In the review of Blonde we will discuss the architectural perspective of the movie.
French country–style lake house | Review of Blonde
French country style is defined as a fusion of refined and rustic décor that is inspired by rural French homes. It is a well-liked fashion all around the world because to its unpretentious, informal, and relaxed elegance. Three primary qualities serve as a definition for the style:
- Textiles with delicate designs and muted colours
- Distressed, painted, or antique furniture and accessories
- A lot of wood and other organic elements are present.
This design aesthetic is sometimes referred to as provincial style. The definition of provincial style is a somewhat more formal, refined look. Rich hues, vibrant patterns, and gold accents are some of its traits that may be used into French country design.
Mediterranean-style mansions
The 1920s saw the first residences built in the Mediterranean style. Beach resorts were developed in the United States during this period because people were focused with wealth and pleasure. Warm-weather locales like California and Florida, which also have Spanish influences, are characterised by the prevalence of Mediterranean homes, which combine Spanish and Italian architectural styles. During this time, Addison Mizner, who invented this home design in Florida, as well as Bertram Goodhue, Sumner Spaulding, and Paul Williams in California, were famous architects. Mediterranean homes frequently feature an exterior of white-painted brick or stucco with a red-tiled roof (typically terra cotta). Decorative stone work, carved doors, and metalwork on windows, over balconies, and front doors are further typical features.
Blonde Movie: An Architectural Review | Review of Blonde
While there is plenty to discuss about Andrew Dominik’s Blonde, one aspect is less contentious: the incredible artistry of bringing 1940s and 1950s Hollywood back to life. From frame-by-frame recreations of legendary Marilyn Monroe sequences to a mountain of advertising materials starring the star to lighting up the streets of Hollywood in period-accurate form, this endeavour was no simple task—especially under Dominik’s painstaking vision.
Raoul Bolognini, President and CEO of Temprimental VFX, and visual effects supervisor Phillip Moses worked with the filmmaker for a year and a half before filming began, and then transitioned right from the shoot into an extended post-production process throughout the epidemic. Ana de Armas seeks to capture Marilyn Monroe in all her complexities in the fictitious biography Blonde. The intriguing film, written and produced by Andrew Dominik and based on Joyce Carol Oates’s 1999 novel of the same name, is an impressionistic version of the renowned actor’s life, with linked black-and-white and colour sequences, a shifting aspect ratio, and recurrent CGI foetuses.
Some of the footage was filmed at some of Monroe’s actual addresses. The modest Los Angeles apartment she shared with Gladys, for example, remains almost exactly as it was when Monroe lived there. Monroe’s bedroom was restored to its former state in her final abode, a Spanish Colonial-style property in Brentwood, California. During her lifespan, she allegedly resided in over 40 different locations, including luxury penthouses, Hollywood homes, and Connecticut estates. Most of them can be grouped under,
- Mediterranean style
- French Normandy style
- French country style
- Colonial style
- Pre – war style
French Normandy–style penthouse
French architecture has a long history, dating back to the Early Renaissance Period in 1484 and concluding with the Restoration Period in 1870. Throughout these years, the ruling monarchs of France designated and inspired most eras and styles. Although the ornamental elements changed with each age, one thing remained consistent in French architecture: the love of romance and architectural order. While not as common as Colonial or Tudor Revival, the Pacific Northwest has a number of fine examples of French Norman influenced architecture. The revival style, like the English Tudor, harkens straight back to mediaeval European architecture.
This design is inspired by the Normandy area, where barns were linked to the main living quarters. It is a more rustic architectural style with asymmetrical characteristics. Instead of stone or brick, windows and entrances are sometimes framed with wood. The outside is dominated by large stone fireplaces, and the front door is frequently enclosed by a curving structure that resembles a tower or grain silo. The Normandy Cottage is a comfortable and charming design with a little circular tower atop a cone-shaped roof.
The tower constructions are one of the most charming features of a Normandy-style dwelling. Many of these residences feature an added turret or tower derived from the grain silos on a classic Normandy farmhouse.
Colonial style
There are houses that date back to colonial America. era of colonisation. Even though genuine Colonial homes were no longer built after the American Revolution, their basic form, which was straightforward, symmetrical, and at least two stories tall, has continued to have a significant impact on domestic architecture for the past almost 200 years. Indigenous communities and repressive regimes were greatly influenced by colonial architecture. As colonists resettled in the United States, indigenous communities were uprooted, and many of their customs, including their own architecture, were destroyed to make space for colonial homes.
Elegant crown mouldings, elaborate fireplaces, and formal entryways are commonly seen in these homes. With four bedrooms upstairs and finished basements that give additional space for entertaining guests and recreational areas, modern Colonial homes are built to accommodate large families. Like many other houses from the time, their main living spaces are made to centre on the kitchen and den.
Pre War Style | Review of Blonde
Before World War II, between 1890 and 1940, pre-war houses were constructed. Homes started to alter throughout this time period, moving from practical farmhouses to opulent Victorian mansions before settling on a compromise of two-story homes with basements. As more people moved from farms and small towns to bigger cities, the housing industry—from construction companies to real estate brokers—started to grow in prominence.The homes of this era had high ceilings, arched entrances, and nickel-plated fittings. In big cities like New York City, apartments with “all the pleasures of home,” as a 1909 New York Times article put it, were in great demand. Apartments used to have a terrible rap for being uncomfortable tiny.
REFERENCES:
Department of Archaeology and Historic Preservation (DAHP) – Washington (no date). Available at: http://www.infrafunding.wa.gov/downloads/2019_Conference_Presentations/S27.pdf (Accessed: January 1, 2023).
Liebman, L. (2022) Marilyn Monroe’s houses: Inside her most notable addresses, Architectural Digest. Available at: https://www.architecturaldigest.com/story/marilyn-monroe-houses (Accessed: January 1, 2023).
Make your best home (2018) The Spruce. The Spruce. Available at: http://www.thespruce.com/ (Accessed: January 1, 2023).
Premier Luxury Home Builder since 1979 (2021) Stewart Custom Homes. Available at: https://stewartcustomhomes.build/ (Accessed: January 1, 2023).