Marilyn Monroe on Netflix: ban under 18, controversy… A chaotic journey with the film’s blonde Anna de Arma

After a long delay, the movie Blonde is finally available on Netflix. Between the under-18 ban and the controversy, take a look at the chaotic journey of the fake biography of Marilyn Monroe with Anna De Arma.

Available on Netflix from September 28, Blonde is a bold interpretation of the trajectory of Marilyn Monroe, one of Hollywood’s most timeless icons. Adapted from Joyce Carol Oates’ bestseller of the same name, this anti-biographical film by Andrew Dominik traces the turbulent childhood, meteoric rise and complicated love stories of normal Jean/Merlin.

Blurring the line between fact and fiction, Blonde explores the major gap between her public persona and the person she was in private. It is the actress Ana de Armas who portrays the lost Hollywood star. We find it next to him Bobby Cannavale (Boardwalk Empire), Adrian Brody (pianist, Grand Budapest Hotel), Juliana Nicholson (Masters of Sex), Caspar Phillipson (Jack, Mission Impossible: Fallout) or even Toby Huss (Jerry Maguire, Ghostbusters).

The film is surrounded by controversy

You should know that Blonde faced a lot of opposition before it was finally released on Netflix. It’s a long-standing project for Andrew Dominique, who took more than a decade to see the light of day, with names ranging from Marilyn Monroe to Naomi Watts and Jessica Chastain before choosing. Stop at Anna De. Armas.

After a long production run – the film struggled to find financing – filming finally begins in August 2019. Filming is then underway until July 2021, with a release window on Netflix: late 2021 was an obvious no-go. The content of the feature film is at the heart of the controversy, which has led to a heated discussion between Andrew Dominik and Netflix.

An artistic disagreement arose between the two sides regarding the final cut, which platform representatives did not like at all. According to the indiscretions of the often well-informed journalist Jordan Ruim, published in T The real worldNetflix was reportedly horrified by some very graphic sex scenes, including a “rape sequence” and “bloody cunnilingus during menstruation.”

This version of Blonde was then shelved by American Giant, which did not plan to release it until 2022 until Andrew Dominick retouched the film. In the end, the two sides found a common language: Netflix will release the feature film in the version desired by the director, but it will be subject to restrictions and will be prohibited under the age of 17 in the United States (equivalent to the ban under 18 in France).

This is Netflix’s first original movie restricted to ages 17 and older. But that classification fits Andrew Dominik, who confided in Collider that he convinced: “Netflix is ​​letting me release the movie I wanted to make, and even with the 17-year-old ban, I think that’s pretty cool.”

The choice was approved by the director, but criticized by its lead actress Ana de Armas, who told official journal That this decision was unfair and incomprehensible:

“I could not understand why this happened. I can name many movies or series that are much more obvious than Blonde. But to tell this story well, it’s important to show the moments in Marilyn’s life that made her who she is. We need to explain this. “

Lucky kids got to see a version of the film like Pedro Almodovar, who loved it but admits the film is bound to be divisive. The Spanish director gave an accurate review of the blonde to the newspaper ElDiario:

“Had this come out a few years earlier, when #MeToo arrived, the film would have been a perfect representation of that movement. We live in a time where we now know what boundaries are. It’s a film that expresses form. There’s a moral to it, but it’s swimming in very murky waters, Because I don’t think it’s easy to talk about it.”

The final editing process took some time and blonde was not ready for various film festivals. Therefore, the progress of a full-length film in 2022 is accelerating. After stalling at the Cannes Film Festival, Blonde was finally screened at the Venice Film Festival to a 14-minute standing ovation, for reasons explained by Thierry Fremaux.

After this triumph, the blonde also appeared at the Deauville festival, in addition to special screenings in French cinemas. The feature film is now available on Netflix worldwide, although it will be split.

During the controversy, Andrew Dominic warned in an interview with Screen Daily that Blonde is a “demanding film”: “If the public doesn’t like it, that’s their problem. It’s not designed to please everyone.”. The public is still being warned.

Spotlight – Our “3 Movies” podcast about Marilyn Monroe:

Blonde is available on Netflix.

Source: allocine