00:00Quentin Tarantino is firing back after Pulp Fiction actress Rosanna Arquette criticized
00:04his use of the N-word in the film's script. Arquette, who played Jodi in the 1994 crime
00:11classic, recently told the Times UK that while the film is iconic and great on many levels,
00:16she's now over the use of the N-word, adding that she hates it and believes Tarantino has
00:21been given what she called a hall pass. She went on to say, quote, it's not art,
00:25it's just racist and creepy. Tarantino responded late Monday with a pointed statement sharing with
00:31media outlets directly addressing the actress. In the letter, the filmmaker questioned whether
00:36the publicity Arquette received from the interview was worth, quote, disrespecting me and a film I
00:41remember quite clearly you were thrilled to be a part of. He continued, writing that while her
00:46feelings may have changed over time, criticizing the project after accepting the role and the
00:50paycheck showed what he called a decided lack of class and no less honor. Tarantino concluded the
00:56message by referencing what he described as an expected esprit de corps among artistic collaborators
01:01before signing off simply with congratulations Q. The filmmaker's use of racial language in his
01:07movies has sparked criticism for years, including from director Spike Lee. During a 2022 appearance on
01:13the HBO Max's Who's Talking to Chris Wallace, Tarantino addressed the backlash, saying that if viewers have a
01:19problem with his films, quote, then they aren't the movies to go see. At the same time, several actors who
01:24have worked with Tarantino have defended the filmmaker. Samuel L. Jackson, who starred in
01:29Pulp Fiction and several of Tarantino's films, told Esquire in 2019 that restricting a writer's language
01:35would make storytelling dishonest, while Jamie Foxx said during promotion for Django Unchained that the
01:41film's use of the word reflected historical accuracy. The Hollywood Reporter has reached out to a
01:46representative for Tarantino for additional comment. For more on this story, head over to
01:50thehollywoodreporter.com. This is The Hollywood Reporter News.
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