‘Pulp Fiction’ Star Rosanna Arquette Slams Quentin Tarantino’s N-Word Use
What To Know
- Rosanna Arquette criticized Quentin Tarantino for his repeated use of the N-word in his films, calling it “racist and creepy.”
- Arquette also claimed she was denied a share of Pulp Fiction‘s box office profits, blaming producer Harvey Weinstein.
- Tarantino has long defended his use of the N-word as artistic authenticity, but critics like Lee Daniels argue he has no right to use the slur and reject his justifications.
She may have starred in his film Pulp Fiction, but Rosanna Arquette has a bone to pick with filmmaker Quentin Tarantino. In a new interview, Arquette said it’s “racist and creepy” that Tarantino, a white man, feels entitled to use the N-word.
“[Pulp Fiction is] iconic, a great film on a lot of levels,” she told The Times as she looked back on playing Jody, the tongue-pierced wife of Eric Stoltz’s drug dealer character. “But personally I am over the use of the N-word — I hate it. I cannot stand that he [Tarantino] has been given a hall pass. It’s not art, it’s just racist and creepy.”
Speaking of Pulp Fiction, Arquette believed she was stiffed a share of the 1994 film’s $214-million box office. For that slight, she blamed producer Harvey Weinstein, saying he had tried to make sexual advances toward her a few years earlier. (Arquette previously alleged that Weinstein punished her for rejecting him by blocking her from career opportunities.)
“I’m the only person who didn’t get a back end [a share of the takings],” Arquette told The Times. “Everybody made money except me.”
For years, Tarantino has faced criticism over his N-word use on the screen. He even uttered the word backstage at the 2013 Golden Globes as he talked to reporters after winning the Best Screenplay award for his film Django Unchained, in which the N-word is used more than 100 times, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
“What they’re actually saying is I should soften it, they’re saying I should lie, they’re saying I should whitewash, they’re saying I should massage,” Tarantino told reporters in the Golden Globes press room. “And I never do that when it comes to my characters.”
CNN’s Chris Wallace asked Tarantino about the critics of his N-word use and his onscreen violence in 2022. “You should then see something else,” Tarantino responded. “If you have a problem with my movies, there’s other movies to go see. Apparently, I’m not making them for you.”
Lee Daniels dismissed that defense in another CNN interview that year. “Quentin, that’s not the right answer,” the Precious director said. “Ten years ago, or 15 years ago, I would have checked it off as artistic, but n**** is our word. That’s my word. And you have no right to say that, and you have no right to feel that way. Sorry, bro. Next.”
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