Blonde, the already-controversial Marilyn Monroe film starring Ana de Armas, has received its first teaser from Netflix.
The film, directed by Andrew Dominik and based on Joyce Carol Oates’ novel of the same name, has already gained attention for its unusual NC-17 rating, though the minute-long teaser focuses on Blonde’s aesthetic accuracy rather than its alleged explicit moments.
The streaming service praised the movie for “boldly reimagining the tangled life of icon Marilyn Monroe.” “Artfully exploring the contrast between her public and private life, the film blurs the borders between fact and fiction.”
De Armas stated of Blonde to Netflix Queue, “We worked on this film for hours, every single day for almost a year.” I studied countless images, videos, audio recordings, films, and whatever else I could get my hands on in addition to reading Joyce’s book. Every scenario draws inspiration from a previously taken shot. We would analyse each element of the image and discuss what was happening there. What was Norma Jeane [Baker, Monroe’s birth name] experiencing in this situation was always the first question asked? We wished to portray her experience from a human perspective. Fame made Norma the most invisible person in the world while making Marilyn the most visible.
Why does the new Marilyn Monroe film Blonde receive an NC-17 certification when it has a contentious history? In Blonde, Ana de Armas plays Monroe, the “blonde bombshell” Hollywood actress of the 1950s and 1960s who rose to fame and became a sex icon before her away tragically in 1962. The ambitious book of the same name by novelist Joyce Carol Oates, which some have referred to as the most comprehensive historical biography of the late actress, was adapted by director Andrew Dominik (The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford).
Blonde’s NC-17 rating was once again confirmed with the release of the trailer, with the Motion Picture Association citing “some sexual content” as the sole justification. Some elements of Oates’ novel are used in the movie, which undoubtedly contributes to the rating. The reasons for that grade and the type of sexual content, however, have not yet been made public. One scene in particular features Monroe being raped, which is difficult to depict on screen in any situation and is certain to elicit greater sensitivity from viewers.
On September 23, Netflix will release Blonde. Along with de Armas, the movie also includes Julianne Nicholson as Norma Jeane’s mother, Adrien Brody as “The Playwright,” Bobby Cannavale as “The Ex-Athlete,” and Julianne Brody as “The Playwright.” In the film, some of Monroe’s most famous moments—such as her rendition of “Diamonds Are a Girl’s Best Friend” and the time she stood over a subway grate and blew her dress up—are dramatized.
