Aestheticization of Victimhood in Andrew Dominik’s Blonde

Abstract

Andrew Dominik’s Blonde (2022) claims to critique Hollywood’s exploitation of Marilyn Monroe, yet its visual and narrative strategies aestheticize her victimhood, reducing her trauma to a patriarchal spectacle. This study interrogates how the film employs the male gaze—through fragmented reflections, voyeuristic violence, and infantilizing narratives—to commodify Monroe’s suffering as cinematic entertainment. Drawing on Laura Mulvey’s theory of visual objectification and Richard Dyer’s analysis of stardom, the paper reveals how Blonde reinforces patriarchal norms by prioritizing Monroe’s sexualized body over her agency or intellect. Key scenes, such as the JFK assault sequence and the recurring mirror imagery, exemplify the film’s paradoxical glorification of her victimization, framing her pain as consumable art rather than interrogating systemic misogyny. Contrasted with feminist works like Portrait of a Lady on Fire, which center female subjectivity, Blonde underscores the ethical pitfalls of biopics that mythologize trauma while silencing historical nuance. Ultimately, the film’s aestheticization of victimhood recycles the exploitation it purports to critique, demanding a reclamation of Monroe’s legacy beyond patriarchal commodification. Keywords: Aestheticizing Victimhood, Male Gaze, Marilyn Monroe, Trauma Commodification, Patriarchal Cinema.