Quentin Tarantino opened up about his role in Uma Thurmans car crash on the set of Kill Bill in a wide-ranging new interview where the director also discussed the actress sexual misconduct allegations against Harvey Weinstein, the aftermath of the crash and other accusations of cruelty against Tarantino that surfaced in Thurmans recentNew York Times article.
In that article, Thurman revealed that she suffered severe injuries after she was pressured into driving a stunt car she didnt feel comfortable operating. Making matters worse, the studio, fearing a lawsuit, allegedly refused to provide Thurmans lawyer with footage of the crash.
Quentin Tarantino and Uma Thurman: A Magnificent Obsession
Speaking to Deadline, Tarantino said Thurman asked, could I get her the footage? I had to find it, 15 years later. We had to go through storage facilities, pulling out boxes I couldnt believe it. I didnt think we were going to be able to find it. It was clear and it showed the crash and the aftermath. I was very happy to get it to Uma. Tarantino added that he knew the New York Times would publish the crash footage, but he didnt realize hed be viewed as the main antagonist in the situation.
Tarantino was immediately and roundly criticized for his role in Thurmans stunt car crash. However, the director told Deadline that the prose of the New York Times article made it seem like Thurman blamed him for the crash, whereas the actress hoped the footage would indict the films producers; in an Instagram post Monday, Thurman defended Tarantino, adding that she held producers Lawrence Bender, E. Bennett Walsh, and the notorious Harvey Weinstein solely responsible.
Quentin Tarantino was deeply regretful and remains remorseful about this sorry event, and gave me the footage years later so I could expose it and let it see the light of day, regardless of it most likely being an event for which justice will never be possible, Thurman wrote Monday. He also did so with full knowledge it could cause him personal harm, and I am proud of him for doing the right thing and for his courage.
Tarantino explained to Deadline the situation behind the car crash. I start hearing from the production manager, Bennett Walsh, that Uma is trepidatious about doing the driving shot, he said. None of us ever considered it a stunt. It was just driving. None of us looked at it as a stunt. Maybe we should have, but we didnt. Im sure when it was brought up to me, that I rolled my eyes and was irritated. But Im sure I wasnt in a rage and I wasnt livid. I didnt go barging into Umas trailer, screaming at her to get into the car.
The director added that the scene just required Thurman to drive straight down a Mexican road There are no weird dips, there are no gully kinds of things and that Uma had a license. I knew she was a shaky driver, but she had a license.
Me and Uma had our issues about the crash. She blamed me for the crash and she had a right to blame me for the crash, Tarantino said. I didnt mean to do it. I talked her into getting in the car, I assured her the road was safe. And it wasnt. The car might even have been dubious too even if I didnt know that then. We had our issues about it.
Later in the interview, Tarantino said that, prior to filming Kill Bill, Thurman revealed that Weinstein forced himself on her; Weinstein had previously acted in a similar manner with Tarantinos then-girlfriend Mira Sorvino.
While we were getting ready to do Kill Bill, Uma tells me that he had done the same thing to her. That was when I realized there was a pattern, in Harveys luring and pushing attacks. So I made Harvey apologize to Uma, the director said. My confrontation [with Weinstein] was saying, you have to go to Uma. This happened. You have to apologize to her and she has to accept your apology, if were going to do Kill Bill together.
As for accusations that Tarantino spat on and choked Thurman during key scenes in Kill Bill, the director explained, Naturally, I did it. Who else should do it? A grip? One, I didnt trust Michael Madsen because, I dont know where the spits going to go, if Michael Madsen does it. I talked to Uma and I said, look. Ive got to kind of commit to doing this to you Now, I love Michael, hes a terrific actor, but I didnt trust him with this kind of intricate work, of nailing this. So the idea is, Im doing it, Im taking responsibility.
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