MovieChat Forums > The Misfits (1961) Discussion > Marilyn Monroe Pin-Up Reference ?

Marilyn Monroe Pin-Up Reference ?

posted 19 years ago by Kate-me
32 replies | jump to latest

Did anyone notice the scene where Rosyln has just invited Guido(Eli Wallach) to the house that she and Gay have just finished-- and Guido opens up one of the large cabinet doors and there, on the inner part of the door are numerous pictures of Marilyn herself from the 50s when she is dressed up like a pinup girl-- and Rosyln says "Oh, don't look at those- Gay just put them up as a joke." Then he opens it again and is in awe of them and she closes it again.

What do you think the meaning of this is?
Is she trying to kind of 'kill' her old glamorous, sex symbol self and say that now it is all a joke and she isn;t comftorable with it? What do you think? Did you notice?

[–] 17 years ago

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[–] nahlafemme 16 years ago

The whole movie is about Marilyn Monroe, the person and the image. The whole time they reference women getting 'chewed up and spit out' in Nevada (Hollywood) and how they didn't want it to happen to her.

The ping pong scene is a metaphor - she's talented but everyone is focused on her shaking ass. When she wins $140 (or however much) the men kiss her and call her a cash cow.

The movie ends with the men roping and suffocating wild horses (with the same spare tires that could have saved Guido's wife) while she's sitting in the car watching it happen.

I don't think she was ashamed of the pictures in the closet, I think she was embarrassed that men would leer at them and that they represented how she was seen as a whore with nothing else to offer.

[–] denis-38 16 years ago

It's a very cruel scene. And it shows how conflicted she was about her image. It's like a slap in the face. This is supposed to be her big, serious, dramatic film--and all of a sudden,the audience is reminded with a jolt that this is no actress, this is Marilyn Monroe--an older, heavier Marilyn, too.

The film is mean to her in many ways--and there are more T&A shots in it than all of "Seven Year Itch" and "Some Like It Hot" combined! I think it was Miller putting her down, and Marilyn being too sick, too weak (and too troubled about her own abilities) to argue. The scene could have remained, but simply don't show the photos--"Oh, those are pictures from when I was a dancer...Gay put them up as a joke." Leave the audience to wonder.

"Misfits" is a fascinating film, but not a very good one. MM does her very best with an impossible character--Miller's love/hate version of herself! Monty is magnificent. And regarding another post--her bloodshot eyes had nothing to do with the choice to go black and white. Also--whatever her drug issues, she doesn't seem stoned to me. I think it's the character, and Marilyn unable to get a handle on it--do I play it tough or soft or be sexy or serious or what?!

[–] 16 years ago

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[–] 16 years ago

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[–] Veltaine 12 years ago

When I watched the film I didn't see them as photographs of Roslyn; they were all pretty famous pictures of Monroe - so it was more like Gay kept sexy photos of glamorous women, to remind Roslyn of her past occupation, the 'joke' is that where he once saw women only as objects (glamour pictures), he has now met Roslyn, and has discovered a new world of soulfulness.

As for the actual point of the scene, though, it was a metaphor for how Norma-Jean was trying earnestly to shed the 'Marilyn' skin, and become a serious actress. But she could never fully abort the persona.

"My car is outside."
"Naturally."

[–] 12 years ago

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[–] pauldada 10 years ago

You'd have to look at the script to have any idea what was going on here, but it's possible that the actual bad guy was Huston, putting down his star. He was fully capable of being a bad guy.