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Tarantino facing boycott for supporting black activists
Wednesday 4th November 2015 | Sam
After appearing at a 'Black Lives Matter' rally last month in New York, influential director Quentin Tarantino has stated that he'd rather speak up for those without a voice than apologise to the police for branding some of their members as "murderers".
Speaking to his fellow activists last month, Tarantino said "When I see murders, I do not stand by... I have to call a murder a murder and I have to call the murderers the murderers." Of course, this upset many top cops in the States, and they have now demanded that he apologise or risk a boycott from the 330,000 strong, National Association of Police Organisations (NAPO) of his latest film The Hateful Eight, which is due for release on Christmas Day in the US.
Addressing the issue for the first time, Tarantino told the L.A. Times that he would not be intimidated by the boycott as he has a deep-rooted belief in freedom of speech: "Their message is very clear. It's to shut me down. It's to discredit me. It is to intimidate me. It is to shut my mouth, and even more important than that, it is to send a message out to any other prominent person that might feel the need to join that side of the argument."
With the backing of Django Unchained star, Jamie Foxx and The Hateful Eight heavyweight, Kurt Russell, Tarantino certainly has enough backing from fellow celebrities to not be afraid to voice his opinions. Moreover, Hollywood giants The Weinstein Brothers, who produce most of Tarantino's films, have released a statement claiming that he is entitled to say what he likes and can take part in any rally he wants to, despite the fact that they do not agree with his comments.
The veteran director's stance has certainly raised a lot of controversy. With the theme of police brutality popping out countless times over the past year, it is refreshing to see someone of Tarantino's stature stand up for what is right and join those campaigning to show support for those who genuinely need it. His comments may well have a negative effect on the film's ratings in the US, but that should not matter. Respect must be given to Tarantino, who has shown immense courage to oppose the American police forces and support the black community who have been oppressed for many years.
Sam
