Backlash at Marilyn Monroe movie’s ‘disgusting’ portrayal of her life

It has received praise from some critics for its sympathetic retelling of its story.

But charities and women’s experts have reacted to Marilyn Monroe’s “disgusting” portrayal in Netflix’s new film about her life.

Blonde, which was released on the streaming platform on Wednesday, has sparked backlash from campaigners and viewers over its graphic depiction of sexual assault, domestic violence and abortion.

This is despite the fact that the film received a 14-minute standing ovation at the Venice Film Festival in September.

The film, which lasts nearly three hours, is a fictionalized account of the actress’s life, featuring Cuban actress Ana de Armas, 34, who plays Miss Monroe, who is said to have suffered sexual abuse when she was young.

The film, which has an age rating of 18 in the UK, is written and directed by Andrew Dominik, who has made strong comments about both the film and Miss Monroe.

Molly Boydon, of the British Pregnancy Advisory Service, said: ‘Film and TV play a huge role in shaping understanding of abortion

The film, which is currently the number one film on Netflix’s UK service, has been accused of being sexist and exploitative. There are graphic scenes showing Miss Monroe undergoing an abortion, although there is no evidence that she ever had one in real life.

It has led women’s charities to warn that “over-sensationalizing” abortion is “incredibly useless” and can lead women to believe it is not safe.

The film, which lasts nearly three hours, is a fictionalized account of the actress’s life, featuring Cuban actress Ana de Armas, 34, who plays Miss Monroe (pictured), who was allegedly sexually assaulted when she was young.

Molly Boydon, of the British Pregnancy Advisory Service, said: ‘Film and TV play a huge role in understanding abortion. It’s important that on-screen images do their best to represent the reality of abortion: it’s a safe and routine part of healthcare that one in three women will have access to in her lifetime.”

The film, which is currently the number one film on Netflix’s UK service, has been accused of being sexist and exploitative

Steph Herold, a researcher who studies abortion in TV and film at the University of California, described the film as “anti-abortion, so sexist, so exploitative.” It features multiple sexual assault scenes that Miss Herold described as “gratuitous and disgusting.”

The film, which has an age rating of 18 in the UK, is written and directed by Andrew Dominik, who has made strong comments about both the film and Miss Monroe. He described Miss Monroe’s 1953 film Gentlemen Prefer Blondes as being about “well-dressed whores” and has admitted that his film “would offend anyone.”

Commenting on the abortion and assault scenes, he added, “It’s not about being tasteful for me.”

Some viewers have said they couldn’t make it through the first 20 minutes, describing the film as “absolutely unwatchable.”