Andrew Dominik’s Blonde is about to have its world premiere at the Venice Film Festival, which means moviegoers can finally find out why the Marilyn Monroe drama was rated NC-17. The rating has generated a lot of buzz for the film, which portrays Ana de Armas as a Hollywood icon and is based on the novel of the same name by Joyce Carol Oates. De Armas recently told L’Officiel (via Uproxx) that she was stunned by the film’s NC-17 rating.
“I didn’t understand why that happened,” de Armas said of the film’s NC-17 rating. “I can point you to a number of shows or films that are much more explicit and have a lot more sexual content than ‘Blonde’. But to tell this story, it’s important to show all of those moments in Marilyn’s life that led to her ending the way she did. It had to be explained. All [in the cast] knew we had to go to uncomfortable places. I wasn’t the only one.”
Dominik has also expressed surprise at the controversial rating of the film. Dominik told Vulture in May that he thought he was playing in the R-rated sandbox when he was shooting the film.
“I was surprised. Yes. I thought we colored within the lines,” Dominik said. “But I think if a bunch of men and women are talking about sexual behavior in a boardroom, maybe the men are going to worry about what.” the women think. It’s just a weird time. It’s not like depictions of happy sexuality. It’s ambiguous depictions of situations. And Americans are really weird when it comes to sexual behavior, don’t you think? I don’t know why. They do more porn than anyone else in the world.”
The NC-17 rating has reportedly caused tension between Dominik and Netflix, but the filmmaker told ScreenDaily in February that he had “nothing but gratitude for Netflix,” noting that the streaming giant backed the title, too if he had some problems with his content. Netflix “insisted” on bringing in Hereditary and Tenet editor Jennifer Lame to “curb the film’s excesses.” Dominik added that Blonde is a challenging film. If the audience doesn’t like it, that’s the fucking audience’s problem. It is not running for public office.”
The official Netflix Blonde synopsis reads: “[The film] boldly reimagines the life of one of Hollywood’s most enduring icons, Marilyn Monroe. From her unpredictable childhood as Norma Jeane, to her rise to stardom and romantic involvements, “Blonde” blurs the lines of fact and fiction to explore the ever-widening chasm between her public and private self.”
Following its world premiere in Venice, Blonde will stream on Netflix starting September 28.