Quentin Tarantino has been labeled a “hypocrite” for his response to Rosanna Arquette‘s critique of his movies. The director fired back on the actress after she criticized his use of racial slurs in several of his movies.
Arquette, who appeared in Tarantino’s cult classic “Pulp Fiction,” recently claimed that the filmmaker has often gotten away with using the n-word in his motion pictures.
The exchange builds on a long-running debate in Hollywood about that exact element of Tarantino’s filmmaking.
In response to Arquette’s critique, the “Kill Bill” director penned a letter claiming it’s a whole turnaround from her behavior on the time he forged her in “Pulp Fiction.”
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Rosanna Arquette Called Quentin Tarantino’s N-Word Use In Movies ‘Racist And Creepy’
In a recent interview with the Sunday Times, Arquette acknowledged the lasting cultural impact of “Pulp Fiction,” but criticized Tarantino’s repeated use of the n-word in his movies.
“It’s iconic, an excellent film on a number of levels,” she said. “But, personally, I’m over the usage of the n-word; I hate it.”
Arquette went on to argue that the director has been given a free pass throughout the industry to make use of language that other filmmakers would likely face backlash for.
“I cannot stand that he has been given a hall pass,” Arquette said. “It isn’t art, it’s just racist and creepy.”
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Quentin Tarantino Says Arquette Showed ‘No Honor’ After Criticizing ‘Pulp Fiction’
In Tarantino’s letter addressing the actress, the filmmaker accused Arquette of lacking gratitude and honor.
“Do you are feeling this manner now?” Tarantino questioned. “But after I gave you a job, and also you took the cash, to trash it for what I think could be very cynical reasons, shows a decided lack of sophistication, no less honor.”
The “Django Unchained” director also expressed some surprise that Arquette didn’t show what he described as a basic sense of solidarity with a fellow industry pro.
“There’s purported to be an esprit de corps between artistic colleagues,” he said. “However it would seem the target was completed.”
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Critics Point To Tarantino’s Past Feuds After Arquette Letter
Tarantino has been outspoken against multiple film industry professionals through the years.
As such, the apparent irony of his comments was not lost on critics, lots of whom took to social media to focus on the director’s perceived “hypocrisy.”
“Ain’t no way bro has an issue with someone voicing their opinion on film after how he talked about Paul Dano,” one user commented on X.
The same sentiment was expressed by a unique commenter, who wrote, “Nope. You do not get to diss Paul Dano, Matthew Lillard, and Bruce Lee after which suddenly act like everyone’s gotta be classy and respectful. Double-standard. Huge talent, sure, but additionally huge ego.”
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Arquette Claims She Didn’t Receive Box Office Profits From ‘Pulp Fiction’
While Tarantino is quick to point to the cash Arquette earned from “Pulp Fiction,” the actress claimed she never received a share of the box office profits.
Based on Arquette, she was the one member of the film’s fundamental forged who never received backend compensation.
“I’m the one one who didn’t get a backend,” she told The Sunday Times. “Everybody made money except me.”
The BAFTA-winning star placed the blame on producer Harvey Weinstein, though she acknowledged that a few of her peers who encountered the disgraced Hollywood mogul endured far worse.
“I used to be fortunate because I used to be not raped,” Arquette said.
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Samuel L. Jackson Once Defended Quentin Tarantino Against Racism Claims
Tarantino’s frequent use of the n-word in his movies has long been a subject of dialogue in Hollywood, with a few of his colleagues stepping forward to defend the director’s intentions.
Amongst them is longtime collaborator Samuel L. Jackson, who once pushed back against his colleague’s naysayers.
In an interview with Charlie Rose, Jackson said that the precise roles Tarantino offered him through the years prove that he can’t be racist.
“I at all times tell people I do not understand why they can not take a look at his work and realize that each character he’s ever given me, he’s just about the neatest character within the film,” he said. “For him to write down characters like that for me can be not possible for a racist to do.”