By now, Ana de Armas is no stranger to Netflix, having starred in the Russo brothers’ The Gray Man just recently. Blonde, however, represents the actress’ most ambitious project for the streamer yet as she portrays Hollywood bombshell Norma Jeane, a.k.a. Marilyn Monroe, in Andrew Dominik’s semi-fictional narrative of the late star.So far, Blonde has drawn mixed responses with critics praising de Armas’ performance and commitment to the role while others found some of the film’s explicit scenes to be a bit too much. And while the film did receive an NC-17 rating early on, de Armas herself still believes this was rather unnecessary.
What Does An NC-17 Rating Mean For Blonde?
The Motion Picture Association (MPAA) is responsible for giving a film its ratings and in recent years, it has rarely given a movie an NC-17 rating until Blonde.
In its guidelines though, the MPAA makes it clear that the rating isn’t supposed to be viewed as “a negative judgment in any sense.”
Rather, the NC-17 rating is given due to the presence of certain scenes and themes in the movie. This may be “based on violence, sex, aberrational behavior, drug abuse or any other element that most parents would consider too strong and therefore off-limits…”
Because of this, films with NC-17 ratings strictly prevent the admission of anyone 17 and under in the theaters.
This is why producers largely try to avoid getting such a rating as it significantly reduces its potential theatrical earnings. In contrast, an R-rated film can be viewed by children under 17 in theaters so long as they are accompanied by an adult guardian or parent.
Before its Netflix debut, Blonde started its limited theatrical run on September 16. So far, however, its box office figures haven’t been released.
Blonde Provides An Unhappy Account Of The Late Star’s Life
Based on a novel by Joyce Carol Oates, Blonde attempts to offer a raw glimpse of Jeane’s life behind the scenes. It unapologetically depicts the late actress as an unhappy woman amid all her fame and success, and that’s something Dominik meant to do from the beginning.
“Well, I think her life would have been incredibly unhappy. There are moments of joy and love, but years of unhappiness,” the director told the British Film Institute’s Sight and Sound magazine.
“If she found joy, she could potentially be alive today. You could be talking to her.”
And unlike other films about Monroe, Blonde is not particularly interested in the legacy that the actress left behind. Rather, it unabashedly explores what drove her to take her own life.
“It’s not looking at her lasting legacy. I mean, she’s not even terribly concerned with any of that stuff. If you look at Marilyn Monroe, she’s got everything that society tells us is desirable,” Dominik explained.
“And she [took her own life]. Now, to me, that’s the most important thing. It’s not the rest. It’s not the moments of strength…”
The film also depicts a scene where Monroe undergoes an abortion. A fetus appears at one point and later on, this is replaced by an image of a uterus during the procedure.
For Dominik, the fetus had to be shown because “that baby is real to her, and so that’s why you see the baby. I don’t think the scene would feel as real [otherwise].”
The director then further explained, “And also, she’s having a reluctant abortion. So it would be pretty horrible.” As for the particularly horrific way this plays out in the movie itself, Dominik said,
“I’m trying to create her experience. I’m trying to put the audience through the same thing. I’m not concerned with being tasteful.”
Ana De Armas On NC-17 Rating For Blonde: ‘I Didn’t Understand Why That Happened’
Meanwhile, even as Blonde stirred controversy among its early viewers, de Armas herself disagrees with the NC-17 rating it received.
“I didn’t understand why that happened. I can tell you a number of shows or movies that are way more explicit with a lot more sexual content than Blonde,” the actress explained.
“But to tell this story it is important to show all these moments in Marilyn’s life that made her end up the way that she did. It needed to be explained.”
De Armas also added, “Everyone [in the cast] knew we had to go to uncomfortable places. I wasn’t the only one.”
Meanwhile, Dominik also seems to agree with de Armas’ assessment of the film. “Well, I don’t think it’s reflective of community standards,” the director said of its rating.
“Personally, I feel like the film does color within the lines. Now people are expecting something a lot more salacious. It’s a drag to get [an] NC-17 because it means people freak out. And we can’t get billboards.”
Now, only time will tell how Blonde’s NC-17 rating will affect its viewership on Netflix. In some ways, it is the streamer’s biggest gamble yet, with the film running the risk of being perceived as an actual biopic.
Asked if that matters, however, Dominik remarked, “I don’t think that matters. Why would it matter?”
