Oliver Stone Attacks James Bond, Others As ‘Deeply Conservative’
Oliver Stone might make a great villain for the next James Bond film.
In a recent interview with The Huffington Post, the JFK / Born on the Fourth of July director certainly didn’t shy away from calling out 007, Stallone, and others for perceived inaccuracies in their films.
Stone began by shining his light of disapproval on James Cameron for Avatar, a film he believed was highly political in spite of Cameron’s remarks that he doesn’t make “political films like Oliver Stone.”
“Even when James Cameron made that superb film Avatar, he was making as clear a statement as I have ever seen about the US military being the bad guy, and he said, ‘I don’t make political films like Oliver Stone. I had no intention of criticizing the empire.’
“Well, James, excuse me, what are you smoking? I love you as a filmmaker, but don’t play that game,” Stone said.
(Okay, Stone, stop a moment. On what planet would Avatar ever be considered “superb” filmmaking?)
Stone next set his sights on Morgan Freeman, criticizing the actor for coming down “on the wrong side of history.”
“I would not take the money if I were Morgan, whom I respect, for espousing a false enemy,” Stone said, referencing Olympus Is Fallen, in which Korean guerilla forces attack the White House.
And that’s when he set his sights on Bond. (James Bond.)
“By the way, a recent James Bond film was ridiculous too,” Stone said. “They made Cuba the home of chemical warfare and it becomes a whole issue when they go to Cuba.”
Stone then called Sylvester Stallone an “equal opportunity offender,” adding that he made “a film that made $100 million, saying that [Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez] was a bad guy with a red beret.”
Those of you thinking Stone might be better suited to a reboot of Grumpy Old Men, fret not. He wasn’t all criticism. In news that should surprise no one, he praised George Clooney for “getting it right.”
“I liked Michael Clayton, Syriana, but most stuff is deeply conservative,” Stone said.
Stone has never been one to stay away from equal opportunity criticism. His recent words against President Barack Obama and support of government opponent Julian Assange have been highlights. Not even Jamie Foxx is immune:
Where this gripe session derails is with those “wrong side of history” comments. Stone’s historical films have rarely flirted with being on the right side of history.
JFK has been soundly disproven by numerous sources — including Time, The Chicago Tribune, and The Washington Post, according to a 1991 article in TheBaltimore Sun.
And Born on the Fourth of July isn’t exactly a history book either, if one is to believe several comrades, who served with the movie’s subject Ron Kovic and called attention to several fuzzy facts in both film and book detailed here by The Seattle Times.
Nevertheless, Stone will always be Stone, and the recent rants are fine examples.
What do you think of Oliver Stone’s criticisms — valid or attention-mongering?
[Image via Featureflash / Shutterstock.com]
