Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (1953)

The first film of the course, Gentlemen Prefer Blondes is also the first Marilyn film I've seen- and I was really caught off guard by her incredibly ditsy and coy character. Having seen a thousand and one photos of Ms. Monroe, without a voice to accompany it, I had her pigeonholed as a confident, sultry actress- one aware of her sexuality and how to use it. The character of Lorelai has a sense of naivety, especially in the way she conducts herself around the men of the film- almost as if she isn't fully aware of her own appeal.

Of course, the key aspect of the film is the spectacle of the costumes, which, apart from being a great exaggerated look at fashions of the time, serve to differentiate the two female leads, and highlight their characters' difference in motivations. Marilyn's character is essentially depicted as the opposite of Jane's character- both through personality and costume. While both leads are impeccably dressed, Jane is more often seen in angular, structured garments, and a darker set of colours, which gives her look a far more 40's lean. Meanwhile, Marilyn's waist is always the focal point, with a tightly fitted bustline to emphasise her figure, and bright jewel tones.

The exception to these differences in dress is through the musical numbers- as was expected, the two leads wear matching outfits as showgirls throughout the film. These shared outfits toe the line between the two distinct styles, and serve as a merging of the two characters. However, I found it interesting that they wore identical wedding dresses, given their almost polar styles. As they came down the aisle singing a reprise, it's almost as if the wedding itself is just another big number, this time with a higher payoff.

At the end of the day, the central relationship of the film- between Marilyn and Jane- remains the most important aspect of the film, as both girls are shown getting what they set out to achieve, while remaining secure in their friendship.

The film also definitely highlights the idea of costume/fashion as spectacle- during the showstopper musical scenes, and also through the sheer number of of the fashion outfits that cross the screen. The Paris shopping scene stands out as the most blatant example of this, as the scene essentially feels like an advertisement for all of the important names of the Parisian couture world, which I quite liked.