Australian film director Andrew Dominik was slammed online after he justified criticism surrounding his September 2022 release Blonde.While speaking at Saudi Arabia's Red Sea International Film Festival, the 55-year-old personality stated that the American audience "hated the movie" and only wanted to see iconic stars like Marilyn Monroe celebrated.Matte Martin@MatteMartin2I’m a huge fan of Marilyn and Andrew Dominik and finally sat down to watch #BlondeNetflix. Sure, it is upsetting, but the film is gorgeous and Ana de Armas is incredible.5I’m a huge fan of Marilyn and Andrew Dominik and finally sat down to watch #BlondeNetflix. Sure, it is upsetting, but the film is gorgeous and Ana de Armas is incredible. https://t.co/jjT9lzfl5THe said:“Now we’re living in a time where it’s important to present women as empowered, and they want to reinvent Marilyn Monroe as an empowered woman. That’s what they want to see. And if you’re not showing them that, it upsets them.”Dominik also stated that Blonde, which is inspired by Monroe's life, was accused of exploiting the star, something that doesn't make sense at this time. He mentioned:“Which is kind of strange, because she’s dead. The movie doesn’t make any difference in one way or another.”Twitter reactions to Andrew Dominik's commentAfter Andrew Dominik's comments from the Red Sea International Festival went viral, Twitterati slammed the renowned director. Users pointed out that the director purposefully chose to highlight Marilyn Monroe's trauma while ignoring her talent and achievements.Miles@Jion_2000@mvbrat91 Marilyn was an intelligent woman who accomplished so much and fought back the Hollywood system to her best efforts but Dominik threw that all away to say that "lol no actually Marilyn was a scared wittle daddy's gurl"1@mvbrat91 Marilyn was an intelligent woman who accomplished so much and fought back the Hollywood system to her best efforts but Dominik threw that all away to say that "lol no actually Marilyn was a scared wittle daddy's gurl"Screenshot of a Twitter user criticizing Blonde's director.Jesse Manuel Quiles@_jessemanuel_So the director of Blonde Andrew Dominik put out a statement, basically saying “Why should you care that I took a very real woman’s story, exploited her pain & reduced her life to nothing more than torture porn?! She’s dead anyway!” NO MORE MEN DIRECTING WOMEN BIOPICS!! 🏽So the director of Blonde Andrew Dominik put out a statement, basically saying “Why should you care that I took a very real woman’s story, exploited her pain & reduced her life to nothing more than torture porn?! She’s dead anyway!” NO MORE MEN DIRECTING WOMEN BIOPICS!! 👋🏽Screenshot of a Twitter user criticizing Blonde's director.Michael Driver@mikegdriverSo Andrew Dominik is really doubling down that Blonde is some great piece of art huh? 🤔‍1So Andrew Dominik is really doubling down that Blonde is some great piece of art huh? 🤔😮‍💨Screenshot of a Twitter user criticizing Blonde's director.Coty Ellis@Coty__EllisNot Andrew Dominik completely missing the point of why people dislike his movie about Marilyn Monroe again. I'm shocked. Shocked, I tell you.Not Andrew Dominik completely missing the point of why people dislike his movie about Marilyn Monroe again. I'm shocked. Shocked, I tell you.Screenshot of a Twitter user criticizing Blonde's director.jake 🎄@jakeandhispain@THR Please stop interviewing Andrew Dominik for the love of god54@THR Please stop interviewing Andrew Dominik for the love of godScreenshot of a Twitter user criticizing Blonde's director.Sunshine Nighthawk@Aimimou"This is kind of strange because she is dead. The movie doesn’t make any difference to her in one way or another,” he said. Andrew Dominik is real jerk isn't he? Couldn't get through that crap biopic, the anti-abortion messages, were where I gave up."This is kind of strange because she is dead. The movie doesn’t make any difference to her in one way or another,” he said. Andrew Dominik is real jerk isn't he? Couldn't get through that crap biopic, the anti-abortion messages, were where I gave up.Screenshot of a Twitter user criticizing Blonde's director.Screenshot of a Twitter user criticizing Blonde's director.Andrew Dominik was "really pleased" by outraged fans of BlondeContinuing at the Red Sea International Film Festival, Andrew Dominik said the film Blonde was intentionally made to change the idea surrounding Marilyn Monroe's life. Dominik avered:“That they really mean is that the film exploited their memory of her, their image of her, which is fair enough. But that’s the whole idea of the movie. It’s trying to take the iconography of her life and put it into service of something else, it’s trying to take things that you’re familiar with, and turning the meaning inside out. But that’s what they don’t want to see.”As per The Hollywood Reporter, Dominik stated that he was "really pleased" that the film had “outraged so many people.” He went on to say that American movies were getting "more conservative," to the point where audiences could anticipate the next plot twist like they would in a bedtime story.Further, Dominik said Blonde's criticism did not affect him because he did not agree with the critics. He said:“You can’t really do other people’s thinking for them but I think when it comes to an iconic American, what they want is hagiographies, they want the celebration of that person, and a celebration of that person according to the mores of the time."Even though the film was criticized, Dominik said that “tens of millions of people” watched the film.Released on September 16, 2022, Blonde stars Ana de Armas in the lead role alongside Julianne Nicholson, Sara Paxton, Rob Brownstein, etc.