Shock film by Oliver Stone, “Born Killers” was born from the pen of a young director still little known at the time: Quentin Tarantino. However, the filmmaker was very disappointed with the fate of his script.
born killers : the controversial film by Oliver Stone
Since the start of his career, Oliver Stone has been one of those committed directors who leave no one indifferent. Indeed, the latter never ceases to point a very critical eye on America, and this in all areas. We have thus been able to see him in feature films such as Platoon, Wall Street, Born on the 4th of July or even jfk. However, with born killers (1994), he goes even further in his vitriolic portrayal of his own country.
Thus, the film follows a couple of murderers, Mickey and Mallory, who embark on an absolutely bloody road trip. Knocking out everything that moves, the duo paradoxically enjoyed unprecedented media success.
Ferocious denunciation of the carrying of arms and the starification of serial killers, born killers however, sparked controversy by its images considered brutal and ultra-violent. The film has also been accused of having encouraged certain morbid news items that took place during the months following the release of the feature film.
However, this did not prevent born killers to win several awards, such as the Special Grand Jury Prize and the Best Actress Prize (for Juliette Lewis) at the Venice Film Festival. Oliver Stone was also nominated for the Golden Globes.
Tarantino writing
born killers features an XXL cast with Woody Harrelson, Juliette Lewis, Tom Sizemore, Robert Downey Jr. and Tommy Lee Jones. However, the film could have had another equally posh director: Quentin Tarantino. Thus, in the early 90s, the director sold the rights to his script for born killers for ten thousand dollars. Warner Bros. gets the script and offers the direction of the film to Oliver Stone.
However, the latter made the choice to rewrite the script in depth, changing it from a pure action film to a very satirical Bonnie & Clyde romance towards the media. Furious at all these changes, Quentin Tarantino therefore asks that his name not be credited in the credits of Born Killers. The rumor even says that the actor Michael Madsen, approached to play the role of Mickey, refused the proposal on the advice of the director. Ironically, during that same year, he obtained a real triumph with his masterpiece pulp Fiction.
Another famous screenplay sold
In parallel with born killers, Quentin Tarantino also sold another script for $40,000: that of true romance. However, the director had better relations with the director of this film: Tony Scott. Indeed, unlike Oliver Stone, Ridley’s brother changed almost nothing of Tarantino’s script, except its end. However, after seeing the film, the director acknowledged that the ending shot by Scott was satisfying. He was also enthusiastic about the famous mythical scene between Dennis Hopper and Christopher Walken.
To note that true romance was also released in 1994, the same year as born killers. And for the Tony Scott film, Quentin Tarantino agreed to be credited in the credits.
