A lovely book, bio, snapshot and photo album of Marilyn Monroe, by famous Hollywood photographer Eve Arnold.
'Marilyn Monroe: By Eve Arnold' really captures (no pun intended) the close, supportive, and respectful female friendship between the photographer and the phenomenal Hollywood starlet. It is authentic, honest, caring, and informative. Hera and Hel know that Marilyn needed people like Eve in her tumultuous life. Real people, who in Eve's case were seeking to use the camera to take pictures of celebrities' true selves outside of the manufactured, "pristine", and fake glitz and glamour.
My mother and I are fascinated by Marilyn Monroe. You could say we are fans of hers. I know I've suddenly caught the bug and want to watch every movie with her in it, and read as many books about her as I can. She was, to put it simply and in as little words as possible, one of the most beautiful and talented women who ever lived (I'll mention her tragedy as a woman in Hollywood in a bit). You can tell by watching any of her films that she was more than a dumb blonde archetype or bimbo who was valued for her looks above everything else; she could truly act, and sing, among other things. Her very presence, her essence on camera, is stunning, captivating, and alluring; you'll find she is the only figure on screen you cannot take your eyes off of, and even in her bad films she is often one of the few positives present. She could do comedy as well as serious drama exceptionally well. She was vulnerable and genuine, and she could also appear guileless, and give the impression of confidence in herself; she exuded it, and had a clear, intelligent self-awareness.
Soft, naïve and childlike, yet also sexy, smart and mature, Marilyn Monroe was like a goddess. A weeping, broken angel. Men wanted her, and women wanted to be her... but knew they didn't, actually.
One of the most famous and beautiful woman in the world, so of course this also makes her one of the most tragic women ever, specifically in Hollywood's history. The patriarchal system is determined to break and destroy any powerful and influential woman at any cost. It will try to fit her in a box, entrap her so she'll take up a tiny, limited amount of space; make sure she "knows her place" among the men.
I'll leave it at that for now. Just know that I admire Marilyn - Norma Jeane Mortenson - as a special, talented, complex, complicated, and human female icon.
And it makes sense that a photographer should write about her and take snapshots of her, as she did start out as a model. Eve Arnold absolutely treated her with respect and intelligence, and was gentle towards her.
I recommend 'Marilyn Monroe: By Eve Arnold' to any Marilyn fan, and anyone interested in photography and Hollywood behind-the-scenes history.
Eye-catching, eye-opening stuff. No fluff. No puff piece.
Final Score: 4/5
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