Nicolas Winding Refn Responds To ‘Only God Forgives’ Reception At Cannes
Director Nicolas Winding Refn has responded to the reception his new film Only God Forgives received at Cannes earlier this week.
According to various reports, several people booed the film after it screened at this year’s film festival. Judging from the critical lashing the flick received, a lot of folks had issues with some of the violent content found in the story.
The Wrap reports that Refn has defended his movie in the wake of the Cannes screening. The acclaimed filmmaker doesn’t seem too bothered by the audience’s response to the film’s content. In Refn’s humble opinion, “art is meant to divide.”
During an interview with Jada Yuan over at Vulture, Nicolas Winding Refn weighed in on the boos and jeers his new Ryan Gosling collaboration received. While no one likes to have their work eviscerated by critics, the director didn’t seem overly concerned with the movie’s recent reception at the festival.
The filmmaker explained:
” I mean, how can I expect someone to not react like this when on one hand you are dropping what you do in everyone’s face and at the same time saying, ‘Love me, please,’ you know? You’re going to get that. You know, great art — horrible thing to say — but art is meant to divide, because if it doesn’t divide, it doesn’t penetrate, and if it doesn’t penetrate, you just consume it.”
When asked what caused the audience to reaction in such a fashion, Refn remarked that people often have “many strange opinions.” He added that fans often feel like they “own” filmmakers and actors, and are often disappointed when the work isn’t to their liking.
Hollywood Elsewhere critic Jeffrey Wells was definitely not a fan of the Drive director’s latest effort. In his review of the film, the writer said the movie left him feeling “violated, s*** upon, sedated, narcotized, appalled, and bored stiff.” That was probably the nicest thing he had to say.
Are you a fan of Nicolas Winding Refn? What do you think about the director’s response to the reception Only God Forgives received at Cannes?
