Netflix’s Marilyn Monroe Biopic blond has come under fire for a number of reasons since its debut on the platform last week. Some critics and audience reviews have criticized the film for exploiting the late actress, others have called it cruel, and now the film’s handling of two illegal abortions has sparked even more disdain by the Planned Parenthood Federation of America.
The topic of abortion is currently a sensitive subject in the US, and just three months after the Supreme Court’s decision to quash Roe v Wade, the scenes in blond have really fueled fear about how abortion is portrayed and what people will take from it. In a statement detailed in The Hollywood Reporter by Caren Spruch, Planned Parenthood Federation of America’s national director of arts and entertainment, said:
“As film and TV shape many people’s understanding of sexual and reproductive health, it is critical that these images accurately portray women’s real-life decisions and experiences. While abortion is safe, essential health care, anti-abortion fanatics have long contributed to the stigma on abortion by using medically inaccurate descriptions of fetuses and pregnancy. Andrew Dominik’s new film, Blonde, amplifies their message with a CGI-speaking fetus, depicted as a fully formed baby.
Planned Parenthood respects artistic freedom and liberty. However, false images only serve to amplify misinformation and perpetuate the stigma surrounding sexual and reproductive health care. Any outcome of a pregnancy – especially abortion – must be sensitive, authentic and accurate in the media. We still have a lot of work to do to ensure that everyone who has had an abortion can see themselves on screen. It’s a shame that the creators of Blonde chose to contribute to anti-abortion propaganda and instead stigmatize people’s health care decisions.”
Blonde is defended by the director and the author of the original novel
While blond has been attacked on a number of different topics, Ana de Armas’ pivotal performance as Monroe has been unanimously acclaimed, and everyone agreed that the actress has taken her Hollywood profile to another level. But for director Andrew Dominik and Blonde author Joyce Carol Oates it was a real firefight to defend the film against claims of exploitation and now for the depictions of abortion.
In a recent interview with the cover, the director dismissed the perceptions being made about the film’s abortion stance as simply due to the timing of its release. He said:
“Obviously people are concerned about the loss of freedoms, but I mean nobody would have cared if I had made the movie in 2008, and probably nobody will care about it in four years. And the movie will not have changed. It’s just what’s going on.”
In addition, Oates has defended the film against claims that it exploited the memory of the Hollywood icon, commenting on her Twitter account:
“I think it was/is a brilliant work of cinematic art, clearly not for everyone. Surprisingly, in a post #MeToo era, the stark exposure of sexual predation in Hollywood has been interpreted as ‘exploitation’. Andrew Dominik wanted the story of Norma Jeane for sure.”
blond is currently streaming on Netflix.