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Blonde was released on Netflix on September 28, 2022, after it premiered in the USA on September 16, 2022. While the trailer generated sky-high expectations, owing to Ana De Armas' portrayal of Hollywood superstar Marilyn Monroe, the critical reception of the film post-release was fairly negative.
While some viewers openly called out the blatant misogyny and sexism that clouds the film's lens, a lot of the audience found a lack of depth. Blonde was also the first Netflix film to be rated NC-17, a step that was criticized by the cast and crew of the film.
Social media criticism is at the center of the backlash against the film. Despite the mixed bag of reaction one usually finds on Twitter, Blonde managed to unite the audience in their distaste towards the film. Here are some of the most brutal tweets that didn't shy away from calling out the film's flawed politics.
Ana De Armas' Blonde has created an upheaval of criticism
1) On mishandling the subject of abortion
Audiences particularly called out the film for its insensitive take on abortion. Amidst the debate about abortion rights in the US, Blonde added to its tone-deaf narrative.
2) On the fictionalized narrative
Many fans of Marilyn Monroe strongly opposed the film right from the beginning as Blonde is a fictional drama that doesn't explore Monroe's life through a nuanced and authentic lens. While the makers were clear on the film not being a biopic, the misrepresentation was still criticized.
3) On Monroe's character and exploiting the subject of abuse
Several others were unhappy with how the film dealt with s*xual abuse. While Monroe is still considered a feminist icon, the film victimizes her character and dilutes her fierce image.
4) On the numb and insensitive, graphic scenes
The display of abuse in the film is pretty explicit. While this in itself isn't a criticism, the film has been bashed for portraying instances of abuse in an insensitive and exploitative manner. The film only used the subjects of abuse to further the storyline rather than a commentary on the subject and its political relevance.
5) On the male gaze
Having been written and directed by a man, Blonde received a lot of criticism for how it reinforces existing stereotypes about women rather than exploring truths that break popular notions. For a film about a feminist icon, Blonde was disappointing and cowardly, according to most viewers.
6) On the glorification of suffering
The film received some strongly worded negative responses for exploiting the sufferings of Monroe. This wasn't simply interpreted as a sign of disrespect towards Monroe but was seen as a trivialization of women's issues.
7) The romanticization of s*xual abuse
Several people on Twitter made personal comments on the director owing to his take on s*xual violence. As the film's lens is significantly problematic, the cast and crew have received much backlash for their association with the project.
8) The problematic portrayal of women's sexuality
The director's view was further bashed as fans of the actress were offended by how he portrayed Monroe as a mere s*xual figure. Several personal attacks were made online against the writers.
9) A plain bad film
Even in terms of its making, Blonde is being hailed as a bad film. While the surface level treatment of most issues was criticized, that in itself was shunned as a problematic approach. A recurring issue cited by netizens is the utilization of abuse as an innocent element of the storyline - Monroe's journey should have been problematized further.
Ana De Armas' performance was probably the only technical aspect of the film that was received positively.
10) A disrespect to Monroe's legacy
The most common criticism, however, remains that the film disrespected Marilyn Monroe's legacy. By treating her as a prop to romanticize pain, the story doesn't acknowledge the kind of contribution Monroe made to cinema at a time when women were hardly allowed to be at the forefront. Ardent fans of the actress were offended by the lack of respect.
11) On the disturbing visuals and trigger warnings
Blonde was rated NC-17 and became the first Netflix film to be given this rating. This essentially meant that no one below the age of 18 would be advised to watch the film. Although the crew and cast gave their justification for the explicit visuals, the audience was widely in agreement with the rating.
While the existence of explicit visuals wasn't shunned as much, most people had a problem with the insensitive portrayal of s*xual activity.
12) Catering to male fantasies
The film further caters to some deeply problematic fantasies relating to the s*xualization of women. It not only romanticizes these fantasies but normalizes them according to most audiences.
Amidst all the criticism for Blonde, audiences have also asked others not to watch the film and not on Netflix anyway, to avoid increasing the film's viewership.
