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Why Is Netflix's Blonde Movie Rated NC-17?
The new Marilyn Monroe movie Blonde has been controversial from the start, but why does it have an NC-17 rating? Blonde stars Ana de Armas as Monroe, the "blonde bombshell" Hollywood actress from the 1950s and '60s who became a pop culture icon and sex symbol before her untimely death in 1962. Director Andrew Dominik (The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford) adapted the ambitious novel of the same name by author Joyce Carol Oates, which some have called the most definitive historical account of the late actress.
Netflix's Blonde has been the subject of controversy since it was announced, with the streamer shifting release dates early on due to the graphic content of the film after it was completed in 2019. Netflix brought in a new editor to help "curb the excesses of the movie" and prepare it for release according to Dominik, which he says actually ended up making the film better. Oates' 2000 novel is listed as fiction, but the author did years of research into the life of Monroe in order to tell a more detailed, warts-and-all account of the icon's life. Dominik approached the material with the same zeal and has been very frank and open about making the film an honest portrait, saying, “It’s controversial, there’s a bit for [Netflix] to swallow. It’s a demanding movie. If the audience doesn’t like it, that’s the f*cking audience’s problem. It’s not running for public office."
With the release of the trailer for Blonde it was once again confirmed that the movie will carry an NC-17 rating, which lists the reason simply as "some sexual content" by the Motion Picture Association. The reasons behind that rating and the type of sexual content have yet to be revealed, but some aspects of Oates' novel are featured in the film, which surely play a role in the rating. One scene, in particular, involves Monroe being raped, which is a difficult thing to put on film in any context and sure to heed more caution for viewers. While Dominik calls the rating "horsesh*t" and that it's just the MPA "being political," he also says that it's the version audiences would want to see, saying, "It’s an NC-17 movie about Marilyn Monroe, it’s kind of what you want, right? I want to go and see the NC-17 version of the Marilyn Monroe story.”
In terms of content that would warrant in NC-17, no specific details have been offered outside of the confirmation of the rape scene, which undoubtedly plays a big role in the rating of Blonde. It's also important to note that the real Marilyn Monroe was no stranger to controversy or showing her own sexuality throughout her life and career, while also dealing with Hollywood exploitation that served to shape her image. The actress had three prominent marriages in her lifetime (and even a rumored affair with President John F. Kennedy) and suffered from mental health struggles and substance abuse in her final years. There's a lot to unpack from her illustrious life, which is surely the bigger reason for the NC-17, especially with Dominik being so determined to tell a no-holds-barred story. He credits the #MeToo movement as a proponent for getting the film made, saying that prior to it "nobody was interested in that sort of sh*t" and that Blonde will show "what it’s like to go through the Hollywood meat-grinder" and that "There’s something in it to offend everyone."
Dominik has said that an episode of HBO's Euphoria is "far more graphic than anything going on in Blonde" which suggests the rating is excessive in relation to the content. Blonde will be the first Netflix original film that carries an NC-17 and Dominik has said that he's grateful that the streamer has stood behind his vision. “I have nothing but gratitude for Net*flix," the director said, "They don’t want an NC-17 movie. But when it counts, they are supportive. And Netflix are the only people that would pay for Blonde. It would not exist without them.” Ultimately, it will be up to audiences to decide if the NC-17 rating is warranted or not when Blonde makes its debut on September 23rd, 2022.
