Quentin Tarantino Blasts Rosanna Arquette After She Slams His N-Word Use in PULP FICTION
Quentin Tarantino isn’t holding back after Rosanna Arquette criticized his use of the N-word in his films during a recent interview. The filmmaker responded directly and harshly, calling out the actress for what he sees as disrespect toward both him and one of his most iconic movies.
The comments that sparked the exchange came during a career-spanning interview Arquette did with The Sunday Times. While reflecting on her small role in Pulp Fiction (1994), she acknowledged the film’s impact but made it clear she has issues with Tarantino’s repeated use of the racial slur in his work.
“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.”
Arquette appeared briefly in Pulp Fiction as Jody, the wife of Lance, the drug dealer played by Eric Stoltz. Her character shows up during the chaotic overdose sequence involving John Travolta’s Vincent Vega.
Tarantino clearly wasn’t thrilled with her comments.
On Monday, the director issued a letter responding to the criticism and addressing Arquette directly. In it, he accused the actress of publicly attacking a film she was happy to be part of at the time.
Here’s Tarantino’s full response:
“Dear Rosanna,
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.
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 honor.
There is supposed to be an esprit de corps between artistic colleagues.
But it would appear the objective was accomplished.
Congratulations”
That last part, “There is supposed to be an esprit de corps between artistic colleagues” is funny, coming from the guy who publicly trashed Paul Dano, Owen Wilson, and Matthew Lillard.
Debates around Tarantino’s dialogue choices have followed the director for years. In Pulp Fiction alone the slur is used roughly 20 times. Critics often point to Django Unchained as an even more controversial example, where the word appears nearly 110 times in the script.
At the same time, several of Tarantino’s collaborators have defended his approach. Actors like Jamie Foxx, who starred in Django Unchained, and Samuel L. Jackson, a longtime Tarantino collaborator who has appeared in many of the director’s films including Pulp Fiction, have publicly supported the filmmaker’s storytelling choices.
The conversation around Tarantino’s work has clearly never gone away, and this latest clash shows the debate is still very much alive decades after Pulp Fiction first hit theaters.
For better or worse, Tarantino’s films continue to spark strong reactions, even from people who were part of making them.