Don’t Bother to Knock

Even in her very first leading role, Marilyn Monroe subverts her own image: vulnerable and unpredictable, she plays a young babysitter in a New York hotel room. Whilst looking after a little girl for the night, she meets her neighbour Jed, who has just been dumped by a nightclub singer – and doesn’t need much persuading when she invites him over … With the aid of mirrors, shadows and furtive glances, this blend of film noir and psychological drama – which, moreover, unfolds in real time – reveals fragile inner worlds, whilst Monroe’s performance already hints at a desperation that would later become an integral part of her persona.
(Florian Widegger)