Some Like It Hot

Following what would have been her 100th birthday, we celebrate Marilyn Monroe as one of the most complex figures in film history: simultaneously myth and human, comedic talent and tragic icon. During the 1950s she came to be the face of Hollywood, with roles in films such as GENTLEMEN PREFER BLONDES (1953) and THE SEVEN YEAR ITCH (1955), in which she redefined the blonde sex symbol—as a conscious, intelligent woman with an impeccable sense of timing.

With SOME LIKE IT HOT (1959), directed by Billy Wilder (known for SUNSET BOULEVARD (1950) and THE APARTMENT (1960)), she reached an absolute peak. Wilder, a master of biting satire and moral ambiguity, uses the seemingly lighthearted premise of two musicians who, on the run from the mafia, go into hiding with an all-female band, to create a film that was far ahead of its time. Here gender becomes a game, identity a performance; fluid, unstable, and irresistibly funny.

The film was made during a time when the Hollywood Production Code still dictated what could and could not be shown, and constantly walks the line of what was considered acceptable at the time.That is precisely where its strength lies: in ambiguities, suggestion, and timing SOME LIKE IT HOT subverts prevailing norms with a lightness that feels all the more radical.

Monroe shines as Sugar Kane, a role that perfectly blends her comedic talent and vulnerability, and irrevocably establishes her as more than just an icon. Her presence gives the film an emotional core, amidst the chaos of costume parties and misunderstandings.

The legendary closing line “Nobody’s perfect” has since become one of the most quoted and subversive endings in film history: a punchline that not only wraps up the film but also calls into question everything that came before.

This screening is part of MARILYN 100, an ode to the iconic Marilyn Monroe in what would’ve been her 100th year of life.