Said Andrew Dominik, the director of a new movie based on the Joyce Carol Oates novel that is based on the story of Marilyn Monroe. He's quoted in "Ana de Armas Confused by ‘Blonde’ NC-17 Rating: Other Films Are ‘More Explicit’ and ‘Have More Sexual Content’" (Variety).
I'd like to know what he thinks "the lines" are. Should it be easy to "color inside the lines" or is it good that there's nuanced analysis of what might be appropriate for minors. I haven't read the book, but I'm guessing there is manipulative and coerced sex in — as Dominik said — "situations that are ambiguous."
The star — Ana de Armas — is "confused," but shouldn't children be protected from confusing sexuality?
The director believes "Americans are really strange," and he doesn't know why we are strange. He used a coloring book metaphor as he talks about making something that would allow children into the theater to be affected by confusing, manipulative, coercing sex, and then he brings up porn. But the movie-raters don't let children see porn! Some things are for adults, including serious movies that look into sexual exploitation.
Here's the quote from de Armas, which shows no awareness that the issue is the exclusion of children: "I didn’t understand why that [NC-17 rating] happened. I can tell you a number of shows or movies that are way more explicit with a lot more sexual content than ‘Blonde.’ 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. Everyone [in the cast] knew we had to go to uncomfortable places. I wasn’t the only one."
Is it "important" that children learn the story of why Marilyn was how she was? Why would children understand it? For all I know, the presentation in the movie is titillating during scenes of rape and quasi-rape. Perhaps it's not sexy, just depressing and rough, demanding that viewers harden themselves and face harsh "reality." That's not something to do to children.
But wait. This is a Netflix movie. The NC-17 rating will only exclude kids if parents have figured out and set the "parental controls."
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“shouldn't children be protected from confusing sexuality?“
In Wauwatosa, apparently not.
“shouldn't children be protected from confusing sexuality?“
Our public elementary school administrators don’t seem to think so.
Who plays JFK?
As to protecting children these days, the Left has forced kids to grow up early. They’ve been sexualized. My friend has had her 7th grader daughter exposed to all that trans stuff. In Omaha!
This is a Netflix movie. The NC-17 rating will only exclude kids if parents have figured out and set the "parental controls."
Or you just don’t subscribe to Netflix in the first place which is a growing group of people every day.
Possibly a Banned in Boston sticker to boot the attention…
NC-17 is an archaic tool. It is adults what will be triggered that need protected. Perhaps it is to head off the inevitable millennial boycotts. I mean, main character isn’t even trans!
It sounds like marketing to increase the buzz among the young. Frankly, it could not interest me less.
I'll watch it just to see her naked. The NC-17 rating is the seal of approval!
Were there women in the boardroom? In the 50's?
"It sounds like marketing to increase the buzz among the young."
I thought about that when writing the post, but I think, in recent years, NC-17 is considered undesirable and is known to hurt the box office.
For many people who are not 17 and younger, the NC-17 rating on a serious movie sends the message that the sex is either very graphic (which I don't think this is) or exploitative and disturbing to those who don't want to watch rape (and near-rape) scenes. I put myself in that category. This is supposed to show the psychology of the character, but if it got the NC-17, I suspect the character is shown with the actress's frightened/worried/confused/grieving face as she is subjected to various sexual subordinations. It's a big red flag. And isn't this movie mainly for women?
Official "adult" movie ratings have always backfired. The notion of "X" was first intended for Hollywood/highbrow movies but didn't last. They tried again with NC-17 but it too became code for quasi-porn or simple porn.
The trouble is that movies focused on sex must dwell on sex, and the audience cannot avoid thinking about sex because sex is a primal drive. We wear clothes half to keep warm and half to keep our minds on other essential life tasks.
Survival calls for balanced attention and allocation of resources. Hedonists and "groomers" are thereby dooming the future culture. Any culture will die out without a next generation that keeps sex in context and makes babies who also will make babies. If you hate your culture that may be a good thing in your mind.
The only movie I can think of where the nudity was not gratuitous is “The Crying Game”.
From the 'Variety' article: "The official “Blonde” synopsis from Netflix reads: “[The film] boldly reimagines the life of one of Hollywood’s most enduring icons, Marilyn Monroe."" [emphasis mine]
In this context, "reimagines" means, "We read the Wikipedia article, then threw in a lot of rape and nudity and rape. Also rape. We like rape."
From the 'Variety' article: "The official “Blonde” synopsis from Netflix reads: “[The film] boldly reimagines the life of one of Hollywood’s most enduring icons, Marilyn Monroe."" [emphasis mine]
In this context, "reimagines" means, "We read the Wikipedia article, then threw in a lot of rape and nudity and rape. Also rape. We like rape."
We're watching season 4 of Westworld. Thanks to Allah they cut out all of the nudidity that dominated the first two seasons. It's so distracting and I end up feeling sorry for the women who have to expose themselves. There was a scene where Evan Rachel Wood got into the bathtub wearing a two piece. Don't get me wrong, the variety and type of women on that show are very attractive. But when their bodacious tatas are out, my conscious mind switches off and the lizard king brain takes over.
Any depiction of Marilyn Monroe is bound to include the numerous times she had to prostitute herself to demons in Hollywood. It's well-known what she said about it, "I spent a great deal of time on my knees."
Not for children. Not for adults unless you have a strong stomach.
Any depiction of Marilyn Monroe is bound to include the numerous times she had to prostitute herself to demons in Hollywood. It's well-known what she said about it, "I spent a great deal of time on my knees."
Not for children. Not for adults unless you have a strong stomach.
Any depiction of Marilyn Monroe is bound to include the numerous times she had to prostitute herself to demons in Hollywood. It's well-known what she said about it, "I spent a great deal of time on my knees."
Not for children. Not for adults unless you have a strong stomach.
Any depiction of Marilyn Monroe is bound to include the numerous times she had to prostitute herself to demons in Hollywood. It's well-known what she said about it, "I spent a great deal of time on my knees."
Not for children. Not for adults unless you have a strong stomach.
What I see is an actress (and yes, Ana de Armas is definitely female, not just an "actor") pretending confusion over the rating of a movie about sexual exploitation, for publicity purposes. I note in passing that this actress has been appearing in movies topless and nude since age 18. She knows what she's talking about regarding sexual content of movies, but her comparison of this movie to others misses the point that this is a movie primarily about sexual exploitation, hence deserving of a more mature rating than a movie using T&A gratuitously to thrill the audience with female sexuality, as she has done previously.
Based on the prophecies detailed in the documentary "Idiocracy" I fully expect a female sequel to the popular movie "Ass" to break all box office and 'bating records in the future.
"Who plays JFK?"
The role of "The President" is played by Caspar Phillipson. Danish... but he really looks the part.
I see that "The Playwright" (ie, Arthur Miller) is played by Adrien Brody. That might get me to watch it.
Americans? Diversity [dogma] is misleading. Step outside the bubble, pop the bubble, the rarefied air is insulating.
“shouldn't children be protected from confusing sexuality?“
Confusion is a progressive work of art. #HateLovesAbortion
I read about some of this yesterday.
I think people are concerned that the rating was just a way to gain attention and get press, as the actual content of the movie doesn't merit the NC-17...
Dominik is unwittingly making the old joke "It's not porn, it's HBO"
I first saw her in Knock Knock (2015). I don't know what earned Marilyn a rating of NC-17, but I can see how she would be confused that Knock Knock didn't get that rating. I guess being campy goes against an NC-17, although Showgirls is of the mother of campy NC-17.
It's never too late for Hollywood to milk a few more bucks out of the woman's corpse.
As a side note, I do not get, in any way, the obsession with Monroe.
She was a very average-looking woman and a very mediocre talent as an actress...
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