Quentin Tarantino has explained why he hates trigger warnings on movies.
The filmmaker said in a new interview that he thinks viewers being offended by material is the “first response of a very narrow mind”.
He told La Liberation in response to a question about his thoughts on trigger warnings: “I reject the word ‘offended’. Anyone can be offended by anything. Frankly, I think most of the time – and there are no doubt some exceptions – saying that you are ‘offended’ by a film is the first response of a very narrow mind. ‘I didn’t like it, and here’s why, blah blah blah…’
“But, man, being offended? Art is no offence. And, although, in rare cases, I can understand it, it’s just ridiculous to be offended by the content of a film.”
Tarantino went on to expand on his own experience. “Here, there’s a movie that came out in the last ten years – I won’t name it – that really offended me,” he said.
“But the more I thought about it, the more I realised that it was my problem. My fucking problem. I found it racist. I wanted to punch the director. I still think it’s a racist movie. But it’s just a fucking movie, man.”
Tarantino’s comments follow his explanation why he never kills animals in his movies.
In a recent interview with Variety, the Once Upon A Time In Hollywood director spoke about where he draws the line on violence.
“I have a big thing about killing animals in movies. That’s a bridge I can’t cross,” Tarantino said. “Insects too. Unless I’m paying to see some bizzarro documentary, I’m not paying to see real death. Part of the way that this all works is that it’s all just make believe. That’s why I can stand the violent scenes, cause we’re all just fucking around.”
He continued: “Some animal, some dog, some llama, some fly, some rat, doesn’t give a fuck about your movie. I’d kill a million rats, but I don’t necessarily want to kill one in a movie or see one killed in a movie, because I’m not paying to see real death.”
In the past, Tarantino has batted off various questions about violence in his films.