Tyronne
Tash Jayasinghe
Cibbuano
Marilyn Monroe looks at a flower
October 21st 2008 01:59
There's little point in extolling the virtues of Marilyn Monroe... she'll always be remembered as a sex symbol, a push towards hedonism and existential bliss.
Part of that is because she died young, leaving nothing but pinup pictures behind. When our stars grow old, especially female actresses, we cast them aside, or watch them spin out of control.
Monroe would have likely suffered with drug addiction, and I believe that she would have gained a lot of weight as she aged. Her full, voluptuous figure hinted at a bigger body, but youth and narcotics kept the weight off.
One of my favourite American comedies is "Some Like It Hot", an outrageous screwball flick, with Monroe playing a singer named Sugar. Director Billy Wilder had a tough time with the actresses, screaming that she was too stupid for the movies, always forgetting her lines.
Later, though, he reflected fondly on working with her - and with good cause. Watch this legendary scene of Monroe singing in a lounge club, perfectly comfortable working the center of the frame, conveying a sense of innocence, of frailty, even as her body, barely contained by the fabric of her costume, begs to be ravished.
On If Charlie Parker Was a Gunslinger, I found this touching photo of Monroe, in colour, looking at a flower.
It's hard to tell what she was thinking - most likely, a photographer asked her to pose, and merely captured her in this moment. The beauty of the art of photography is that she appears to be lost in nostalgia, as if she could remember what it was like to be a little girl. A simpler time, when there were no affairs with Presidents, no jumping out of cakes, no flashes of lights and big posters.
Perhaps she remembers a time when a single flower would have been enough to make her smile, but now, it only has the power to make her remember a time that's been lost.
Part of that is because she died young, leaving nothing but pinup pictures behind. When our stars grow old, especially female actresses, we cast them aside, or watch them spin out of control.
Monroe would have likely suffered with drug addiction, and I believe that she would have gained a lot of weight as she aged. Her full, voluptuous figure hinted at a bigger body, but youth and narcotics kept the weight off.
One of my favourite American comedies is "Some Like It Hot", an outrageous screwball flick, with Monroe playing a singer named Sugar. Director Billy Wilder had a tough time with the actresses, screaming that she was too stupid for the movies, always forgetting her lines.
Later, though, he reflected fondly on working with her - and with good cause. Watch this legendary scene of Monroe singing in a lounge club, perfectly comfortable working the center of the frame, conveying a sense of innocence, of frailty, even as her body, barely contained by the fabric of her costume, begs to be ravished.
On If Charlie Parker Was a Gunslinger, I found this touching photo of Monroe, in colour, looking at a flower.
It's hard to tell what she was thinking - most likely, a photographer asked her to pose, and merely captured her in this moment. The beauty of the art of photography is that she appears to be lost in nostalgia, as if she could remember what it was like to be a little girl. A simpler time, when there were no affairs with Presidents, no jumping out of cakes, no flashes of lights and big posters.
Perhaps she remembers a time when a single flower would have been enough to make her smile, but now, it only has the power to make her remember a time that's been lost.
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