Notable Quote:
“I'm not a bad person. I'm a real good person.”
Synopsis:
If you enjoy your romance with a little murder (… okay, a lot of murder), check out Monster. Aileen Wuornos (Charlize Theron) begins a relationship with Selby Wall (Christina Ricci) – but she also begins a killing spree. Man, it’s so hard to juggle love and work as a woman!
The character:
From Maleficent to Ratched, there’s a recent spate of stories of iconic villains told from their points of view. Often, these stories make out that these characters aren’t actually villains: they’re just misunderstood. But Monster recognizes the essential fact that people can be both: Aileen Wuornos is misunderstood AND a villain. It’s true that she suffered incredibly horrifying circumstances, including being abused and mistreated from an early age. It’s true that sex workers are particularly vulnerable to sexual assault. And it’s also true that Aileen purposely set out to kill people just so that she could rob them, which is awful!
In a lot of ways, this movie is about how we see ourselves – and in particular, the ways that we justify our own bad actions. Aileen views the world as an inherently brutal, unfair place, in which you might have to do anything, including murder, just to stay alive. And the crazy thing is that she’s not wrong! But it’s important that Aileen commits acts of incredible evil, without ever seeing herself as evil.
I also have to note that in so many ways, Aileen Wuornos is Erin Brockovich, but ugly, which says a lot about how we value women in this country. Think about it – both are poor blondes who just want to have real jobs and turn their lives around. Both are rightfully sensitive to disrespect because the world has screwed them over, and both go off at unfair treatment. Sure sure, the minor detail that Erin doesn’t kill anyone, but aside from that, totally the same!
The performance:
This is the iconic Oscars performance where a woman wins for making herself ugly. And I have to admit, it is extremely impressive how unrecognizable Charlize Theron is, if she asked you for money outside of some gas station, you’d never know she was a famous actress. But there’s so much more to this performance. First of all, the audience needs to empathize deeply with Aileen, without ever losing sight of the fact that she’s also a terrifying serial killer, and Theron perfectly achieves this balance. Without toning down Aileen’s sharp edges, we still feel for her: Theron empathetically plays her pain and emotion. And yet, she also always has an air of menace about her.
I also love that Theron plays Aileen as such a weirdo. Like, she talks with a bizarre clenched jaw, she’s always doing this hair flip that’s absolutely horrifying. This character also gives Theron such an opportunity to tap into so many different energies, and she takes complete advantage. Sometimes, she carries herself with an incredible swagger, while at others, she’s jittery and panicked. Her anger is sometimes explosive and sometimes cold and callous. And the deep well of love that she has for Selby is undeniable. It is an all-encompassing, deeply powerful performance.
The movie:
I was stunned by this film: of all the movies that I’ve watched for the column, it genuinely might be my favorite? It’s an absurdly progressive movie, even by today’s standards: the main villains are homophobia and misogyny and a culture that makes it impossible for people to turn their lives around. In particular, it’s a blazing critique of the bullshit idea that all you have to do to succeed is work hard and think positive. It’s also a movie that has intense empathy for its characters: it never lets them off the hook for their bad behavior, but also seeks to meet them on their own level. It’s funny, and moving, and contains so many complex ideas without ever becoming overwhelming. I feel like I could watch it sixteen more times and continue to come away with new thoughts. Amazing.
Was the Oscar deserved?
Yes, this performance deserves its reputation.