(source: Eonline archives)
by Bob Strauss
Three years after he turned Hollywood on its collective ear with Pulp Fiction, former video-store clerk Quentin Tarantino has finally directed his third feature, Jackie Brown. It's a different kind of project for Tarantino, whose Reservoir Dogs, as well as his scripts for True Romance, Natural Born Killers and From Dusk Till Dawn, were whirligigs of woozy narrative gambits and ingenious shock tactics. In contrast, Jackie Brown is straightforward, contemplative and even discreet in its portrayal of violence. Does this mean the 34-year-old Tarantino has matured? Not quite. The foulmouthed eloquence of Jackie Brown is still very much quintessential Quentin. And, yes, there's still plenty of the punkish Pulp-meister left.
Why did the hottest director on Earth take so long between features?
QT: There has been an inordinate amount of speculation that the reason I didn't follow up Pulp Fiction immediately was because I was scared. But when it comes to any endeavor that's artistic, I don't think there's anything ever to be afraid of, all right? If something's not going to kill me, there's nothing to be afraid of, and failure brings great rewards in the long life of an artist. So, I never was scared about following up Pulp Fiction. But I'm not trying to keep any stove hot. Let's face it, I made all the money I'll ever need when I did Pulp Fiction. I'd worked my whole life, and finally, I had a situation where I could just kind of stop and really invest in life and enjoy it, so I can give something back to the work I'm trying to do. I did it and I loved it, and that's what I needed to do.
You're a big memorabilia collector. What are some of the cooler items you're now able to afford?
QT: Well, I got a real nice house [laughs], which allows you to collect more stuff--as opposed to a small apartment. The thing I actually got into collecting this last year was film prints. If you're a film fan, collecting video is sort of like marijuana. Laser discs, they're definitely cocaine. Film prints are heroin, all right? You're shooting smack when you start collecting film prints. [Laughs.] So, I kinda got into it in a big way, and I've got a pretty nice collection I'm real proud of.
There were complaints about the excessive use of the word nigger in Pulp Fiction, and you have Sam Jackson spouting it like crazy again in Jackie Brown.
QT: Is somebody saying that they actually think, in their heart of hearts, I'm a racist? If you actually think that, then say it and we'll deal with that. But I don't think anyone can actually, truly say that. But if you're not calling me a racist, then you're simply talking about, do I have the right to write black characters? And do I have the right, as a writer, to tell the truth as I see it, as far as the characters talk? To me, if the answer to that is no, that's racist.
It's been widely speculated that you wish you were black.
QT: I don't regret not being black. It's just a society thing. I grew up around a lot of black guys. If you grew up in Paris, you'd speak French and have an affinity for the French. I was raised around a lot of black guys, all right? One of the closer father figures I had in my life was not too dissimilar from Ordell [Jackson's dangerous, small-time weapons dealer in Jackie Brown]. He wasn't a gunrunner and he wasn't killing people, but he was doing shady stuff.
Ever think you might have ended up on the wrong side of the law?
QT: If I hadn't been an artist, I really doubt I would have worked in the post office or at a day job somewhere. I would have been some form of a con man. I'm sure my enemy would be the bunko squad.
