I’ve always been a fan of Norma Jeane Baker; better known to the world as Marilyn Monroe. To put it bluntly, she was a woman before her time. She encompassed sensuality, beauty and talent in a day in age where these qualities were not only unexpected from a woman, but almost considered taboo. But there were a lot of things about the life of Marilyn that I, in fact, did not know until watching the debut of the remarkable HBO documentary, Love, Marilyn.
Though she’s been gone for 50 years now, the legend of Marilyn Monroe has certainly outlived her life here on Earth. It wasn’t until recently that her personal notes, letters and diaries were discovered; and thus evolved Emmy-nominated director Liz Garbus’ concept for a new documentary on the superstar. Paired with rare audio and video footage of Monroe, Garbus invited some of Hollywood’s elite to perform pieces of the findings- including Lindsay Lohan, Glen Close, Marisa Tomei, Adrien Brody, Jeremy Piven and Uma Thurman.
While the story of Marilyn’s life has been told time and time again, this documentary shows a deeper side. We don’t hear the words of a fame-hungry starlet, or her persona created by the media; but rather, a lonely woman striving to be taken seriously. She didn’t like her reputation. She didn’t want to be known for her blonde hair and curvy figure. In actuality, she was a smart woman- very well spoken, intelligent and driven to prove she was more than just a pretty face. As she embraced her good looks and sexuality, her talent on-screen was undeniable- but she always strived to be seen as a true professional and was determined to show the world her other side.
While much drama surrounded her life, including marriages and divorces, misbehaving on sets, and affairs with presidents; her letters show a very sad girl just wanting to be loved. The popularity in Hollywood wasn’t enough. Though she enjoyed her fame and being in front of the cameras, she always yearned for a family; especially children. After two miscarriages with her third husband, Arthur Miller, she slipped into a drug-dependent depression and was never the same.
Tthere are countless bios around the web, but this documentary shows the more personal rendition of Ms. Marilyn that she mostly kept to herself. After learning more about this side, it leaves you wondering- did anyone know the real Marilyn? She wanted to so badly to be loved and adored. She spoke about love like a hopeless romantic She was often scrutinized, assumed, and certainly misunderstood. She even said at one point, “I’ve never fooled anyone. I’ve let people fool themselves. They didn’t bother to find out who and what I was. Instead they would invent a character for me. I wouldn’t argue with them. They were obviously loving somebody I wasn’t.”
There have been many reviews on the documentary since airing Monday night; some good and some not so good. Norma Jeane was living in a mans world, and just trying to leave her mark. While she may not have been successful at showing the world who she truly was prior to her drug overdose and death in 1962, Garbus did a fantastic job recreating her in a raw and pure manner for people to see Marilyn from the inside out.