Spike Lee Feels ‘Django Unchained’ Is ‘Disrespectful’ To Slavery [Video]
Director Spike Lee doesn’t plan to catch Quentin Tarantino’s spaghetti western Django Unchained when it hits theaters in the US on Christmas Day.
The acclaimed filmmaker was asked what he thought about Tarantino’s latest cinematic effort during a recent interview. Although Lee initially said he couldn’t speak on the matter, it didn’t take long for the director to share his feelings about the film.
“I cant speak on it cause I’m not gonna see it. All I’m going to say is that it’s disrespectful to my ancestors. That’s just me … I’m not speaking on behalf of anybody else,” the filmmaker explained to VibeTV.
Clearly unhappy with the way Tarantino chose to depict slavery in Django Unchained, Spike Lee also chose to address the upcoming feature on Twitter.
“American Slavery was not a Sergio Leone spaghetti western. It was a holocaust. My ancestors are slaves. Stolen from Africa. I will honor them,” the director wrote.
According to Cinema Blend, this isn’t the first time Spike Lee has openly criticized Quentin Tarantino’s work. When Jackie Brown was released in 1997, Lee reportedly took issue with Tarantino’s liberal use of the N-word.
Since Lee clearly has a problem with the way Taratino portrays African Americans in his films, it’s not altogether surprising that the Do the Right Thing director doesn’t have an interest in seeing Django Unchained.
Lee is currently putting the finishing touches on his upcoming thriller Oldboy. The film is a remake of the cult South Korean shocker of the same name, a movie that comes packaged with its own unique brand of controversy. Lee’s version of the tale is slated to hit theaters next year.
How do you feel about Spike Lee’s comments regarding Quentin Tarantino’s Civil War era western Django Unchained? Do you think he should reserve judgment until he sees the movie?
