A National Portrait Gallery exhibition and a BFI season are set to re-examine Marilyn Monroe, focusing on rare midnight photographs that may reveal a more authentic side of the iconic star. The show and film program aim to look beyond her public persona to explore her true self through lesser-known images and cinematic works.
This matters because it challenges the enduring myth of Monroe as merely a glamorous Hollywood figure, offering a deeper, more nuanced understanding of her as a complex individual and artist. The collaboration between a major museum and a film institute underscores a growing trend of interdisciplinary cultural re-evaluation, potentially reshaping public and scholarly perceptions of Monroe's legacy.