Quentin Tarantino to Black Critics: My Race Is Irrelevant

Associated Press

by Ryan Parker

10/12/2015 4:19pm PDT

"It's been a long time since the subject of a writer's skin was mentioned as often as mine," said the 'Hateful Eight' director.

Quentin Tarantino is over being criticized because he is a white writer and director whose movies include the N-word. 

In a recent interview for The New York Times Magazine, which was conducted by best-selling author Bret Easton Ellis, Tarantino said, "If you’ve made money being a critic in black culture in the last 20 years you have to deal with me.’’ 

The director of the upcoming film The Hateful Eight told the American Psycho author that he didn't care when he was slammed in "savage think pieces" by black critics for 2012's Django Unchained, but their motivation, in his opinion, bothered Tarantino.  

"If people don’t like my movies, they don’t like my movies, and if they don’t get it, it doesn’t matter," Tarantino said. "The bad taste that was left in my mouth had to do with this: It’s been a long time since the subject of a writer’s skin was mentioned as often as mine. You wouldn’t think the color of a writer’s skin should have any effect on the words themselves." 

Tarantino, who won a best original screenplay Oscar for the pre-Civil War era film about slave vengeance starring Jamie Foxx, said some critics really sunk in their teeth. 

"In a lot of the more ugly pieces my motives were really brought to bear in the most negative way," he said. "It’s like I’m some supervillain coming up with this stuff." 

One of the most vocal, high-profile critics was prolific filmmaker Spike Lee, who said he would never see the film.

Still, Tarantino said that now is the best time to "push buttons." 

"This is the best time to get out there because there actually is a genuine platform," he added. "Now it’s being talked about.’’ 

The Hateful Eight will be released Christmas Day.