The reactions to Uma Thurman’s shocking interview in the New York Times came strong on Saturday after the story hit publication. Many had been waiting to hear Thurman’s take on Harvey Weinstein after she hinted at her anger in November 2017. The eventual truth was similar to previous claims made against Weinstein, but it was the accusations made against director Quentin Tarantino that ended up standing out after the initial impact.
His alleged treatment of Thurman on the set of Kill Bill highlights something separate from the actions of Harvey Weinstein, but still very familiar to those in the industry who weighed in after the story hit.
Jessica Chastain highlighted this in her thread, calling Thurman a “warrior” and noting that directors who insert themselves into scenes, particularly those featuring violence against women, cross a line:
Uma Thurman has seen the inside of our industry for 30yrs. I have great respect for her. She is a warrior.https://t.co/xVQp0uzK5Z pic.twitter.com/6l6LY0zbLh
— Jessica Chastain (@jes_chastain) February 3, 2018
I keep imagining Tarantino spitting in Uma's face and strangling her with a chain for KILL BILL. How many images of women in media do we celebrate that showcase abuse? When did this become normalized 'entertainment'?
— Jessica Chastain (@jes_chastain) February 4, 2018
When violence against women is used as a plot device to make the characters stronger then we have a problem. It is not empowering to be beaten and raped, yet so many films make it their 'pheonix' moment for women. We don't need abuse in order to be powerful. We already are.
— Jessica Chastain (@jes_chastain) February 4, 2018
Directors inserting themselves into a scene depicting abuse is crossing a boundary. How can an actor feel safe when your director is strangling you?
— Jessica Chastain (@jes_chastain) February 4, 2018
She also shared a warning about labeling an actress “emotionally unstable” in reference to Thurman.
Ive a small request, instead of labeling a woman as 'emotionally unstable' go deeper. What did she endure that led her to this place? We are the sum of our experiences. This is an industry built on power & dominance. She isn't crazy. Start a conversation & let the healing begin.
— Jessica Chastain (@jes_chastain) February 4, 2018
Former actress and writer Quinn Cummings also shared an illuminating thread that indicated how Tarantino’s actions weren’t uncommon in the industry. This includes one example of an unnamed director slapping actresses without consent:
https://twitter.com/quinncy/status/959819762497830912
Judd Apatow also weighed in with his own take on Tarantino’s treatment of fellow Kill Bill actress Daryl Hannah and her complaints about being harassed by Harvey Weinstein:
Tarantino also ignored Daryl Hannah’s complaints when she was harassed by Harvey Weinstein.They kicked her off the press tour.Nobody helped her. And now Tarantino is going to make a movie about Polanski. Why is someone financing this? This is why Weinstein wasn’t stopped. $$$$ https://t.co/WlSVFEoVN4
— Judd Apatow 🇺🇦 (@JuddApatow) February 3, 2018
But the most heated of the reactions comes from Asia Argento. The Italian actress had revealed her own encounter with Harvey Weinstein when the scandal first broke at the tail end of 2017 and has since become a vocal figure speaking out against the former mogul and others who have taken advantage of the environment for years. Argento praised Thurman for speaking out, but quickly shared her disdain for the actions of Weinstein and Tarantino:
https://twitter.com/AsiaArgento/status/959842974501883904
https://twitter.com/AsiaArgento/status/959858756153683969
https://twitter.com/AsiaArgento/status/959861627444187136
Argento also had a strong reaction to the statement released by Weinstein late on Saturday evening that seemed to hint at legal action against Thurman according to Entertainment Weekly:
“Ms. Thurman’s statements to The Times are being carefully examined and investigated before deciding whether any legal action against her would be appropriate,”
Argento’s response to the statement says it all:
https://twitter.com/AsiaArgento/status/960051745148645376
There has still been no response from Tarantino on the New York Times article, and he did not provide a comment when asked before its publication.
(Via Entertainment Weekly)