Netflix users are particularly outraged by a “terrible” scene in new Marilyn Monroe movie Blonde.
Director Andrew Dominik’s controversial new film was adapted from Joyce Carol Oates’ novel about Monroe, which was published in 2001.
For some time, the project, which stars Knives Out actress Ana de Armas, has been hailed as a shocking watch since the film received an NC-17 age certificate in the US.
For those in the UK, that’s similar to 18 – but American directors tend to edit their films to avoid the certificate, as it usually means less money at the box office for theatrical releases.
Many may think that Blonde is a standard biopic about Monroe, but the opposite is true: due to the source material, the film contains several imaginary scenes from the Hollywood star’s life, one of which is accused of going too far.
It is John F. Kennedy, the US President, with whom Monroe is said to have had an affair in the 1960s. Rumors of this affair remain unconfirmed to this day – but Blonde is taking it a step further.
In a scene near the end of the film, Monroe is shown being drugged and taken to a character called “the President” who bears a striking resemblance to JFK (actor Caspar Phillipson previously played him in Jackie).
Here, while on the phone debunking allegations of sexual assault, he forces Monroe to perform a sexual act on him, while a voiceover by de Armas shows Marilyn trying to distance herself from the situation.
Some viewers, unaware of the source material, seem to believe that this actually happened, although there is no record of any such incident.
This is one of the reasons the scene’s placement is being questioned, many calling it “character assassination”. Others call it “exploitation” of Monroe’s story.
“Blonde” viewers say a scene with JFK is taking it too far
(netflix)
“I don’t know if this has been validated or not?” asked one viewer, adding, “However, lying about it is a big step.”
“Why would the movie #Blonde fabricate a graphic rape of #MarilynMonroe by #JFK? ‘ chimed in another viewer, calling the scene a ‘disgusting exploitation’ of the Hollywood star’s life.
Others said the scene should never have made it into the film, agreeing it likely led to the film’s dreaded age certification.
“I wonder why NC-17 then came up with the JFK scene for the most degrading portrayal of Marilyn Monroe,” commented one viewer.
In general, Netflix users have complained about Blonde, with many saying they were forced to turn off the film after just 20 minutes.
In a one-star review for The Independent, Jessie Thompson wrote, “Blonde isn’t a bad movie because it’s demeaning, exploitative and misogynistic, although it is all those things. It’s bad because it’s boring, happy with itself, and has no idea what it’s trying to say.”
Here’s a full list of all the content being removed from Netflix next month.