Goddess exhibition salutes women trailblazers of screen

A world premiere exhibition of screen goddesses begins with the ultimate bombshell, Marilyn Monroe.

Her pink gown from Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, one of the most famous costumes in cinema, is the starting point for Goddess: Power, Glamour, Rebellion at the Australian Centre for the Moving Image in Melbourne.

But gallery-goers don't get to see the costume itself on display. Instead, the show opens with some of the many costumes inspired by the dress.

There's Margot Robbie's pink satin from the female superhero flick Birds of Prey, and Elaine Crombie's costume from Kiki and Kitty, a TV series starring a black woman whose best friend is her vagina.

Then there's a fuchsia outfit worn by reality TV star and activist Winnie Harlow, who has the skin condition vitiligo.

It's not only a challenge to Monroe-as-feminine-ideal beauty standards, but a through-line from Hollywood's golden age to the time of #MeToo.

The costumes are surrounded by clips and images from iconic screen moments including Madonna's satire of Gentlemen Prefer Blondes for her 1980s hit Material Girl.

Children of the '80s will be impressed to see the classic hit not only on vinyl but also cassette, among the more than 150 artefacts on show.

It's all part of a broad and fascinating examination of how screen culture has influenced ideas about women and gender across 120 years of film.

"We view the screen goddess as a fierce figure, a formidable figure who is renowned for power, glamour and rebellion," curator Bethan Johnson told reporters on Tuesday.

Behind almost every item lies a story of these rebellions, from Mae West's platform heels to Geena Davis's denim in 1991 trailblazer Thelma and Louise.

And for those who want to see a Marilyn Monroe outfit for real, there's a form-fitting white and silver ensemble from the 1959 film Some Like It Hot, by Australian-American designer Orry-Kelly.

One display is dedicated to actors who have flipped the script on gendered dressing, from a tuxedo worn by Marlene Dietrich to Billy Porter's red tuxedo-with-tulle-skirt number from the 2019 Tony Awards.

Set against these trailblazing numbers is ample evidence of the strictures the screen industry placed on women, one example of which is a copy of the screen industry Production Code from the 1930s.

"The sanctity of the institution of marriage and the home shall be upheld," it reads.

"Pictures shall not infer that low forms of sex relationship are the accepted or common theme."

Towards the end of the exhibition, there's the costume from Michelle Yeoh's role in the 2000 film Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon.

The Oscar-winning actor's recent acceptance speech for her role in the superhero comedy Everything Everywhere All at Once, filmed two decades after Crouching Tiger, sums up the exhibition's ethos.

"For all the little boys and girls who look like me watching tonight, this is a beacon of hope and possibilities. This is proof - dream big and dreams do come true," Yeoh said.

"And ladies, don't let anybody ever tell you you're past your prime."

The exhibition opens on Wednesday at ACMI before touring internationally.