Quentin Tarantino Says Alec Baldwin Is “Ten Percent” Responsible for ‘Rust’ Shooting

Quentin Tarantino Says Alec Baldwin Is “Ten Percent” Responsible for ‘Rust’ Shooting

As a seasoned gamer and movie enthusiast with over three decades of experience under my belt, I can confidently say that Quentin Tarantino‘s take on the Rust set tragedy resonates with me. The responsibility for such an incident is undeniably complex, but his emphasis on shared accountability between the actor and the armorer seems spot-on to me.


Quentin Tarantino believes Alec Baldwin has some culpability in the Rust set shooting.

During my chat on the Club Random podcast with Bill Maher, we touched upon the unfortunate incident involving Alec Baldwin accidentally discharging a prop gun containing live ammunition, leading to the tragic death of Halyna Hutchins. In jest, Bill quipped that perhaps Alec was invited to host the Oscars, but he couldn’t do it because he was… well, let’s just say he was ‘shooting.’

Later on, Maher questioned the filmmaker, “In what way could Baldwin be responsible – are you suggesting he intentionally fired at the cinematographer or that it was an accident? If it was an accident, then the entire incident seems suspect. Is my reasoning incorrect?”

Tarantino stated, “No, I believe it’s reasonable to say that the person who provides the weapon is largely accountable for any incidents involving that firearm, accounting for about 90%. However, the actor carrying it also bears some responsibility, around 10%.”

“It’s a gun. You are a partner in the responsibility to some degree,” Tarantino continued. 

“Maher pondered, ‘How do you verify it?’ The filmmaker replied, ‘They demonstrate it for you.’ If there’s a process involved, you follow the steps carefully, ensuring thoroughness. And you can trust that it’s authentic.”

Tarantino stated that if Baldwin followed the necessary procedures, he would have been aware of his actions. These procedures involve checking that the gun’s barrel is empty, ensuring there’s nothing stuck inside, and being informed about the blanks being used for the scene.

The director pointed out that if an actor knows there are three live bullets in their prop gun before performing a scene, they should stop the scene and announce, “Everyone, it seems one of the bullets didn’t fire. I believe I may still be handling a loaded gun,” if one of the shots doesn’t discharge during their ‘bam, bam, bam.’

When Maher inquired about why prop guns couldn’t be made empty and have gunshot sounds added later, Tarantino responded by saying something like, “I suppose I could create digital enhancements for adult films, but who would enjoy watching that?” He further explained that it was thrilling to fire blanks and witness the actual orange flames instead of adding them artificially.

Previously this year, Baldwin was put on trial for involuntary manslaughter. However, the case was dropped in July. In court, Judge Mary Marlowe Sommer expressed that a crucial piece of evidence was discovered late which compromised the fairness of the proceedings. She stated that there was no way to rectify this unfairness and that dismissing the case was the only appropriate action.

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2024-08-26 20:25