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Marilyn Monroe’s biopic Blonde has been at the receiving end of a fair amount of criticism following its initial release on September 8 at the Venice Film Festival and then on September 28 on Netflix. The latest in line is Caren Spruch, Planned Parenthood Federation of America’s national director of arts and entertainment engagement.
One of the major themes of the film has been abortion and according to it, Monroe had two illegal abortions against her wishes, which had a big impact on her.
In one of the scenes, the film uses CGI to show that Monroe’s fetuses speak to her and one of them asks her:
“You won’t hurt me this time, will you?”
Abortion rights activists criticize Blonde
While Blonde has been slammed by critics for several aspects, abortion rights activists say that the movie is a step in the wrong direction.
According to Caren Spruch, film and TV shape the society's understanding of s*xual and reproductive health, and it is critical that these depictions accurately portray women’s real decisions and experiences. She said:
“While abortion is safe, essential health care, anti-abortion zealots have long contributed to abortion stigma by using medically inaccurate descriptions of fetuses and pregnancy. Andrew Dominik’s new film, Blonde, bolsters their message with a CGI-talking fetus, depicted to look like a fully formed baby.”
Spruch said that although Planned Parenthood respects artistic licensing and freedom, false images can lead to misinformation and continued stigma on s*xual and reproductive health care. She continued:
“Every pregnancy outcome – especially abortion – should be portrayed sensitively, authentically and accurately in the media. We still have much work to do to ensure that everyone who has an abortion can see themselves onscreen. It is a shame that the creators of Blonde chose to contribute to anti-abortion propaganda and stigmatize people’s health care decisions instead.”
Release date, plot, and more
Directed by Andrew Dominik, Blonde’s world premiere was held at the 79th Venice International Film Festival on September 8, 2022, and it was also screened at the 48th Deauville American Film Festival.
Prior to its release on Netflix, the film had a limited theatrical release on September 16, 2022, followed by other locations on September 23, 2022.
The movie, based on a novel by Joyce Carol Oates, is a fictional representation of Marilyn Monroe’s life and career. It features Ana De Armas, Adrien Brody, Bobby Cannavale, Xavier Samuel, and Julianne Nicholson in the lead roles.
