Marilyn Monroe Honoured as Creative Pioneer in Major UK Exhibitions
Two landmark exhibitions are set to celebrate Marilyn Monroe's centenary, reframing her legacy from a mere sex symbol to a subversive creative force. Dubbed "the summer of Marilyn," these events at the British Film Institute (BFI) and the National Portrait Gallery aim to highlight her sharp comic intelligence, savvy image crafting, and transformative impact on female stardom.
BFI Season: Revisiting a Film Icon
From June 1 to the end of July, the BFI will host a sweeping two-month season titled Marilyn Monroe: Self Made Star. Curated by lead programmer Kimberley Sheehan, this retrospective divides Monroe's work into three strands: Star Attractions for musicals and comedies, Dramatic Turns for serious roles, and Scene Stealers for smaller but pivotal appearances.
Sheehan emphasises Monroe's unparalleled star power, stating, "Monroe was quite possibly the biggest star cinema ever saw and will ever see. She was the original triple threat and deserves much credit for crafting her own image and stardom." The season invites audiences to rediscover her dynamite presence in films like Gentlemen Prefer Blondes and How to Marry a Millionaire, as well as the heartbreaking depth of The Misfits.
Key to the celebration is the re-release of The Misfits (1961), Monroe's final completed film, in cinemas across the UK and Ireland. Directed by John Huston and written by her then-husband Arthur Miller, it features Monroe opposite Clark Gable in a tale of drifting cowboys and broken relationships.
National Portrait Gallery Exhibition: Image and Influence
Concurrently, Marilyn Monroe: A Portrait runs at the National Portrait Gallery from June to September. This exhibition explores Monroe's role in constructing her own image and her lasting influence on visual culture, featuring works by artists like Andy Warhol, Pauline Boty, and Richard Avedon.
It includes previously unseen photographs from Life magazine, taken by Allan Grant at Monroe's Brentwood home the day before her death in August 1962. The exhibition highlights her collaborative approach, showcasing how she not only performed for the camera but also directed shoots and vetoed images she disliked.
Beyond the Myth: A Pioneering Force
Born on June 1, 1926, Monroe remains a defining presence in popular culture, from her early pin-up days as Norma Jeane to her final images in 1962. The BFI season encourages a reassessment of her as a pioneering creative force who challenged the studio system, protested poor-quality scripts, and became the first woman since the silent era to establish her own production company.
Sheehan notes that Monroe's cultural saturation often overshadows her work, saying, "To many audiences, Monroe is an icon first and a performer second. They'll know the image, the gossip, the tragedies, but they might not know the films." She adds that revisiting her films is crucial, especially as her image is endlessly commodified, even in AI-generated prompts.
Drawing parallels to contemporary stars like Taylor Swift and Madonna, Sheehan reflects on Monroe's struggles with reinvention. "One of the greatest things she ever did was create the persona of 'Marilyn Monroe,' but it was also one of her biggest challenges," she explains. "She wanted to reinvent herself – something that just wasn't done in the 1950s."
Sheehan concludes with a hopeful note, suggesting that if Monroe were alive today, she could have been a figure like Margot Robbie – a talented performer and smart producer with significant control over her image. These exhibitions aim to honour her legacy and inspire a deeper appreciation of her contributions to cinema and culture.
