Blonde author Joyce Carol Oates defends the film adaptation of her novel, starring Ana de Armas as Marilyn Monroe, amid the controversy.
The author of the novel who blond is based on, Joyce Carol Oates, defends the film adaptation. The Netflix movie, released last September, starring Ana de Armas as Marilyn Monroe. An iconic figure in pop culture, Monroe was a classic Hollywood star whose tragically short life since her death in 1962 has inspired many film and television projects. Directed by Andrew Dominik, blond has been a subject of much interest for those fascinated by the troubled starlet, although the film cannot be classified as a biopic as it does not necessarily alter Monroe’s life.
Instead of, blond takes inspiration from Joyce Carol Oates’ 2000 novel of the same name, mixing fact and fiction in a dreamy portrait of Monroe’s turbulent emotional state. After Monroe – born Norma Jeane Baker – through some key moments in her life, blond has been criticized by reviewers for creating a one-dimensional and exploitative image of Monroe. In particular, the film has been criticized for forcing Monroe into constant and brutal victimization, creating an empty and degrading tribute to a woman who was much more than her traumatic relationships with men. However, the critics maintain the Armas’ performance as a revelation and a culmination of the divisive film.
As the film makes its Netflix premiere, Blond author Joyce Carol Oates spoke out about this on Twitter after a user asked for her rating. The author stood behind the film and, by extension, its more nuanced source material, saying that: blond is “a brilliant work of cinematic artwhile also bluntly defending it against its controversies. See the acclaimed author’s full tweet above:
How blonde makes aspects of Monroe’s life fictional
More interested in exploring Monroe’s idea than in the historical facts of her life, blond wants to create an experience designed to achieve an emotional response from the viewer. While it’s up for debate how successful the film’s attempt to do so was, Oates points out in her post that: blond does expose the predatory culture in Hollywood, which the #MeToo movement has proven to have changed little in the modern day. although blond Taking liberties by including scenes that cannot be verified as fact, such as the sexual assault of the starlet by President John F. Kennedy in the film, they serve to tell a larger story about Monroe’s dissociation from her identity and exploitation by mighty Lords. The most controversial scene in blond is the abortion scene, for which there is also no historical evidence, despite the fact that her pregnancy and miscarriage depicted in the film are accurate.
Although it is not always handled in a nuanced way, the awkward way in which blond makes the audience feel like it’s intentional, sometimes shying away from historical accuracy to lean into the emotional truths Monroe had to deal with during her lifetime. Oates has expressed her appreciation for the film adaptation, despite some critics describing it as a simplistic and hollow retelling of the novel. It remains to be seen how Oates’s opinion will affect how those new to the film will perceive blond, which has certainly managed to make headlines since its premiere.
Source: Joyce Carol Oates/Twitter
