," says Dominik, "I seem to get myself in these situations where people regard me as provocative, but it's never what I'm trying to do. I'm just trying to say it as clearly as I can. My ambition is to make you fall in love with Marilyn."

Blonde premieres globally on September 23, 2022.