A recent interview between Django Unchained director Quentin Tarantino and Krishnan Guru Murthy ended in a heated manner, with Tarantino telling the British interviewer “I’m shutting your butt down.” The discussion about onscreen violence began in a civilised manner, with Tarantino explaining “there’s two types of violence that happen in this movie. There’s the violence that happens in the day, that’s put upon the slaves… there is brutality to the slaves… then there’s the cathartic violence of Django paying back blood for blood.”

As Murthy presses him further on his views about violence in movies, why people make violent movies and why people watch them, Quentin becomes increasingly agitated. “It’s a movie,” he says to Krsihnan. “It’s a fantasy. It’s not real life. You go and you watch a kung fu movie and one guy takes on a hundred people in a restaurant. That’s fun.”

The mood of the interview changes when the director is asked “why are you so sure that there is no link between enjoying movie violence and enjoying real violence?” The reply comes “I’m gonna tell you why I’m so sure? Don’t ask me a question like that… I’m not biting. I refuse your question… I’m not your slave and you’re not my master. You can’t make me dance to your tune.” As his eyes get wilder, the interviewer tries to explain that he simply wants to explore Quentin’s views. “And I don’t want to,” says Quentin firmly. “I’m shutting your butt down,” he tells him and then says, rather forcefully “it’s none of your damn business what I think about that.” It makes for pretty uncomfortable viewing to watch Tarantino’s petulant response to the reasonable questions he’s being asked. 

Watch the awkward interview between Quentin and Krishnan