The only time Quentin Tarantino lost his temper on set: “I was just sick of making the fucking movie”
For many actors, working with Quentin Tarantino is a dream come true. With his limited output and unforgettable dialogue, he produces timeless characters that can define a performer’s career. Many of the people who have worked with the director have good things to say about the atmosphere he fosters on set, too. Margot Robbie even went as far as to say that he’s the happiest director she’s ever worked with, echoing other stars who talk about his infectious enthusiasm. But filmmaking can be a stressful experience. With countless moving parts, unpredictable variables, and pesky budgeting constraints, it’s no wonder some directors turn into tyrants at least once in their careers.
For Tarantino, that moment came during a particularly tricky production that has, in recent years, become downright notorious. As the director explained in an interview, “We shot Kill Bill for almost a year, about nine months. It really was a situation like I had it. I was just sick of making the fucking movie, of getting up so fucking early, working so damn hard, of not having a life, of answering questions. I was that fucking grumpy asshole the whole day. It happened twice and eventually I come to my senses. Every once in a while you just want to prove to yourself that you can be like that, that you are human and just don’t have to do what you are supposed to do all the time.”
The production of Kill Bill was even more scarring for its lead actor. Anyone who has to play an avenging assassin and undergo months of gruelling and bloody fight sequences would likely struggle to compartmentalise the experience, regardless of whether or not they consider themselves a method actor, but Uma Thurman was forced to endure even more unimaginable strain.
For one thing, Harvey Weinstein was the executive producer. Following her appearance in Pulp Fiction and before the start of Kill Bill’s production, the now-disgraced producer and convicted rapist assaulted her in a hotel room. His later involvement in the film, not surprisingly, put a strain on her relationship with Tarantino, who she had told about the encounter.
For another, she was almost killed toward the end of production while performing a stunt that she had repeatedly asked not to do. In the scene, the Bride is speeding down a sandy patch of road, and Tarantino was adamant that Thurman do the driving. He needed her to hit a certain speed in order for the wind to catch her hair in the way he wanted, but the car, according to Thurman, was not fit for purpose.
She lost control, slammed into a tree, and sustained permanent injuries to her neck and knees.
Although the Kill Bill movies are now seen as a highlight of both Tarantino and Thurman’s careers, they turned out to be a low point for them personally. In addition to the injuries that Thurman sustained and the months of stress that Tarantino endured, the experience fractured their relationship.
They have never collaborated on a film since, and Tarantino has described his behaviour toward Thurman during the production as one of the biggest regrets not only of his career but of his life.
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