Quentin Tarantino has responded strongly to actor Rosanna Arquette’s criticism of his use of a racial slur in his films. The filmmaker did not hold back while expressing his displeasure at Arquette criticising his script choices and use of language. Tarantino said it was poor of Arquette to publicly speak ill of a film that contributed to her financial success.
Quentin Tarantino hits back at Rosanna Arquette
On Monday, Tarantino responded to Arquette’s criticism in a letter, accusing the actor of trashing the film and showing “a decided lack of class, no less honour.”
“I hope the publicity you’re getting from 132 different media outlets writing your name and printing your picture was worth disrespecting me and a film I remember quite clearly you were thrilled to be a part of? Do you feel this way now? Very possibly (sic),” the 62-year-old wrote.
“But after I gave you a job, and you took the money, to trash it for what I suspect is very cynical reasons, shows a decided lack of class, no less honour. There is supposed to be an esprit de corps between artistic colleagues. But it would appear the objective was accomplished. Congratulations (sic),” he added.
What did Rosanna Arquette say?
According to Deadline, Arquette made the remarks while reflecting on her experience working in Tarantino’s 1994 cult classic Pulp Fiction. While acknowledging the film’s enduring influence and iconic status, the Emmy-nominated actor said she strongly disagrees with the director’s approach to dialogue involving racial language.
“It’s iconic, a great film on a lot of levels. But personally, I am over the use of the N-word- I hate it,” Arquette said in the interview. She added, “I cannot stand that he has been given a hall pass. It’s not art, it’s just racist and creepy.”
The debate surrounding Tarantino’s dialogue is not new. The slur has appeared numerous times across several of the filmmaker’s projects, including The Hateful Eight, Django Unchained and Jackie Brown.
Filmmaker Spike Lee had publicly criticised Tarantino’s use of the word as early as 1997, the year Jackie Brown was released. Lee argued that while the word may appear in certain contexts, Tarantino tends to use it excessively.
