As a cinephile with over three decades of movie-watching under my belt, I must say that Oliver Stone’s “Natural Born Killers” remains one of the most intriguing and thought-provoking films of its era. Its satirical take on media violence, penned by Quentin Tarantino, is as relevant today as it was in 1994.
As a passionate cinephile, I’ve certainly had my share of criticism for using humor that some might deem immature. Director Oliver Stone, known for his outspokenness, has made choices over the years that have stirred debate, but he’s never been one to shy away from admitting when he’s made a mistake. A notable instance of this is detailed in Esquire’s oral history of Stone’s iconic “Natural Born Killers” film on its 30th anniversary. The story goes that a then-27-year-old Robert Downey Jr., eager to contribute more to the movie, occasionally irked Stone with his additional ideas.
The movie titled Natural Born Killers, originally conceived by Quentin Tarantino, features Woody Harrelson and Juliette Lewis portraying a ruthless duo embarking on a nationwide rampage of violence. As the sensational news of their bloodshed captivates the masses, the press follows in relentless pursuit of this gripping story. Released in 1994, this film serves as a biting critique of society’s fascination with media-fueled violence, an issue that remains pertinent today. Interestingly, some of Robert Downey Jr.’s comedic ideas for the movie were initially met with resistance by Oliver Stone during their early discussions.
In the TV series, Robert Downey Jr. portrays Wayne Gale, a journalist who relentlessly pursues the violent duo Mickey and Mallory Knox played by Woody Harrelson and Julius Lewis. However, things take an unexpected turn when he himself becomes the headline in a gruesome finale. Regarding one of the scenes, Downey Jr. proposed a creative yet controversial idea: dyeing the ends of his shirt tail with fake blood and making it appear as if it were coming out of the fly of his pants, creating a bloody phallic image. As you might expect, director Oliver Stone reacted strongly, telling Downey Jr., “Oh come on – that’s too much! You’re going too far, Robert. You’re ruining my movie! Forget the ridiculous penis idea. This isn’t… This isn’t some slapstick nonsense.”
Oliver Stone Changed His Mind About Downey Jr.’s Phallus Idea
On many occasions during the filming of Natural Born Killers, Downey Jr. confessed that he was under the influence of drugs and alcohol. However, on the day they filmed the final scene, it was one of his few sober moments. It appears this decision had some justification. Just as Downey was about to fasten his zipper, Stone interrupted, saying, “Hold on, hold on – Let me take another look at that part.”
After giving Downey Jr. a thorough gaze, Stone later changed his mind about the concept, astonishingly expressing this shift in opinion to the bewildered actor.
Pull it back half an inch. All right, let’s go.
In the final cut of the movie, there’s a brief scene where something resembling a bloody stump appears to protrude from Robert Downey Jr.’s character’s pants pocket for a split second. This scene stood out, given that filming occurred during the height of media coverage about Lorena Bobbitt and her husband John Wayne’s infamous incident. Interestingly, the movie faced numerous edits to secure an R-rating from the MPAA, who initially wanted to classify it as NC-17 due to its content. Despite stirring up controversy with its subject matter, this film became Oliver Stone’s most successful at the time and is now often recognized as a timeless piece of modern cinema.
Natural Born Killers
is currently streaming on Apple TV+.
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2024-09-01 22:05