(Credit: Gage Skidmore)
Sat Dec 21, 2024 8:15 PM, UK
Oliver Stone is one of the most outspoken filmmakers of his generation, for better or for worse. His fearless approach to storytelling has seen him tackle countless taboo topics, often sparking controversy. JFK asked provocative questions about the assassination of President Kennedy, Platoon exposed the brutal reality of the Vietnam War, and Wall Street exposed the greed-driven cult at the heart of American capitalism. Stone’s work consistently challenges audiences and forces them to confront uncomfortable truths.
The director wouldn’t be where he is today if he apologized for things, even though he probably should. In 2016, Stone produced a documentary titled Ukraine on firewho was accused of being dangerously pro-Vladimir Putin, a figure Stone has publicly praised elsewhere. Even then he remained steadfast in his beliefs. That’s why it was so shocking when he finally apologized for a project he was involved with early in his career.
Stone apologized to the people of Turkey for his portrayal of their country in 1978 Midnight Express. The film, for which Stone wrote the screenplay, stars Brad Davis as a young American sentenced to prison in Turkey for trying to smuggle drugs. The Turkish penal system was presented as a violent, desolate place where corruption and brutal abuse were commonplace. 34 years after he wrote it, Stone admitted that the film may have gone a little too far.
“It’s true that I overdramatized the script,” Stone said The Guardian. Midnight Express proved to be a huge coup for the ex-soldier, as it won him the Oscar for ‘Best Adapted Screenplay’ and helped him land future writing gigs. Conan the Barbarian And Scarface. However, Oliver Stone was not entirely contrite in his comments, saying that “the reality of Turkish prisons at that time was also mentioned… by various human rights associations.”
While in prison, Billy Hayes (Davis) faces a litany of horrors. Foreigners are treated harshly, regularly beaten by guards and frozen to death in cold cells. Physical, mental and sexual torture are the order of the day, as Billy – whose ordeal is based on the memoirs of a real prisoner – tries to escape, knowing he will likely die if he stays inside.
“It was a terrible movie and very humiliating, especially if you were a Turk living abroad,” says Banu Revan, a Turkish Harvard graduate who was also interviewed for the piece. “Every time you said you were from Turkey, Americans automatically said, ‘Oh yeah, I saw Midnight Express. Isn’t that the place where they cut off the hands of people who are caught stealing?’ as if we lived in Saudi Arabia! It was ridiculous.”
The country’s culture minister, Erkan Mumcu, who met Stone during his visit to Turkey, echoed these sentiments. “Mr. Stone’s expression of regret does not heal the wounds our nation has suffered, but it is still important,” he said. “There was a time when many artists and intellectuals worldwide heavily criticized Turkey, which led to our country getting a bad image.”
Midnight Express reminds us how powerful film (and art in general) can be. Turkey’s reputation has suffered for years due to the film’s popularity, so much so that one of the most stubborn directors in all of Hollywood was forced to admit that he may have done something wrong.
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