Blonde, starring Ana de Armas as Marilyn Monroe, is one of the most highly-anticipated films of 2022. The biopic, which is Netflix's first production with an 18+ rating, is a fictional retelling of Marilyn Monroe's life, covering everything from her marriages to her untimely death in 1962.
While Ana de Armas has described the film as a “daring, unapologetic and feminist take on [Marilyn's] story", and she looks incredible as the Hollywood icon, the film has also received plenty of criticism for its sensationalist depiction of the late star's life.
Many have argued that we are seeing way too many stories of exploited women getting the Hollywood treatment. Biopics and documentaries of the late Brittany Murphy and Whitney Houston have received criticism, as did Pam & Tommy, which focused on the sex tape scandal that Pamela Anderson lived through.
So we've dived deep into the controversy surrounding the movie – here are all the key elements of the Blonde backlash.
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It doesn't necessarily follow Marilyn's real life, even though it's presented as a biopic
Because Blonde is based on a book of fiction by author Joyce Carol Oates, many have argued that adapting for screen creates a strange misconception of what Monroe's life was actually like, especially as the film is being described as a biopic, even though it is decidedly not based on a biographical account of her life.
Oates herself has openly admitted to “distilling” certain events of Monroe's life, with details being rearranged and invented to suit the story. For example, the book (and film) explores a conspiracy theory that Monroe was killed by former US Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy. The film also reportedly includes a scene where she is raped by a Fox studio head, which again is only known as a work of fiction.
For a person's life events to be manipulated in this way has left some people uncomfortable.
One fan has tweeted: “Blonde is heavily based on a FICTIONAL book about marilyn monroe that will go to feed the public more lies about her. this is NOT a biopic”.
A critic has taken issue with reviewing it
Due to the controversial content of the film, critic Grace Randolph announced earlier this year that should we not be covering the film “in any capacity”, calling the adult content film's presentation as a biography “pretty appalling” and “sick fantasy”.
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Blonde's director is unapologetic for any offence caused
Andrew Dominik has made it clear that he's not too bothered if audiences are disturbed by Blonde, which may be stoking the flames of the fire even more as people try to decide what to make of the controversy.
In an interview with Screen Daily, he said: “It’s a demanding movie. If the audience doesn’t like it, that’s the f**king audience’s problem. It’s not running for public office."
He went on: “It’s an NC-17 movie about Marilyn Monroe, it’s kind of what you want, right? I want to go and see the NC-17 version of the Marilyn Monroe story.”
It could be argued that making a film with “adult sexual content” that tells a different, fictional version of a woman's real life might not actually be what everyone wants…
Here's what we know.
It gives some potentially confusing messages about miscarriages and pregnancy
Reviews from Venice Film Festival – where Blonde had its premiere – have referenced disturbing scenes where a foetus talks to Marilyn from her uterus before she miscarries.
Critics have stated that this may “turn off audiences” but it also could re-ignite conversations around anti-abortion, as well as unnecessarily trigger people who may have had miscarriages themselves.
However, Andrew said that with the scene, he was simply trying to “create her experience” of a “reluctant abortion”. Speaking to BFI, he explained: “She wants to have a child because she wants to rescue herself. Her own experience of motherhood is disastrous based on her own mother. But that baby is real to her, and so that’s why you see the baby. I don’t think the scene would feel as real [otherwise]. And also, she’s having a reluctant abortion. So it would be pretty horrible. I’m trying to create her experience. I’m trying to put the audience through the same thing. I’m not concerned with being tasteful."
The two are starring in the upcoming Barbie movie.
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Basically, shouldn't we just let Marilyn rest?
Above all, critics and Marilyn fans have suggested that the way in which this film has been made and promoted could be furthering an exploitative narrative that the star contended with while she was alive.
Especially as this isn't the first time this year, we've seen her legacy lifted back out into modern life, with mixed results. Kim Kardashian reportedly wore and damaged an iconic dress that Marilyn wore to the 2022 Met Gala, leading commentators to point out that the legacy should be left well enough alone.
The concern seems to be that Blonde is not telling the true story of Marilyn's life, therefore not honouring her in the best way it could, and may not be acknowledging the full scope of how she was exploited when she was alive. Some have suggested that the film is another example of others profiting from her talent.
One tweet reads: “Let Hollywood tell us how awful Hollywood treated this woman, when it's been decades since her death, people are still profiting from her image.”
