Marilyn Monroe Retrospective at Torino to Portray Her as a ‘Female Marlon Brando’: ‘She Was So Profound’

Torino Film Festival will mark Marilyn Monroe’s centenary in 2026 with a 24-film retrospective, designed to show the range of her acting and the influence of her image. Artistic director Giulio Base says the programme aims to challenge familiar ideas about Monroe and make the festival welcoming to people beyond established film circles.

The selection includes Monroe films such as *The Seven Year Itch*, *How to Marry a Millionaire* and *Some Like It Hot*, alongside works that revisit her life and later films influenced by her legacy. Base cites acting teacher Lee Strasberg’s description of Monroe as “the female Marlon Brando”, arguing that her poetry, diaries and notes reveal a profound, well-read person behind the comic persona.