Review: Reframed: Marilyn Monroe BBC2 – a fascinating life

Just watched the BBC2 docuseries "Reframed: Marilyn Monroe", and it was a fascinating window into her life. I thoroughly enjoyed it. 

The documentary tries to give us an insight into Marilyn Monroe as an iconic hero. But, it is worth asking whether Marilyn merits her cultural icon status or whether she has been misjudged and a bit overrated in our cult of the personality. On the one hand, although she is idolised; she only appeared in very few films, and was pretty good (perhaps not incredible?), and then her infidelity and drug use etc. On the other hand, we cannot deny her incredible accomplishments (at a time when women were generally confined). Dealing with sexual abuse, trauma & abandonment from her schizophrenic mother. Then, getting hitched at 16 to avoid the orphanage, and struggling with addiction and depression, failed marriages and the public shaming in her personal love life.

Part of her mystic is that she never grew old. She never aged – either gracefully or embarrassingly - like Madonna. When mega-famous celebrities die young, their deaths echo a supreme note of tragedy and adoration. Some examples: Kurt Cobain, Princess Diana, JKF. They tend to be judged by the standards of their day. For Norma Jeane Baker, she never had any unsightly photographs - she was always magnetic, captivating and beautiful. No trashy Instagram, no photoshop. The real deal. 

At any rate, this documentary only has woman commentators. I assume this is due to the current philosophy of intersectionality which holds that men are either unworthy or unqualified to proffer any perspective or even an opinion. As such, this made me feel like I wasn't really the documentary's intended audience. Even so, most of the commentators are academics – and only one lady actually knew Marilyn: Amy Greene-Andrews. It's not clear to me what the various professors and academics have to offer over-and-above the actual people who knew her. And this is precisely the problem with the documentary. 

It tries to frame Marilyn as some kind of postmodern superhero of feminism. Indeed, there is much to rebuke in the general perception of her as a 'conventional' blonde. It's interesting that 20th Century Fox tried, at first, to promote her as an innocent babysitter spotted by a talent agent with his youngsters. It must be due to some quaint cultural discomfort, in that bygone, of perceiving women as being purposeful, ambitious and resolute and so on. She was determined and ambitious; and I really loved that part of her. For example, she was fierce when it came to her wages in a film opposite Frank Sinatra. I also liked her line "I can be smart when it's important, but most men don't like it" especially when it was revealed that she adlibbed that line in a film. This is was very interesting, and a much more authentic insight than the academics curating some abstract meta narrative about her. Also, really loved her self-defence of her 1952 nude photographs. She said: "nothing to be ashamed of, did nothing wrong." Today's culture centres around apologising for everything. Love her authenticity and her owning it.

However, this perception of Marilyn as a great heroine can feel a bit forced because it goes too far in the documentary. She is often pitted as the architect of her own fame, but it's her radiant natural beauty which is probably closer to the mark than her own exertions (not to suggest that her hard-work didn't matter). For example, there is a ridiculous comment by an academic about Norma Jean picking her last name (Monroe) as her mother's maiden name. Academic says: "Marilyn challenges what it means to have agency as a woman, and what it means to be a feminist" ... but this overlooks the fact that her first name, Marilyn, was picked for her by a Hollywood bigshot! All the documentary commentators are united in their belief that 'Marilyn' was simply perfect, and thereby vindicating the Hollywood man imposing it on her. Indeed, the whole logic has an ex post facto rationalisation to it. For me, I think I rather prefer "Norma Jean", it seems more beautiful. Unfortunately, that would tarnish this image of Marilyn as commanding her own agency and controlling her own image, so they have to pretend it was the right course.

Then, the documentary turns to discuss her marriage aged 16. Another academic suggests Marilyn is thus a "pragmatist" because she had to pick between marriage or orphanage. I think this is quite distasteful. She had no choice, and we shouldn't embellish her marrying at that age as some virtue. 

There are some very lovely tender moments. For example, her romance and sweetness with the fashion photographer André de Dienes. He captured some fabulous photos of Marilyn, and it was clear that they had some happy memories together. Then, there was the sweetness with her friend Natasha Lytess who gave Marilyn serious education on acting and theatre. It makes me want to watch her films properly; especially the one with Bette Davis.

However, this is counterposed by the awkward reality of Marilyn having to be unprincipled to advance in the Hollywood studios. It's hard to frame Marilyn positively when she was "dating" Joseph Schenck. He was the boss, and she had to "date" him to get ahead. He seems repulsive and it makes for an awkward viewing. At least she rebuffed Harry Cohn of Columbia Pictures who was a sexual predator. If we accept that this kind of thing is exploitation, then Marilyn should not have given into it. Don't mistake me though; I don't want to judge someone I don't know. Who can say what was right or wrong. My point is that if we begin (as this documentary does) of elevating Marilyn to a hero-like figure, then moments like this rather diminish her stature, and may even set a wrong example. 

Finally, there is the interesting subject of Marilyn's sensuality and sexiness. The Hollywood studios are constructed as having reduce Marilyn to a commodity. Well, maybe so; but I am not sure it can be simplified to that. I think there is something beautiful in celebrating sexiness, legs and arms, sexual attraction, poise, elegance, the exaggerated femineity and campness, charm, and beauty. Was she type casted? Probably, like most actors. I have a few upcoming episodes to conclude the series, so we shall find out.

All-in-all, I quite enjoyed the documentary. She is pretty amazing; but the documentary goes awry in trying to force an undue exaltation.