Quentin Tarantino goes nuclear on Pulp Fiction actor for questioning his use of the N-word in movies
Quentin Tarantino became angry with Rosanna Arquette after she recently criticized his use of the N-word in his filmography.
The filmmaker accused the “Pulp Fiction” actor of “trashing” his 1994 film, in which she played the girlfriend of drug lord Lance (Eric Stoltz), for “very cynical reasons.”
“I hope it’s worth the publicity you’re getting from 132 different media outlets, writing your name and printing your photo, to disrespect me and a movie that I remember quite clearly that you were excited to be a part of.” the director wrote in a heated statement obtained by various media outlets.
“Do you feel that way now? It’s very possible. But after I gave you a job and you took the money, to throw it away for what I suspect are very cynical reasons shows a decided lack of class, not least honor,” he continued.
He stated that “there is supposed to be a team spirit among artistic colleagues,” he added, “but it seems that the objective was achieved. Congratulations.”
Tarantino’s response came after Arquette discussed his brief role in “Pulp Fiction” in an interview. with The Sunday Times (UK) during the weekend.
During the conversation, the 66-year-old actor denounced that Tarantino, 62, has been given a “hall pass” to use the racial slur in films such as “Django Unchained,” “The Hateful Eight,” “Jackie Brown” and “Pulp Fiction.”
“Personally, I don’t use the N-word anymore. I hate it. I can’t stand that they gave it a pass,” Arquette told the outlet.. “It’s not art, it’s just racist and creepy.”
While he told The Times that he believes “Pulp Fiction” was “iconic” on “many levels,” he said Tarantino had no right to use the derogatory term.
The N-word was uttered more than 100 times by black and white actors in 2012’s “Django Unchained,” starring Jamie Newsx, Leonardo DiCaprio, Samuel L. Jackson and Christoph Waltz.
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The controversial film earned five nominations at the 2013 Academy Awards, with Waltz winning an Oscar for Best Supporting Actor. Tarantino also took home the award for Best Original Screenplay for a Western.
Tarantino has repeatedly defended his use of the racial slur, even uttering the term backstage at the 2013 Golden Globes while delivering a message to his critics after winning Best Screenplay for “Django Unchained.”
“They say I should soften it, they say I should lie, they say I should bleach, they say I should massage,” the director said. “And I never do that when it comes to my characters.”
In 2022, Tarantino once again took aim at his critics, defiantly telling them that they should “watch something else” if they disagreed with the N-word being used in his films.
“If you have a problem with my movies, then they’re not the movies to watch. Apparently, I’m not making them for you,” he said while appearing on “Who’s Talking to Chris Wallace.”
Many other Hollywood stars have condemned Tarantino for using the term, including director Spike Lee, who called the filmmaker’s actions “disrespectful toward my ancestors.”
Both Newsx and Jackson, who starred in “Django Unchained,” have endorsed Tarantino. Jackson argued that context matters and that Tarantino’s “characters talk like that,” while Newsx said he found the use of the derogatory term acceptable only because of its historical accuracy in relation to the script.