Blonde is a Fundamental Failure

[@TheEvanesarah]

This movie should've been a Vogue photoshoot.

[@WaggieMaggieful]

YESSSSS!

[@itsalladream5559]

Lmao!

[@tcrijwanachoudhury]

Has as much substance as one tbh

[@Kay-kg6ny]

Ha!!

[@Alonepistachio]

Im pretty sure they’ve already done it, but to be fair this movie has also been done to death. How many movies on Marilyn are there?

[@talistheintrovert]

I wrote about the twisting of Marilyn Monroe's image for my dissertation (it was an extended thesis about the way women have their images taken away and twisted after they've died and can't speak up for themselves) and I read Blonde as part of my research. Joyce Carol Oates is known for her particular kind of fictional-non-fiction writing and it REALLY doesn't translate well to screen, but even ignoring the book it's based on this is just a horrible portrayal of an incredibly interesting woman who lived through a lot of really horrific stuff and yet is mostly only known for her "perfect" image (and "difficult" personality), done by focussing mainly on... her image. This is exactly the kind of thing I was pointing out in my dissertation as completely missing the point in a way that makes the point it's missing even more obvious.

[@syxpcotic9452]

She has always been sexual that was her whole image

[@bistander]

That sounds like an interesting long video essay topic

[@nulle_part_recordings8918]

But do you not think exactly what you said is what this movie is. The way they portray Norma Jean as thinking of Marilyn as perfection as the thing that will carry her out of the darkest parts of her life but which also brings her fame as well, sort of twisting them together as she wants herself to be an actually good actor but is betrayed by who people want Marilyn to be, those people thinking Marilyn is her, is that not what the movie points out by showing an unabashed look at it?

[@talistheintrovert]

@@nulle_part_recordings8918 I think there is a way of making this movie that *could* effectively portray that, but that's not what this movie is doing. You don't need to have drawn out scenes of assault in order to show that her life wasn't perfect, all while focussing on her face. Changing scenes' aspect ratios and colour grading depending on *what photoshoot they're in reference to* is also a prime example of that surface level thinking. The movie is attempting to say "marilyn monroe is a facade, Norma Jean was a tortured individual" which is not necessarily incorrect, but it does this by explicitly portraying that image over and over again in a way that goes full circle back to being exploitative of her again. It's uncomfortable (and not in the way the book is, trying to force you to think about such things) but in a way that makes it clear it doesn't understand the problem with this portrayal. It's sexist and dehumanising and reduces a woman who lived through childhood s*xual assault and physical abuse and grew up to become a woman who tried to make a career and a life for herself into a helpless waif with daddy issues. In the novel the fetus is a metaphor (and she doesn't have LITERAL CONVERSATIONS WITH IT) but in the film it is a heavy-handed schlocky message that is incredibly tasteless. Her supposed throuple never happened, the threesome never happened, there's no proof she ever had an abortion and there are no records of any studio executives r*ping Monroe - especially that particular one, who she actively got away from in a professional capacity, something that is well known. So there is even less reason to show these things in explicit detail with exploitative nudity and almost laughable cgi. It reduces her image to the one society already thought she was "the ditzy slut with no agency who is a tortured person behind the scenes" and doesn't dig any deeper than that. If anything it makes her image more surface level because it chooses to focus so image-heavy on the things that didn't happen, and in particular on the overly sexual content which Marilyn explicitly didn't want herself reduced to. Marilyn Monroe just wanted to be seen as a person but this is yet another portrayal of her that goes out of its way to see her as almost entirely just a sex symbol even as it pretends it's not. I see where you're coming from but the movie doesn't.

[@Angela-rt8xp]

@@talistheintrovert is your paper public access and can I please read it? it sounds fascinating (gender studies minor communications major Marilyn Monroe admirer here....just asking)

[@6ViolinRed]

It is strange the extent Dominick went to recreate certain historical moments - the photos, the details, filming both in Monroe’s childhood home and the room where she died - but also fabricating so much and using the “fictional” quality as a free pass.

[@RaggedyCatProductions]

No, it's based on a book. It's adapting a novel. It's not the directors fault that nobody could do the bare minimum and look up what the movie is before watching it.

[@donjindra]

It's based on a novel so don't blame the director.

[@Thepriestessdeath]

@@donjindra we are literally blaming him for being a bad DIRECTOR …

[@Thepriestessdeath]

@@RaggedyCatProductions it is literally the directors fault if he did a bad job directing

[@wayneeast405]

@@Thepriestessdeath but he didnt do a bad job. Would you rather watch a by the numbers biopic or a gut wrenching depiction of a tortured life.

[@Tigerheiress]

as a society we need to LEAVE THIS WOMAN ALONE. if i were marilyn my ghost would haunt america forever 😭

[@Boobalopbop]

Yeah, it’s getting to a point where we need to just leave her be. Admire her work, her images and the person she was. Maybe someone can make a great documentary or something, but biopics in general lately have been so cringe.

[@Tigerheiress]

@@Boobalopbop and its just getting OBSESSIVE. like so many people dressing like her, taking her clothes out of museums to wear them, its all so disrespectful and out of control. you wouldn’t wear any other dead person’s clothes so why is it ok to wear hers? not to mention these exploitive biopics. its like nobody has learned anything. being exploited like this is what caused her life to end early to begin with. the marilyn obsession needs to end because its not even about honoring her, its about defiling an ideal and exploiting a narrative of female suffering. its strange and scary.

[@Boobalopbop]

@@Tigerheiress Oh, that vile plastic pig wearing her dress was just so wrong. Ugh… I forgot about that. I think my brain just wants to block it out. And mind you, I don’t see Marilyn as this God-like creature we should only worship, or something. I just think it’s disrespectful. I wouldn’t even mind if she bought the dress at auction. But to borrow it, alter it and just wear it, it’s just some “I’ll do it cuz I can” BS. I hate it.

[@layla2822]

And move the bodies of those creepy old men. Let her rest in peace 🙏🏻

[@Tigerheiress]

@@layla2822 period.

[@lotusthemermaid]

This movie infuriated me like no other. I'm not a Marilyn stan and I couldn't care less about JFK. It's simply disgusting that this film which condemns the exploitation done to Monroe in her time then does exactly the same thing and forces modern audiences into voyeurs of her torture. It was just horrifying.

[@miintyfresj]

I dont think it condemns the exploitation, I don't even think they were trying to do that a little. I think this movie is just giving you all the gory details in visual form, just like a buffet, no reason, no message.

[@Ilovecerealcerealcereal]

There is only evidence she was friendly with the Kennedys. Everything else is speculation. This false narrative that she dated the two brothers is fan fiction at best. She may have had an affair with Bobby, she may have. It’s not that important to her life story except for the people who think she was murdered. I hated this movie so much! First Kim K now this? #JusticeforMarilyn

[@connorflahive9510]

couldnt have said it better.. i dont think a movie has ever made me genuinely angry after watching it until this movie

[@sulimanthemagnificent4893]

Snowtown, just fucking watch Snowtown. It's a fucking EPIC movie, but it's... well, buyer be ware. (It's pretty much what you are saying about this)

[@LongDeathBlueNeck]

@@sulimanthemagnificent4893 kurzel's work on snowtown and nitram do the same thing as this movie where it doesn't comment on the proceedings, just gives you an unfiltered look into it. I really liked snowtown and LOVED nitram, but i have no interest in the slightest in watching Blonde. maybe if either of kurzel's films were about women and the harm done to them people wouldn't like them either. if Blonde were about a man i would be way less hesitant to see it. i think people don't like watching horrible things happen to women, i know i dont.

[@JamesLawner]

Of all the times biographical/historical media tries to be progressive, this movie missed out on showcasing how Marilyn Monroe helped out Ella Fitzgerald on getting a gig at a nightclub (seriously, this was a true story, and there’s even a photo with Fitzgerald and Monroe), and many other things that showcased Monroe’s intelligence and intellectuality (this movie only briefly mentions how she’s read Chekov and Dostoyevsky). Lastly, why make a fictionalized account of a real person’s life when you can just tell an original story with original characters and have it be allegorical? Anyways, go watch Jackie for a better biopic experience.

[@LoneWulf278]

YES! I read about that event and always wanted to see it play out on screen. But instead we got… this. Predictable trauma p0rn passing itself off as a “message about fame”. 😂 I’m sorry, but you just can’t convince me that woman who was able to get an icon like Ella Fitzgerald better pay was some kinda indigent, fragile, child in a woman’s body. Sadly, people in the industry are enamored with that image and nobody is interested in the truly admirable parts of her life.

[@mikaylasmith7600]

YES!!! I also hated how they didn't bring in Jane Russell. Apparently she was on Marylin's side a lot during their filming of GPB. But no, women supporting women?? Nope, just misery and emotional torture.

[@LoneWulf278]

@@mikaylasmith7600 YEP. This is why I prefer TV shows and have for years now. Movie-makers are so lazy and aggravating these days. They have a very limited amount of time to tell a big story, so they just pick the narratives that they find to be the most likely to get attention.

[@stephennootens916]

The interesting thing about her is she was vary intelligent woman who did a lot in the time she was working but also had mood disorder that most like could be have treated today.

[@stephennootens916]

@@mindyengledow6860 i do recall reading somewhere she did go to therapy

[@Bamgeutcutiepie]

this movie.... oh man. it looked SO GOOD at first... it set the mood and had such interesting cinematography! such cool shots... but ... firstly: this movie is much up it's own butt just focusing purely on the visuals. scene, next, scene, next... doesn't really feel like a movie as much as collection of scenes. THEN the way it just completely degrades her!! All the assault and violence, her total passive nature and dumbed down portrayal of Marilyn. Made up assaults and having her naked in 50 of the movie. close ups of her face as she is getting F'ed .... close up of her ace as she gives a ... Job... and again, totally made up scenario. just degrading her. *WHY* just WHY did they objectify her so much? The actress Ana too! this just shows her as a total mess and borderline insane. this movie is so messed up. a scene that lasted an eternity where they close up of her crotch as the dress goes up. hearing her getting violently beaten up. seeing her abortion from the inside of her V... WTF is wrong with this movie! it had such potential and the trailer looked good. Ana does an amazing job with what she is given, but.... nothing could save this disgrace of a film.

[@shawklan27]

Well said

[@vicanjel]

There wouldn't be Marilyn Monroe, The Icon, without objectification. How could they make a movie of an icon that was built on objectification without doing some objectification of their own? Sure, they could do a documentary, but not a movie. It is a plus 18 movie, there's a warning before it begins. I personally felt awkward when I watched those scenes you criticize but I knew what I had signed in for. So did the actress Ana de Armas, who agreed to do the portrayal. Disney should do the next movie about Marilyn Monroe...(to avoid people getting offended)

[@donjindra]

The "dumbed down" version of Marylin? That's a dumb comment. Look at her interactions with Miller. He's amazed at how smart she is.

[@Velvet62211]

Wtf, really?! I’m just 25 minutes in the movie and I already dislike it but wth. I thought the movie would be good because it’s top 10 in Netflix rn but the movie just seems like it’s only disrespecting, objectifying and sexualizing Marilyn even when she’s dead

[@LB-mo1dc]

Nope, tired of people infantilizing Ana a GROWN women. I lost all respect when she read the script and still chose to act in this role. Everyone involved is gross for participating

[@dinkybo]

It was terrible. It should be called the Victimization of Monroe. She’s crying and miserable in the entire movie. Anna did a good job but boooo to the director. He exploited both actresses.

[@donjindra]

It was very good. The actress was not "exploited." She did an excellent job.

[@ChildOfTheFlower]

And this actress got paid for her services that she signed a contract to do.

[@melissadavis18]

Ana did well with what was given to her but Jesus! Don’t have to expect an awards from this

[@Luke-Emmanuel]

Now you know what borderline personality disorder is. Next time, maybe you’ll try not to let them die.

[@arnemyggen]

The book on which this is based is getting rave reviews on Amazon. Maybe it’s because grownups read books and kids see Netflix?

[@naracharlize3792]

Marilyn Monroe was one of the first women in Hollywood to defy studio moguls move to NYC and create her own production company and fund her own movies. She was quite literally the "girlboss" and president of her company. This isn't a story they want to tell.

[@elizabethmchugh9811]

💯.Marilyn displayed more agency and control than people recognise.

[@javierflores7888]

exactly 💯💯💯💯💯

[@wordswordswords8203]

Yup. She was brilliant and a trailblazer.

[@iconslegends5230]

You are right, Marilyn was also combative and determined, had a great sense of irony and knew where she wanted to arrive. This film is absolutely to be forgotten

[@lavenderblu2207]

@@elizabethmchugh9811 It’s because they can’t imagine a woman who found her own version of agency in an industry in that tried to take it from her anyway they could. To people she cannot be sympathetic for the abuse she faced throughout her life and a sexual adult woman. To them she can be one or the other.

[@emd2831]

I can’t even believe they allowed this to be made , showing fictional key word FICTIONAL rape scenes about a real woman that died years ago is absolutely disgusting and horrifying I’m sure she’s rolling in her grave right now , the amount of disrespect is unreal , also they released this movie without really specifying to the audience that the movie is based off of a fictional book about her this just completely distorted and twisted her life story and people are taking it as real

[@lulucica1]

Exactly !!!! Just WRONG ON SO MANY LEVELS ...Thanks for articulating my thoughts on Marilyn being robed of her humanity and strength !!!

[@emd2831]

@@mindyengledow6860 exactly my heart breaks for her so much right now , I’ve seen so many people already talk about this movie as if it’s factual .

[@emd2831]

@@mindyengledow6860 there’s also a extremely graphic fictional abortion scene , I think that part was the end of it for me it made me extremely mad like so mad , there’s no proof she ever got an abortion,she had multiple miscarriages because of infertility /reproductive issues. Now people are talking about it as if it really happened, how dark and twisted to take something so private and then make up a lie to present to the world .

[@emd2831]

@@mindyengledow6860 and we all know deep down that if she was alive today to see this it would’ve broke Monroe’s heart 💔

[@lovelymelody7]

1000% they purposely didn't explicitly say this was almost entirely FICTION. This movie could have been easily a made-up Hollywood actress but making Marilyn the focal point and inflicting that much fabricated pain is disgusting. I hate the director if I'm being honest. he himself hates Marilyn..

[@dotcombabytm4644]

I watched Andrew Dominik's Blonde reeeally late last night/early morning (till 4 am), and....to be frank. This is a movie to watch once and never watch again. Blonde is one truly dark, eerie, rough, disturbing and depressing cinematic roller coaster ride. Dominik being raw with depicting Marilyn's life is one thing. Dominik treating Marilyn's life like a visual snuff film meant to ethically, morally, artistically and visually r*pe Marilyn's soul, dignity, memory and humanity in the process is another. I previously read reviews of Andrew Dominik's Blonde and while reading graphic details of Marilyn's sexual trauma was already depressing and I was mindful of what to expect by watching this movie, it was still very hard to watch and I didn't enjoy it at all. Watching the way Domink would constantly drag Marilyn through the ringer with back to back suffering and trauma was just a lot, and that was so depressing to watch unfold on my TV screen. Dominik not only going over the top with showing Marilyn's sexual trauma with overly graphic and gratuitous detail back to back but Dominik also figuratively and literally recucing Marilyn to her private sexual organs in two forced abortion scenes just feels very invasive and dehumanizing. Just even reading that detail of those scenes in reviews beforehand really got to me to where I teared up and actually cried. And frankly, Dominik's use of gratuitous content in a way is a rape of viewers and audience members too. And I was deeply affected and disturbed and I felt terrible for poor Marilyn and was depressed and numb during this movie and afterwards. Granted I only watched two of Marilyn's movies during childhood (Niagara and Don't Bother To Knock) and I'm not a Marilyn superfan but even I know Marilyn should get a movie that treats her with gentleness and humanity, and that's not what Dominik did. Also: Dominik's disdainful and sexist views on Marilyn only makes matters worse. In conclusion, Dominik should've left Marilyn's life story alone and shouldn't have filmed Blonde.

[@26349]

Let me guess, the director also showed none of her suffering from severe endometriosis

[@bomnitoperro9422]

Every time i se marilyn i feel weird. It feels like every person that has portrayed her allways use her to an extent that feels like an image rape. She is not a person is a warhol icon, a fashion concept, a mans sexual dream. And then this movie feels like the final nail in the coffin. Do we really need to dip once again in a womans sexual traumas, and how life treathed her by faking situations and having her naked 50% of the movie. Once again Marilyn is not a person, just a prop for a narcisist

[@donjindra]

There was a lot of humanity in this film. That's one of its strengths.

[@wraithful5300]

What makes it truly horrible is that these forced abortion and graphic sexual assaults never occurred in real life. If you want the real story, Marilyn has an autobiography “My Story” that was published posthumously and it is a much better insight on the woman herself and her life.

[@donjindra]

@@wraithful5300 The movie is not clear that the abortion was forced. Regardless, this was not supposed to be the "real" story. It was based on a novel.

[@bigolemaddie]

I’m not a diehard fan of Marilyn, but I wanted to come into the movie thinking I was going to learn more about her backstory; I was wrong. She was portrayed as a sexually promiscuous blonde, yet again. I felt like it was just an excuse to show the actress nude more than anything. Some scenes dragged on for so long with no direction, to the point where it started to become boring; the visuals were nice, but the scenes just wouldn’t end when needed. I wish I could’ve seen this movie in the artistic light of representing her trauma, but I just can’t.

[@j.m5299]

yes! there are so many nude scenes for no reason. the one that left the most confused was when her husband gets into the room and she is just sitting on the bed with no top on for no reason? i hated the movie. stopped watching 40 minutes in

[@bigolemaddie]

@@j.m5299 I feel the exact same way about that scene! There’s so many other ways for directors to give us that uncomfortable/disturbed emotion they want to invoke without having to leave female characters nude and vulnerable all the time.

[@j.m5299]

@@bigolemaddie yes, for me it felt like the director was trying to sexualize the actress or even ridicule marylin. i think ana de armas did a good job as marylin, but the character felt so empty

[@KhadaJhin04]

Another movie that sexualizes a woman instead of treating her like a real person because women are fundamentally only seen as what their bodies are worth, wow, color me surprised... Seriously I am tired of women being written like we're aliens, it couldn't be that hard to write us as people, without the need for eye candy or else the audience will have no value in viewing the movie.

[@Spaceghost22]

@@j.m5299 that scene wasn´t supposed to be sexual, it´s just that people immediately connect nudity to sex but anyways...

[@PabloAlvestegui]

I watched this movie last night. Wish I never had. It was a horrible, depressing and flagrant character assassination of Marilyn Monroe.

[@donjindra]

I thought is was very good.

[@PabloAlvestegui]

​@@donjindra, I don't think I have ever watched a worse one.

[@donjindra]

@@PabloAlvestegui That happens. But I'm glad i watched it. I'm glad there's something to see that's about human beings and also devoid of woke ideology..

[@PabloAlvestegui]

@@donjindra, yeah, well, this movie is not about human beings properly speaking; and while it did not have any obnoxious woke ideology, it is also devoid of anything good.

[@user-jf7ej5py1u]

I swear everything on Netflix has such a disturbing and sinister undertone to it.

[@CharlizeQuin]

How come everyone under the sun can get a humanizing “biopic” EXCEPT for Marilyn Monroe? It’s not because of lack of material there is plenty of information about her. I wish we could get ONE that shows the bad, the good, the brilliant, the great and the horrible. But since it’s apparently impossible can we at least have the decency to LET HER REST and not continue to bastardize and exploit her image? Jfc.

[@nerdrage9739]

They managed to make Marilyn Monroe boring. Wow. I watched about 1/4 before giving up. Didn't even make it to the infamous fetus scene. And they should have gotten Ana a voice coach. Her accent was obvious and distracting. Another day, another bad Netflix movie.

[@crumblebee6728]

You think they DIDN’T have a voice coach? Lol they worked on her accent for 3 hours a day.. it’s just too strong to get past

[@donjindra]

Netflix does have a lot of bad movies. But movies such as Blonde are the reason I'm keeping my Netflix subscription.

[@KhadaJhin04]

@@donjindra so for bad movies?

[@donjindra]

@@KhadaJhin04 No, for gems like Blonde mixed in with the bad movies.

[@Likelyfairy]

@@donjindra “gems” 😭😂

[@EllieC130]

I think the JFK thing annoyed me because... well, she didn't have to be drugged and raped by JFK for an affair between them to be messed up. We all know there was an obvious power imbalance so to speculate it was more nefarious on his end than already was commonly depicted just feels artistically like they're trying to push it further to show off they're the movie that has the guts to "go there". But given we don't even know if it happened in general, it feels like they're using speculative trauma porn of a real person for clout.

[@smythejane7345]

Right. Like you said, there’s zero credible evidence that an affair between JFK and Marilyn Monroe actually happened, the majority of the “evidence” stems from her happy birthday performance where she purposefully played a caricature of herself since it was his birthday, she was invited, and had to entertain him along with the audience. But aside from that there is so much out there about JFKs affairs and I feel like a lot of it is overblown but there’s no denying that he had quite a few affairs. It’s so crazy how you can have such progressive, inspiring and seemingly good people be absolutely horrible and reckless sometimes, but oddly enough that’s the human race for you, full of complexity and contradiction.

[@mctheplaywright]

WHY DID THE MOVIE HAVE A TALKING FETUS WHY DID THE MOVIE HAVE A TALKING FETUS WHY DID THE MOVIE HAVE A TALKING FETUS WHY DID THE MOVIE HAVE A TALKING FETUS WHY DID THE MOVIE HAVE A TALKING FETUS

[@fromgreattobrilliant922]

Wait until you hear about P.T. lmao

[@lulucica1]

Because the film Is PURE TRASH!

[@basharatahmad306]

Because abortion is murder

[@user-bj7em4fv1p]

That scene was so horrible and ridiculous I stopped watching just to say out loud WHAT THE F*CK IS THIS SH*T? I can’t believe someone decided it was a good idea to put a scene like that in the movie. It was not only hideous visually, like all the other fetus imagery in the movie, it was so tone deaf and in poor taste it shocked me. I believe it is one of the worst scenes I have ever seen in a movie.

[@user-bj7em4fv1p]

@Vicar Amelia 100%!

[@seanledden4397]

Haven't seen the movie, but it smells of victimization porn. Taylor's point about the film striving for visual accuracy to "prove" that it's Monroe fantasy is the real truth indicates that the project is a kind of con job as well.

[@lulucica1]

Exactly ...victimization porn Is the best description of this trash on film !

[@matalobos]

I watched it. I actually survived SA in my life. This shit was fucking triggering. I legit ended crying in the bathroom. At first I tought the rape scene with the director was justified as a denounce of what actresses of the time had to endure, and that bastard actually had acusations so that could habe happened. I actually was enjoying the start. But everything goes downhill fast. the JFK was way too much. There was no excuse. Marilyn was dumb down, the script completely disregarding that she suffered of severe endometriosis and that was what caused her miscarriages (her autopsy actually revealed she didnt went through abortions), and tons of other sins. But the victimization porn is the main focus of this tilm.

[@evi4043]

Movie was ironic. All Marylin wanted was to be seen as Norma throughout the movie. All Dominik showed us was Marylin. I was so disappointed with that. She was more than her trauma and conspiracy theories.

[@Sharpe1502]

This movie could’ve been this generation’s Fire Walk With Me, but Dominik kept every character (even Marilyn) at a distance and he didn’t let the audience connect with anyone. It felt more like watching a car crash in slow motion.

[@ImTheBitchWitch]

My enemies often have accidents biachh bet on that one 😊

[@TheDRODOR]

@@ImTheBitchWitch ??

[@Mencazable]

This movie is becoming a cult in the next few years. Just like FWWM.

[@sarahjane434]

ive said this before and i will continue to say it: LET THIS WOMAN REST

[@biancachristie]

THANK YOU!! This is exactly what I’ve been trying to say about Blonde. Why go through all the meticulous technical work for its verisimilitude, including its locations, if it’s not telling Marilyn Monroe’s story? Doesn’t that open the door for (more) misrepresentation of an already badly misunderstood and terribly exploiter (in life and afterwards) public figure? I just don’t see what Blonde adds to the discourse around her life-God knows there was already enough. Clearly, Dominik isn’t interested in provoking conversation about why Marilyn is so misunderstood, or why certain misunderstandings are so prevalent around her life and demise. He made exactly the kind of film that plays right into those, a prurient film that depicts her abuse (not a fault in itself, but it doesn’t do anything in the film-there is no documentation of her mother doing what is shown in the film, and he could have chosen from plenty of the things that Gladys actually did-and, of course, off-the-chain hypersexualized, then punished for her sins with raging fertility issues and finally a traditional old school film whore’s punishment, ghoulishly enacted in Marilyn’s own bedroom. Oof. So we’re supposed to admire the images and not think about the script? I sincerely don’t understand what the film wants to be. For once, I’m kinda glad social media exists, because plenty of people have a lot to say about Blonde. Thanks for helping me formulate my own thoughts😊

[@lulucica1]

Thank you... Exactly everything in your comment is on point!!

[@26349]

I wonder if in this movie they mentioned how she suffered from severe Endometriosis and how the state of care for this uncurable chronic disease was ubhorrent then (just like these days) or were they only sexualising her and showing her relationships and some "unexplainable" struggles to concieve and an "unexplainable" opioid overdose which actually happened due to severe endo pain?) Something tells me they showed none of those important things. #endometriosis

[@misscoco8774]

you are right, they showed nothing of these matters. Instead they portrayed her as a promiscuous, overly sexualized being and focusses on showcasing made-up abortions in detail rather than on her real struggles with endometriosis and difficulty to conceive, ectopic pregnancy etc.

[@jennypeck1186]

As someone who has lived with this disease since I was in 4th grade & someone who happens to be a really big fan of Marilyn , it’s infuriating that movies never touch on this & the incredibly HUGE impact it had on her everyday life. I hated the book the movie was based on but watched it anyways & it was awful. Ana de Armas did a good job & it’s a shame that THIS was the Marilyn movie we got with her. If you are a fan of Marilyn, don’t waste your time.

[@vpelno2077]

NONE of the ads I saw for this film clarified it was fictional, I found out from other creators criticizing the film.

[@justabout6979]

I've never felt the need to have force myself through a movie, like this one. It was so boring. I didn't want to feel like I wasted my time. I just kept hoping for it to start tying it all together, but quit and hour and half through

[@mondoenterprises6710]

Opening a movie with 10 minutes of child abuse for entertainment value shut it down for me. He could have opened with a How to Marry number and fed in a few brief flashbacks of the abuse she suffered. Huge disappointment for me.

[@user-jf7ej5py1u]

Netflix has such a sinister vibe to it.

[@hellopeople1013]

the existence of the movie just makes me mad. kudos for being able to talk about it so calmly, i think i'd be flipping tables and yelling so loud the mic blew out

[@stephennootens916]

It does make you think though. Can you do anything with a dead celebrity and as long as you slap fiction on it you can get away with it?

[@TheGamerThing]

@@stephennootens916 based on a book

[@j.m251]

I couldn’t watch it bc I’m like “damn, let people stay dead bro.”

[@ezra4320]

Honestly, if they replaced the queens gambit with a blonde girl who’s a famous actress, rather than a ginger who’s good at chess, and told me it was a fictionalized version of Marilyn Monroes life, that would have been more believable.

[@pinkpandamiranda]

Hollywood considers Marilyn Monroe to be an object that they own. For women, seeing these portrayals of what men truly consider Monroe to be just reinforces our understanding of men in power. They think we're objects too. She just happens to be the famous and prettiest one.

[@lindseyspuria424]

Blonde is one of my favorite books. I was extremely disappointed by the movie. It seems like Andrew Dominic didn't understand the book at all. I wish they had chosen another director. Great video!

[@miintyfresj]

I read the book and thought it was harsh, so when I saw the movie and it was as harsh, it though, well, it is based off of Blonde. I liked the movie, visually, I thought it was great! Like, it looked so good to me that I found myself wishing this was more of a biopic, rather than based off Blonde.

[@YungM.D.]

It apparently wasn’t a matter of choosing a director. Apparently this is one of Dominik’s passion projects

[@lalalola.]

the book is fiction so it didn’t really matter if he chose to follow the script

[@fghjkas5098]

this movie is probably the example of the values of restraint

[@rubykgarrett]

he reduced a sex symbol to a literal sex organ, more than once, and this film is a hate letter to the icon that she was. it was one of the worst waste of 3 hours of my entire life.

[@tnijoo5109]

I’m so glad I saw this before watching the movie. It sounds deeply disturbing.

[@geminikid]

I don't know what I was expecting when I first watched this movie. I mean, it's title is "Blonde" not "Marilyn" or "Norma Jean". The fact that it's just a watered down, glittered portrayal of an actual human being shouldn't have surprised me but yet I was so annoyed the entire time; All this focus on her sexuality and the way she was abused by men isn't even constructive, it never is, is just for show and shock value. These guys keep portraying her as just some hot, promiscuous blonde with daddy issues and are never ever interested in exploring her character. Is all just crass self indulgence.

[@manolocorp]

6:18 Those types of shots work in movies like "Requiem for a dream," here, it came out of nowhere and was hilarious in the least funny way possible.

[@GloomTexMedia]

One of many great things about _Jesse James_ was that it was not only about western mythmaking but had a firm perspective on it. The mission was clear: strip away the hired bullshit and tell a very warts-and-all story about this bleak landscape populated by cowardly, violent men masquerading as grandiose folk heroes. _Blonde_ can't seem to decide if it wants to present Norma as we've never seen her before, or if it wants to totally indulge in the mythologized image of Monroe as a battered martyr, more often than not leaning toward the latter. It's a shame because where _Jesse James_ does a great job deconstructing the bullshit, _Blonde_ comes across as hell-bent on reinforcing it

[@ivantothemax]

The first scene being in black and white annoyed me and I got to the first random black and white scene after the first casting couch scene and I was over it. I turned it off, Girl bye. So happy I did cuz wtf a fetus?? So glad I didn’t see that stupid shit lmaoooo

[@kayraa98]

This movie was hard to watch. It was so upsetting that I wish I could go back in time and save her. 💔

[@doitee52]

Couldn't watch the whole movie. It was just too sordid, but that's Hollywood for you. Can't be far enough over the top. Felt really bad for her. Glad I found out not all of it is documented otherwise it would be hard not to walk away without feeling utterly heartsick for how terribly sad her life was.😕

[@donjindra]

Hollywood is sordid. That was the point.

[@LoneWulf278]

That’s exactly what my mom said when she watched it. I just wish the industry was interested in making us feel something other than sorry for her. She was a cultural icon and a survivor, not a child trapped in a woman’s body. That image was a fantasy she made up. You can’t convince me that she was helpless when she did so many great things for people in her life. Yes. She was troubled, but she was many other things too. And mental illness is not unique in classic Hollywood. I notice when it comes to Marylin, they really lay it on thick. Sadly, Hollywood just doesn’t care about anything that isn’t tantalizing or shocking to an audience. What else is new.

[@arnesahlen2704]

I am very very impressed with your preparation - also presentation. So sincere and soft-spoken, you make impact stronger than if you went wild with hyper dramatics. BRAVO! 👏 👏 👏 👏

[@gojiplusone]

Blonde is the kind of film that will quickly grab your attention and mesmerize you on the first watch (mostly due to powerhouse performance by Ana de Armas), then make you feel guilty for being mesmerized the next time you watch it. I especially hate the last part of the film (the cruel gift from Cass, the way they end the film by lingering on her naked lifeless body). Now I feel complicit on the tragedy of Norma Jeane.

[@jacksuggh8664]

On the contrary, I believe it to be Frank Ocean’s best work and one of the greatest albums of the last decade.

[@medealkemy]

You lost? Edit: wait nvm, good one

[@roses.9181]

Your channel was the exact commentary I was looking for! Just spent 2 hours watching your videos. Subscribed!

[@Mpiewizard]

I saw that it was rated NC-17 and immediately decided I’m never going to watch it.

[@violetaviana1888]

i'm not going to get into the way marilyn's life and personality was depicted in the movie cause it'd take me forever. i'm just gonna say the scenes were so short it didn't feel cohesive. the random effects such as the zooming in when marilyn enters into the asylum and sees her mother for the first time literally had no artistic value and added nothing that evoked any type of feeling in the audience, i honestly feel it was just the director trying to make the film seem more caricaturesque and original and it made it worse. the emotional range is so flat during the entire 2 and a half hours, it doesn't feel like a story being told, it's just a recollection of "marilyn's" worst moments. it had no buildup. and it's because of this that the most horrific scenes caused nothing in me. just like you said, there's no emotional contrast. what angers me the most is that if you decided to disrespect someone's memory like that at least make a good movie out of it. i thought it would be a hard watch due to the disturbing scenes but it was so artistically weak and boring it was actually hard to watch.

[@lordfreerealestate8302]

"I'm not interested in reality, I'm interested in the images" just shows he views her as an object and had no desire to peel back layers to reveal who she was. It has a pro-life agenda and it doesn't tackle women's issues with any degree of insight or sensitivity.

[@Mikebuster]

It started out promising but devolved into some sort of weird perv film for the director and a pastiche of the most commonly known legends of marilyns life. I wanted more of her early life, her first marriage? that's completely overlooked... her final days are just a portrait of known visuals of her when it could of been so much more. the middle, is... graitituous.

[@rixx46]

There is nothing more shallow than the pretense of depth

[@gabbysm411]

thank you for this brilliant commentary. so well said. everything i was thinking but didn't know quite how to articulate.

[@SnarkierThan-U-R]

Because you are a know nothing child.

[@charliewrightm]

didn't even finish it and i have no future plans to

[@thepanda9782]

I feel like the recent juxtaposition in the naming 2 recent films Elvis & "Blonde" really says it all. He wouldn't even use either of her names... Like seriously, it's almost like he made the movie to be his own personal snuff film & hid the fact with "well its based on a fictional book". Hey, your sexism is showing! Maybe don't direct it to be like the book? Which is already notoriously difficult to do?? Maybe try to display the dull breadth of Norma Jean, not "The Blonde Sex Icon of the 50's"? You could get a better idea of her character from Wikipedia than this film. Also, I'm not a huge fan of the actress they chose to play Marilyn. Norma Jean was much more doll-like & soft in her features, & instead they chose someone who conforms to modern beauty ideals - much more model faced. Again, showing how little they actually cared to observe her character from a realistic instead of characterized POV. We have Marilyn's original films if we want to see the Sexy, Dumb & has Daddy Issues trope.

[@st3458]

I just don’t understand why make a biography based on a book that’s fictional and not actually Marilyn Monroes story they stilll exploited Marilyn image just in a darker way

[@lulucica1]

so true so disturbing and unnecessary.

[@user-jf7ej5py1u]

I got into about 20 minutes and had to turn it off. I should have known better that Netflix was going to produce some sick and twisted movie. I swear everything on Netflix someone is having a full blown soft core sex scene or getting r^ped. To take Marilyn’s name and portray her like that and drag her image through the mud. No one can 100% prove that these things happened to her exactly the way the did in the movie. It’s all speculation. And to not remember her for all the amazing things she did and everything she had to overcome. Just leave her alone. Please can we just let her Rest In Peace.

[@aspacelex]

Oh man, I remember really loving Killing Them Softly.

[@Uhohlisa]

Assassination is one of the best movies ever made

[@Erin-el1gi]

I think I made it maybe 4 minutes into the movie and gave up, thank god

[@maregzz8650]

The bj scene of the movie was unnecessary and waaaay to long

[@harlottebronte]

Every single person who I've seen try and defend this movie is a man. That fact alone says a *lot* about how this movie treats women and the trauma they're put through. It's like some people fundamentally cannot understand that being treated like a sex object doesn't actually make someone less of a person. This movie is jsut pretending to critique the way Marilyn was objectified in life by continuing to objectify her in death, and making her death a spectacle in and of itself. But the cinematography is decent so now it's a "masterpiece" 🙄. Fucking gross.

[@antshouse9323]

AND THE AVN AWARD GOES TO!!....but seriously though this film felt more like something that came straight from the adult industry lol

[@beasttitanofficial3768]

I wish we'd let women rest. Marilyn, princess Diana, Amy Winehouse... it's like we can't just let them be dead in peace.

[@JiixBooks]

It reminds me of A Little Life but at least there the characters are fictional

[@Sharpe1502]

Good comparison

[@goingunder2548]

I was going to read that book but stopped myself when I found out how much the main character violently harms himself just for shock value basically. I have a history of that myself so no thank you. Sounds like a book for those straight girls who are obsessed with 'broken' gay men in horrible relationships but it's prose is good so people don't see it as trashy.

[@AccipiterPictures]

What a cleanly composed, deliciously shallow frame you're in, Taylor 😍

[@MegamiMitula]

I also like the PS3 and the taut cable ❤

[@nickv.6712]

Wow you bob your head with every word you speak, like a power ranger.

[@meichuilo2849]

I hate how everyone loves it so much.

[@ElizaHamilton1780]

I literally just got done watching this movie. It was weird… The only thing I think it got right was Marilyn’s grief as time wore on. And how fame is a cage, and celebrities get treated like meat. You’re not recognized for anything other than pretty meat when you’re Marilyn, in particular. That’s all this movie got right. But I don’t agree with how this movie made that point.

[@jgbs8710]

If Pablo Larrain had directed this, we might have an actual masterpiece

[@Luvie1980]

I know how many people are feeling about this movie. But was the ménage à trois scene really necessary? Just wondering.

[@user-bj7em4fv1p]

The scenes where the “twins” (the two guys) seemingly couldn’t be separated from each other physically were ridiculous. The scene where they talk to her and one has the arm around the other guy…their facial expressions…pure cringe.

[@Tosspoet]

Excellent video. Concise and very well considered. And sums up why this film fails so hard. Well done

[@OgGwuap]

One of the eeriest and darkest films I’ve watched to date. Although, man being the reason why she did what she did was one of the most putrid ways of depicting dependency on a lacking father/mother figure.

[@Verbsdescribeus]

This is exactly what happened to Judy Garland in the Oscar so-called movie, but nobody stood up for her and her legacy!

[@shafaalya884]

i was unironically asleep when i watch blonde

[@barbiquearea]

I think the 2001 miniseries is far better than the recent film. I think its docudrama style of telling Marilyn Monroe's life worked a lot better.

[@jessechuff]

it's honestly insane how much I actively hated this movie. I knew I would come out of it having some distaste, but the pointlessness of it all, the exploitation, the apathy, and the absolutely stupid fictional plot points and twist at the end were just... mind-bogglingly awful. There was plenty of eye candy from a cinematography and editing standpoint, but I think overall the editing was kind of garbage and it felt as full of itself as something from Lars Von Trier which, I'll admit, is quite a feat. Everything about the movie was infuriating for me to watch, and having to watch nearly 3 unjustified hours of it was exhausting. I love movies about misery, loneliness, topics that make me feel bad. But those movies I enjoy have something to say, they have plenty of merit and don't ever feel exploitative or disrespectful in their execution. This movie had the potential to be something I really connected with but holy shit they failed miserably.

[@ryanhill5137]

Super insightful. Let's get you to 100k.

[@jeffreywillstewart]

OMG. I made my post below ( how the lighting reminded me of a mythical character in Eraserhead) before watching the whole video, where they eventually mentioned his admiration for David Lynch who did Eraserhead.

[@Advent3546]

I thought it was astonishingly executed visually but the longer it sits with me the less I like it and I have been a Dominik stan since Jesse James.

[@aquariussky8179]

I remember reading that back in the day David Lynch refused to do a Marilyn Monroe movie because he thought that the Kennedys had something to do with it, just saying. Your review was very good btw.

[@kelleymarina7933]

When the weird waterfall scene started - that was when I knew the movie wasn’t about Marilyn at all.

[@r.j.sullivan2104]

Thank you for giving my shock and frustration a voice.

[@drparham]

Loved what he did with the colors aspect ratios and recreations most of the shit in the movie was true great movie in my book 👍

[@lindsayr2853]

The imagery and acting was amazing

[@darudysandstorm3455]

Watched The Assassination Of Jesse James and was shocked to find out it was the same director for Blonde

[@stephaniestanley8041]

Even the film title lacks imagination. An objective review Taylor.

[@SnarkierThan-U-R]

Cheeziz Cripes now the children are complaining about the damn title.

[@wordswordswords8203]

Once when I was working, I went into the bathroom to wash my hands. I looked into the mirror and Marilyn was leaning up against the wall behind me. This was long after she died. We just kind of looked at each other. And then she was gone. So call me crazy but I appreciated the visit. She was wearing a simple checkered light green and white dress, just totally down to earth, gorgeous and nice.

[@opupfg]

This movie is brilliant! Loved every minute of it.... Critics always overexplain things and can't see the tree from the woods.... and they never praised the masterpieces the time of release. This movie is a true MASTERPIECE!

[@jeffreywillstewart]

The lighting was so bad it gave her shadow lines on the corners of her mouth in the black and white. reminded me of the girl under the radiator from Eraserhead. I couldn't take it seriously because of that.

[@lindsayr2853]

I really enjoyed the way they shower her side after reading books on her..she was very conflicted

[@BrennFilm]

Pearls before swine comes to mind.

[@anamaria-girllover]

in her biography, norma jean talks about how she was molested by a man who lived near her when she was a child. and in a heartbreaking paragraph, she says that all of her questions about sex were answered without her being able to ask any questions. yet people who mention marilyn’s disinterest in sex, will only ever mention her exploitation in hollywood. i suppose it’s not as easy to romanticize pedophilia and child rape. marilyn was not some permanent child, she understood sex and exploitation in hollywood and she talked about it frequently. but those who feel bad for her will frame her as ignorant to what she was enduring. as though sympathy is only afforded as long as she was blind with childhood innocence, as long as she was the perfect victim.

[@KiaraKoala-ke6tl]

Excellent analysis, I totally agree..

[@joeb5765]

Rare occasion when a new film has an impact on my perspective on the film maker's previous films. I still think Killing Them Softly is superb but that's really down to Higgins and the actors. It's still well directed. But how can he bask in the comedy of the violence of Chopper's life and also bask in the misery of Monroe's? It reminded me of Euphoria. Creepy male fantasies made real. It's also incredibly dull.

[@antoniocardentey9564]

It's interesting that discontent arises whenever women are portrayed as either "the perfect woman from the male gaze standpoint" or "the tortured woman who's victim of sexism and oppression." Da*n if you show women on traditional roles, and da*n if you show women as a victim of patriarchy. It seems that the only "correct" way to portray women is as "empowered women," even if they weren't empowered at all at the time. This is particularly true with well-known figures like MM whose mythical aura is untouchable for many. It's true that the film focuses on one side of MM's fictionalized life, making it monotonous for the most part, but at least the film takes distance from the sweetened image of MM that most are used to. Many talk about this MM being deprived of agency, but they seem to forget that for the most part of her life she was constantly objectified and used to please the male gaze - something that she herself barely challenged, except the moment when she founded her own film production company. On a side note, the film's cinematography was beautiful and Ana de Armas' performance excellent.

[@szminka7791]

Damn, so Adrew Dominic for sure was inspired by David Lynch work becasue when I was watching Blonde I had constant feeling that this movie is trying to be Mulholland Drive but doesn't know how and now you are talking about Fire walk with me. Marilyn Monroe as Laura Palmer... yeah I can see that.

[@moeezS]

I've heard Spencer went for this kind of approach but apparently it was more successful?

[@fromgreattobrilliant922]

It might just be the material it was working with. The content with Blonde is more shocking than the content of Spencer. Not to downplay what both main characters went through, but the material in Blonde tends to get bigger reactions out of people.

[@medealkemy]

More focused, more coherent, she keeps her clothes on, she speaks with her offspring and it's not foetuses, no r@pe, no beatings, no sex altogether and in the end she decides to leave that marriage and reclaims her maiden name (hence Spencer) The only thing in common is that these movies portrayed two blonde women with eventful lives and mythical auras who died at 36.

[@lindsayr2853]

She struggled with being late and self sabatoge is real and he showed a possibly side that coupd be true.. I loved the blk n white

[@crystalrae7630]

Marilyn Monroe turned down playing Jean Harlow her childhood hero in a film because it was none factual, vulgar and disrespectful and under developed. I just wish people had respect dignity and respect and respect for Marilyn Monroe had for Jean Harlow and that she had herself. I have no respect for Ana de Armsas, The director Andrew whatever and the producer Brad Pitt and the writer of the book blond, they should all be ashamed of themselves acting like they are representing Marilyn Monroe and her pain while actually Exploiting it. Ana de Armsas should not be cuddled or respected for doing this to Marilyn Monroe. She should be held accountable for taking the role and hurting Marilyn Monroe and her legacy. Marilyn Monroe didn't do that to Jean Harlow. Everyone have respect for the dead, respect for legends and please have respect for Marilyn Monroe she deserves that.

[@kentjensen4504]

Spot on, Williams.

[@Radioheadfan111]

what the fuck where you all expecting?? this is a movie about the dark and grim side!!!!! its not respecting nor exploiting Mariliyn Monroe. It never blamed her for shit. It was just showing what was written in the BOOK!

[@petermj1098]

Marion Monroe fans are delusional. They really think that someone being deemed a sex symbol wasn’t treated like a sex object in real life. This movie is brutally honest that the cost of her being a sex symbol in movies was being a sex object in real life.

[@santiagoaner433]

Wow! An actually nuanced take on this movie, I never thought I'd see the day!