Duvall vs. Spielberg
CNN is reporting that actor Robert Duvall lays into Steven Spielberg for going to Cuba in 2002 in an upcoming 60 Minutes II interview:
"Spielberg went down there recently and said, 'The best seven hours I ever spent was actually with Fidel Castro.' Now, what I want to ask him, … 'Would you consider building a little annex on the Holocaust museum, or at least across the street, to honor the dead Cubans that Castro killed.' That's very presumptuous of him to go there," Duvall told Charlie Rose, according to excerpts of the interview released by CBS.
That's tough talk coming from a guy who played Stalin.
A spokesman for Spielberg denies that the E.T. auteur ever said anything along the lines uttered by Duvall: "He never said it, or anything like it."
Shortly after his return from Cuba, Spielberg claimed that Cuba's state-run press concocted his quotes. Here's an account of that.
Update: As Junyo points out in the comments section, "upcoming" in the above context means "last night." Begging a thousand pardons…
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Upcoming is the sense of was on last night. But if you have a Delorean, a flux capacitor , and a straight strecth of road…
junyo,
Very humorous. 🙂
I just caught the tail end of that interview. I was flipping through and heard “Duvall, a staunch Libertarian…” before going on to his tirade over Spielberg’s visit.
Wondering if he was labelled a “staunch Libertarian” simply for his hatred of Communism.
There was an accident involving a time machine and a contraceptive.
Anyway, this is not the first time I’ve heard of celebrities getting pinged for allegedly saying things that the Cuban press made up. Interesting little dynamic: by trying to tightly control a chaotic thing like public opinion, the Cuban state is harming its own cause by potential defenders in a position where they denounce Castro’s government. It’s like watching a Middle Eastern or African despot’s spokesman get called on a lie on one of the Sunday morning programs – their eyes bug out, they don’t know how to react. Their insular, opposition-free world leaves them completely incapable of playing at this level, and they look like amatuers.
joe,
Or perhaps the White Press Spokesman. 🙂
Duvall’s portrayal of Stalin was superb, incidentally.
Did you mean “White HOUSE Spokesman?”
Wondering if he was labelled a “staunch Libertarian” simply for his hatred of Communism.
Dunno. It seems to me that a hatred of Communism is a necessary, but not sufficient, condition of being a libertarian.
Whatcha wanna bet that Spielberg doesn’t hate Communism?
“Whatcha wanna bet that Spielberg doesn’t hate Communism?”
As an “idealist”, he probably thinks it looks good “on paper.” But based on examples of his chosen art form, I find very little sympathy for totalitarianism, except in Hollywood, of course.
I wonder how Spielberg DID feel about his 8-hour visit with Castro? No doubt, they weren’t the best in his life– but were they really just OK? Was it hard to break away? Would it be more fun to chat it up with a real film-buff, like NK’s Kim?
Really, the role an actor fills as a job does not necessarily indicate that person’s political sympathies. I was in a play last year that required me to be a snotty, catty gossip, viciously maligning a religious group. I’m PART of that religious group, but the role was necessary to the plot.
When can we expect the movie??? Steven should speak to Oliver Stone or Mr Moore about working together on it. Might be able to get some accuracy this time. Last few times their shows were full of “artistic liberty” with facts.
What I’d like to know is, how come every recent interview I’ve heard of involving Duvall makes him sound like a crotchety old prick. Oh, wait a minute . . .
Never mind
Didn’t Duvall play Robert E. Lee in a recent apologist film concerning the Confederacy?
Oh, great, JB, let’s start a Confederacy-apologia thread. . .
John Hood,
That would be fun. 🙂
Ironically, I thought that Martin Sheen played a better Robert E. Lee.
If politics drove their acting roles, Martin should have been the one to play Stalin.
JB,
The “apologist” film your thinking of is Gods and Generals….and Duvall did do a great job playing General Lee.
It is fitting that Robert Duvall should play General Robert E. Lee — Robert Duvall is a direct descendant of General Robert E. Lee.
“Our mama always contended we were part of the bloodline, but it may just have been wishful thinking,” says Duvall, who mentioned the speculation long ago in an interview, only to see it reported as fact in various biographies.”
Joe is a dickus
Castro is a murdering, “to the wall,” killer, & tyrant.
Spielberg is rich and seems concerned with ‘his’ people’s historical woes.
He is another rich hypocritical liberal with causes, cares, concerns,
about such things as homelessness and poverty,
with the means to do much himself (money, land and homes),
but urges others, not himself, to take action, do something.
Spielberg’s ego probably enjoys the telling of sitting with Castro,
eating a Cuban mean and smoking a hand-rolled cigar.
Will he quote Castro’s answers to his probing humanist questions
regarding oppression, lack of freedom, and murder during Castro’s forty year reign?
No, Spielberg was there to bow to Fidel, to shake his hand,
to be of service to Castro and Cuba, not to challenge him.
Castro could have been a great man who lifted Cuba,
but became a useful pawn and classic dictator only to be endured.
Sadly, Castro will escape a reckoning in his land in his time.
Duvall has plenty of Hollywoodish ego as well, forever an actor who thinks he is playing a role,
but he lacks proper direction and script.
Current rumors of Castro’s death will become reality one day.
I expect the Miami ‘community’ to go back to Cuba,
take back their property, and bring some prosperity to the island.
Why should we legitimize Castro when the wait is about over?