It did seem a strange one. In an interview with Playboy Germany last week, legendary film composer Ennio Morricone supposedly put the boot into former collaborator Quentin Tarantino, calling the director “a cretin” who “steals from others and puts stuff back together again.”
Morricone, who is most famous for his work on The Good, The Bad, and the Ugly, scored Tarantino’s 2016 film The Hateful Eight, winning an Oscar and Golden Globe off the back of it. The two have previously spoken of their immense respect for each other.
So it should come as no surprise that Morricone has emerged to deny ever make the comments.
In a statement, he said: “It has come to my attention that Playboy Germany has come out with an article in which I have stated extremely negative comments about Tarantino and his films, and the Academy. I have never expressed any negative statements about the Academy, Quentin, or his films — and certainly do not consider his films garbage.”
He continued: “I consider Tarantino a great director. I am very fond of my collaboration with him and the relationship we have developed during the time we have spent together. He is courageous and has an enormous personality. I credit our collaboration responsible for getting me an Oscar, which is for sure one of the greatest acknowledgments of my career, and I am forever grateful for the opportunity to compose music for his film.
“In London, during a press conference in front of Tarantino, I clearly stated that I consider Quentin one of the greatest directors of this time, and I would never speak poorly of the Academy – an important institution that has given to me two of the most important acknowledgments of my career.”
Nick Pope is the Site Director of Esquire, overseeing digital strategy for the brand.
