Andrew Dominik’s Blonde was highly polarizing upon its release in 2022, and the director still doesn’t understand why audiences didn’t like it. “I don’t understand,” Dominik said during a conversation with French producer Ronald Chammah at the Marrakech Film Festival (via Variety). “I was surprised by the reaction. It’s kind of a horror film, and I guess that’s what people didn’t expect. But I like it.“
Why Was Blonde So Controversial?
Blonde is a fictionalized interpretation of the life and career of Marilyn Monroe, played by Ana de Armas. The film was going to be controversial no matter what, merely due to its NC-17 rating. Blonde contains graphic scenes of sexual abuse, and many felt it was an exploitative and dehumanizing look at the iconic actress.
Critics and audiences were split on the film. Our own Chris Bumbray was a fan, but admitted that Blonde is an “incredibly tough watch” and ranks as “one of the most intense, upsetting films in recent years.” But, if you’ve got the stomach for it, “it’s also a great work of art, and kudos to Netflix for allowing Dominik to make something so uncompromising.” You can read the rest of his review right here.
Ana de Armas earned an Academy Award nomination for her performance; yet in a testament to how polarizing the film proved to be, it also walked away with Worst Picture at the Golden Raspberry Awards.
Andrew Dominik Credits Brad Pitt for Saving Him from “Director Jail”
Brad Pitt starred in Dominik’s The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford (one of my absolute favourite movies) and Killing Them Softly. He also produced Blonde. When asked about his relationship with the actor, Dominik credits Pitt with saving him from director’s jail.
“Brad is the reason I’ve worked,” Dominik said. “It’s like I make a film and then they put me in director jail. And then Brad comes down to the parole board and says, ‘Look, he’s learned his lesson. He’s going to make something a bit more user-friendly this time.’ He protects me … I’m really lucky to have a friendship like that.“
As for what’s next for Dominik, the director teased that he has “two completely different things” in 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 said. “That has no limits to it. … One is a very raw film that’s not even in focus; and the other one is something completely stylized that cannibalizes other images.“
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