Andrew Dominik’s Blonde was extremely polarizing upon its launch in 2022, and the director nonetheless doesn’t perceive why audiences didn’t prefer it. “I don’t understand,” Dominik mentioned throughout a dialog with French producer Ronald Chammah on the Marrakech Movie Competition (through Selection). “[I was] shocked by the response. It’s form of a horror movie, and I suppose that’s what individuals didn’t anticipate. However I prefer it.“
Why Was Blonde So Controversial?
Blonde is a fictionalized interpretation of the life and profession of Marilyn Monroe, performed by Ana de Armas. The movie was going to be controversial it doesn’t matter what, merely as a result of its NC-17 score. Blonde comprises graphic scenes of sexual abuse, and plenty of felt it was an exploitative and dehumanizing have a look at the enduring actress.
Critics and audiences had been break up on the movie. Our personal Chris Bumbray was a fan, however admitted that Blonde is an “incredibly tough watch” and ranks as “one of the most intense, upsetting films in recent years.” However, in the event you’ve received the abdomen for it, “it’s also a great work of art, and kudos to Netflix for allowing Dominik to make something so uncompromising.” You possibly can learn the remainder of his evaluate proper right here.
Ana de Armas earned an Academy Award nomination for her efficiency, but in a testomony to how polarizing the movie proved to be, it additionally walked away with Worst Image on the Golden Raspberry Awards.
Andrew Dominik Credit Brad Pitt for Saving Him from “Director Jail”
Brad Pitt starred in Dominik’s The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford (certainly one of my absolute favorite films) and Killing Them Softly. He additionally produced Blonde. When requested about his relationship with the actor, Dominik credit Pitt with saving him from director’s jail.
“Brad is the reason I’ve worked,” Dominik mentioned. “It’s like, I make a movie after which they put me in director jail. After which Brad comes right down to the parole board and says, ‘Look, he’s realized his lesson. He’s going to make one thing a bit extra user-friendly this time.’ He protects me … I’m actually fortunate to have a friendship like that.“
As for what’s subsequent for Dominik, the director teased that he has “two completely different things” within the works. “One is, I’d like to make a religious film or a spiritual film, and the other is I’m completely fascinated by AI as a generative visual tool and what could be done with that,” he mentioned. “That has no limits to it. … One is a really uncooked movie that’s not even in focus, and the opposite one is one thing fully stylized that cannibalizes different pictures.“
