Adrien Brody says Blonde is supposed to be a ‘traumatic experience’: ‘It’s fearless filmmaking’
‘It’s brave and it takes a while to digest,’ actor who plays Arthur Miller in the film said
Adrien Brody defended Netflix’s film adaptation of Joyce Carol Oates’ Marilyn Monroe novel, Blonde, amid a divided response.
So far, the movie starring Ana de Armas as the 1950s Hollywood icon has been condemned by some critics for its harrowing portrayal of Monroe’s life.
In a one-star review for The Independent, Jessie Thompson wrote: “Blonde is not a bad film because it is degrading, exploitative and misogynist, even though it is all of those things. It’s bad because it’s boring, pleased with itself and doesn’t have a clue what it’s trying to say.”
In a new interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Brody – who plays Monroe’s third husband, playwright Arthur Miller – called director Andrew Dominik “beautifully brave”.
“I think that since it’s told in this first-person perspective, it works somehow for the film to be a traumatic experience,” Brody explained. “Because you’re inside of her – her journey and her longings and her isolation – amidst all of this adulation.”
“It’s brave and it takes a while to digest,” he continued. “And I think it’s in conflict with what the public’s perception of what her life is.
“And I think that’s where the film triumphs, because – whether it’s an extreme depiction or not – it’s honouring the extreme chasm between the public’s perception of the fame and the glory of Hollywood’s most famous, iconic actor, and the reality of that individual – the loneliness and emptiness and mental turmoil and abuse of that individual.”
“... It’s fearless filmmaking,” Brody concluded.
Blonde is out on Netflix now.
Subscribe to Independent Premium to bookmark this article
Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Premium subscription today.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies