Today it's all about verisimilitude - the appearance of reality, or, in the case of film, the construction of a believable reality. So, with this in mind we will be looking at the second series of sequences from Monster that chart the development of the love story between Aileen and Selby.
First, take a look at these images of Aileen and of Charlize Theron as Aileen and as herself. You will see the startling transformation of the actress into a believable resemblance of Aileen. We know that Theron went to great lengths to create a representation of Aileen that audiences would find realistic, studying movements, gestures and expressions from videos of the trial and from Nick Broomfield's documentary on Aileen. A glamorous Aileen would have been ridiculous and undermined the narrative. - Aileen's trial had been world famous at the time, as were the almost iconic images of Aileen herself.
Then, take a look at those of Christina Ricci as Selby, the real 'Selby' and then the real Chrsitina Ricci.
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| Aileen Wuornos |
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| Charlize Theron as Aileen |
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| Charlize Theron |
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| Christina Ricci as 'Selby' |
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| 'Selby' |
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| Chrsitina Ricci |
One of the key questions we might start to ask of these representations is 'WHY'?
If Charlize Theron - at the time described as one of the most desirable actresses in the world - was put through hours of make-up to create an accurate representation of Aileen then why was the character of 'Selby' represented in such an unrealistic manner - slim and elfin-like compared to 'Selby' who in reality was large and stocky?
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