Oliver Stone On "W": "It's Not A Political Film"

In the November issue of Maxim (on sale nationwide on Tuesday, October 21), Oliver Stone, the maker of such incendiary dramas as Platoon, Born on the Fourth of July, JFK, Nixon, and Wall Street, sits down with Pulitzer Prize winning author, Charlie LeDuff, for a candid discussion about his new film W.

The film was shot in six weeks in the hot Louisiana summer and edited over the course of the next two months in Los Angeles so that it can be released just weeks before the presidential election. The media, the political right, and the White House have reacted predictably. They say that Stone, the bleeding-heart propagandist, is trying to swing the election to the Obama side with another of the director's historical fantasies. But Stone tells Maxim that this is untrue. "Why release it before the election? Because Bush is still around. I think if the ghost leaves Washington in January, you ought to give him a nice exorcism. He's not going away. Bush is still very young. He's not going away."

Oliver Stone on W: "The movie's not a smear job. I wouldn't want to spend a year of my life making something that is demeaning to somebody, being malicious. That's the wrong approach to art. It's not a political film, but a Shakespearean one. It's a film about George W. rebelling against his father, doing better than his father, believing that he's stronger than his father, and outdoing his father...and it's about the colossal mistakes he made and the lies he told. In a way it's Oedipal. One can say he did kill the father because he did destroy the legacy, the name. It's a big thing with the Bushes."

James Cromwell (who portrays George H.W. Bush) on W: "Sure, it's a political film. It would be horseshit to say it's not. If this is not a political film, then I'm sorry. I'm completely lost. If it's fiction, it doesn't lessen the impact on the cost of war, the waste, the horror. If anyone has the cojones to pull that off, it's Oliver Stone."

Josh Brolin (who portrays George W. Bush) on W: "I was like everybody else--thinking that W. was going to be a heavy-handed, leftist view of our current administration. But what I read in the script was a fair and compelling life story of a man who eventually became president of the United States."

Dana Perino (White House Press Secretary) on Oliver Stone: "Oliver Stone is known for being about as accurate a historian as Gilligan was a navigator."

READ THE WHOLE INTERVIEW

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READ THE FIRST "W." REVIEWS

Comments

[getoffthecross]

When the real W leaves office, we should all send him congratulatory packs of pretzels...

http://www.jokerzinternetradio.com/phpmotion/play.php?vid=106

[holyfrak]

"Oliver Stone is known for being about as accurate a historian as Gilligan was a navigator." -Dana Perino
It's screamingly hilarious that the woman who didn't know anything about the Cuban Missile Crisis has the nerve to question, well..., anyone's historical accuracy. I wonder where she heard that comment about Stone. It suggests she actually reads something, which is shocking since she knows nothing.

[anim lvr]

This is a completely ridiculous line of reasoning. So if you were not to know something particularly important about your job, does this mean you know nothing else about your job? I also thought it was insane for her not to have been educated on this most important event in our history, too. But I am not going to assume that she must not know any history whatsoever. And to suggest that she knows nothing is unfortunately showing your own ignorance. I am sick and tired of these partisan mean spirited comments on both sides. We are supposed to be a civilized nation, how about WE all act that way. Oliver Stone is extremely well known for his political films and he is just as well known for his fudging the facts. His movie JFK has been proven to be pure fabrication on most issues by several scientific and established companies. But he has every right to make whatever movie he wants but please don't allege it to be all proven fact and not some speculation or opinion.

[Mozart123]

Gilligan's Island (1964-1967). Cuban Missile Crisis (Oct. 1962). Dana Perino (9 May 1972). Of course, Gilligan's Island is in perpetual reruns. Reruns of the Cuban Missile Crisis depends on 4 Nov. 2008.

[ImpalaSuperSport]

Why do a film on Bush if it's not for political purposes?

[BrianMac]

Because, like or despise him, he's a human being of enormous stature. Would a film about Teddy Roosevelt , Jefferson Davis or George Washington be considered political?

[anim lvr]

Roosevelt, Davis nor Washington are currently presiding in office particularly with the lastest world climate. There is an immense difference between releasing a film involving current events and still seated politicians than making a movie about the United States first president. That would be considered a historical film. I also don't find it some strange coincidence that Oliver Stone rushed the movie along so as to be able to release BEFORE the election. It would really take a very naive person to believe that he was not trying to sway votes to his choice of party which of course is Democrat. The problem I have is not really that he is releasing this movie. He has absolutely every right to do so but at least call a spade a spade. And before anybody freaks on the last statement, it was absolutely not a racist stab although I am sure quite a few will accuse me.

[CeciliaBertrand]

There has to be controversy ; i.e, "is it or isn't it???" so we will all go to see it. One says it is NOT, and the other says it IS, now we have to find out for ourselves....ticket sold! I would like to see the DVD when it comes out.

[gypsysoul111]

can't wait to have a couple cocktails and go see this comedy!

[SevereTireDamage]

Based on the trailers, it looks very much like a comedy...

But then, I contend "Natural Born Killers" was a comedy, so, y'know...

[Bongborg]

I watched it tripping once and laughed all the way through.

[ProFromOre]

My wife & I decided to go opening night.

I've been trying to come up with a relevant theme for promoting an all-out turn out on opening night - some way to make the turnout demonstrate our disgust for the guy.

Any ideas?

[BarackMan]

Take viagra and go naked. That's what Bush has done to us for 8 long years!

President Obama '08!

[gypsysoul111]

ummm....how about....

"a must see monkey film"

"one child left behind"

really who are we kidding .....this is a drinking film....just pick one of bush's non-word words or grunts and chug.

[ProfessorDuh]

Bush is not a "Shakespearean figure." He's a Three Stooges figure whom someone has unwisely handed a chain saw.

[wanderingsalmon]

That's not fair to Moe, Curly & Larry!

[marymansour]

I am very curious to see this film. I loved Stone's JFK. Josh Brolin, if the trailers are any real example, does a superb job.

[Cautious]

It's tough to think of Brolin as anyone but Hickock- but that was a TV series 20 years ago. I'm glad he's gotten a good and well-payiing part.

[Aelora]

OMG. Someone else who remembers "Young Riders". Yep, Brolin will always and forever be Hickock.

[typingisnotactivism]

would rather see the Scorses version.

[joeyscamps]

hope not fear

stay postive

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x8iIvrgnp-I

a new obama song yes we can rock version

[kurtlockwood]

And Dana Perino´s word is about as trustworth as Goebbels´.

[Kyuzo]

Dana Perino: "I make excuses for war criminals."

[5150]

This one time, at band camp, Pat Buchanan got Robert Preston's autograph.

[harriettubman]

Someone should research all the children of wealthy families who were handed appts to military academies; Ivy League schools; military positions and lucrative jobs and see how they succeeded in life. For people of color they call this Affirmative Action even though they must apply and have the same standards as all other applicants.