Blonde

[dragonflie]

I wanted to create a thread for this movie because I really want to discuss/hear others opinions. I was also reluctant to start it because: 1: I think the movie is extremely gratuitous, misogynistic, and gross. 2: I don't really want to support the film in any way.

All that being said- I was curious, so I watched it. And now I am so angry I want a place to vent. I have read some of the directors comments and he is a disgusting person. How did this ever get made??

[granolamom]

So, so gross; so much misery porn. I quit shortly after the rape in the producer's office.

[scarlet]

I’ve heard nothing good about it. I can deal with “not good,” but this appears to be just blatantly offensive. Hard pass.

[dragonflie]

I saw a review- Mark Komade (sp??) and he said he looked at it as a horror film and that was how it "should" be viewed/was intended.

I'm not sure I agree- especially that this was the directors intention. There are 3 particular scenes that really stood out to me as vile, unnecessary, and gratuitously exploitive- and that is not even counting the rape scene.

My question is: what the heck was the studio (Netflix??) thinking on releasing this- and more-so- wtf is Ana de Armas on- that she thinks this is anything but gross?? (the way she was doing interviews- before I saw the film- I started to think this was going to possibly be more arty than porn-like... It's not- this is essentially actual porn mixed with misery porn mixed with LOADS of misogyny.)

[prisma]

In the post about this week's podcast (which I have not had a chance to listen to yet), Tom and Lorenzo say this about Blonde:

We wouldn’t normally end a review with a plea not to watch whatever it was we just reviewed, but we’ll make an exception just this once.

[dragonflie]

prisma: thanks for that. I listened to their review on the podcast- and I agree with them totally.

[Deleted]

I can understand the notion of framing this as a horror movie. If it is a horror movie, it's one of the torture-porn variety.

[magazinewhore]

I tried to watch it the other day and truly, it was unwatchable. I turned it off, and I'm not someone who is squeamish or sensitive (unless it involves animals), but my God, I turned this off. The rape scene in the producer's office.

I heard there was some Oscar talk for Anna's performance, which surprised me. The director seems to have seen Marilyn only as a perpetual victim.

[dragonflie]

magazinewhore I'm the same. I actually really enjoy horror films, am not generally squeamish at all (except- just like you- when it comes to animals. ANY animal suffering is a big nope for me).

That being said- this film was just unnecessarily gratuitous. It actually felt like a real slap in the face to Marilyn. And the rape scene was not even in my top 10 of most disturbing bits, if I'm honest. It gets worse. Much worse. It doesn't have a message, it is purely there to exploit her. And, I actually side eye Ana de Armas for doing this film. I do think she got a few of the specific facial movements and such down really well- but- honestly- that doesn't matter.

[prisma]

Between this discussion and what TLo had to say in their podcast, I have no intention of watching this. But I did go and watch the trailer that TLo included in their post. People keep talking about what a great performance Ana de Aramis gives, but I felt like I could hear her natural accent pretty clearly. Am I the only one?

Agreeing with something TLo said: I would be interested in a movie about Marilyn Monroe directed by a feminist director.