Oliver Stone calls Vladimir Putin “a very refined individual”
Renowned Hollywood filmmaker Oliver Stone, known for his subversive masterpieces like Platoon, Wall Street, and JFK, is once again in the spotlight, but not for his fiction. Instead, Stone turns his lens on the issue of nuclear energy in his latest documentary, Nuclear Now, and makes some further incriminating remarks in favour of Putin whilst speaking about it.
Stone, whose career is marked by his unapologetic and audacious filmmaking style, brings the same fervour to his new project. He describes the commonly held belief that a nuclear accident would mean an end to the world as “bullshit”, positioning Nuclear Now as a much-needed departure from mainstream perspectives on nuclear energy.
The Oscar-winning director has often been criticised for his perceived support of controversial figures, particularly evident in his 2017 documentary, The Putin Interviews, which saw him labelled a Putin apologist. Despite this, Stone maintains that the four-part series, distilled from 30 hours of conversations with Putin, is invaluable for understanding the Russian leader.
“At that time, Putin was the so-called enemy,” Stone remembers, speaking in a recent interview with The Independent. “And our theory was, ‘Let’s know the enemy.'” His documentary offered an unmediated platform for Putin, and Stone, who’s been known to hang out with the Russian leader, stated that he was “a very refined individual who speaks quietly, reasonably”.
The Putin Interviews significantly impacted Stone’s reputation, causing hurdles in financing and distribution for Nuclear Now. The director and collaborator Sulichin also attribute the dominance of Netflix-style true crime series as a challenge in promoting serious non-fiction content.
Nuclear Now, inspired by the non-fiction book A Bright Future by Joshua Goldstein and Steffan Qvist, attempts to counter widespread scepticism about nuclear energy. Despite the contention surrounding the topic, Stone asserts that the time to ponder the issue of nuclear energy is running out.
The director also semi-joked about dramatising it to boost the appeal. “It was my idea to make it about a female scientist, because they’re popular these days,” the director said cynically. “A female scientist with a male flunky, or something. And in order to save nuclear energy, she has to basically perform the same tricks as Tom Cruise.”
Watch the trailer for Stone’s new documentary below.
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