Quentin Tarantino Says He Draws The Line On Violence When It Comes To Killing Real Animals And Insects Onscreen, But People Have Thoughts About His Real-Life Morals

    "I have a big thing about killing animals in movies. That’s a bridge I can’t cross. Insects, too.”

    Alana Valko
    by Alana Valko

    BuzzFeed Staff

    This is Quentin Tarantino — you know, the director known for his violent films like the Kill Bill volumes, Django Unchained, Pulp Fiction, and Inglourious Basterds.

    Close-up of Quentin Tarantino at the 72nd annual Cannes Film Festival in 2019
    Vittorio Zunino Celotto / Getty Images

    Well, while Tarantino may enjoy depicting graphic displays of bloodshed, he let us all know he does draw one line when it comes to violence in his movies.

    Uma Thurman covered in blood and stabbed with a syringe in "Pulp Fiction"
    Miramax / Via youtube.com

    In a recent interview with Variety, he said, "I have a big thing about killing animals in movies. That’s a bridge I can’t cross. Insects, too."

    Up-close photograph of a fly on a wooden table in springtime
    Eve Livesey / Getty Images

    Tarantino does not mean that he won't put computer-generated imagery of animal or insect death in his movies (as we saw with the horses in Django Unchained) — he said he draws the line at "real death."

    Still from "Django Unchained"
    Columbia Pictures

    He told Variety, "Unless I’m paying to see some bizarro documentary, I’m not paying to see real death. Part of the way that this all works is that it’s all just make-believe. That’s why I can stand the violent scenes, 'cause we’re all just fucking around.”

    I was slightly horrified to hear that "real death" of animals or insects could even happen onscreen. After researching, I discovered that it legally can't, but sometimes limitations in regulations lead filmmakers to break the rules.

    America's Got Talent / Via giphy.com

    According to the Animal Legal and Historical Center at Michigan State University's College of Law, while federal and state laws do not directly address the use of animals in film or television, the federal Animal Welfare Act, the federal Endangered Species Act, and state animal cruelty laws (which all states have) all indirectly apply to animal actors. These laws prevent people from being able to inflict pain on or neglect animals.

    A woman snuggling and holding a puppy
    Mladenbalinovac / Getty Images

    In addition, the American Humane Association has guidelines that monitor how animals, as well as insects, are treated in Screen Actors Guild movies, television, commercials, and music shows. 

    So based on animal cruelty laws and the AHA guidelines, which have been in effect since 1939, it is forbidden to harm animals and insects in TV and film.

    Still, as Michigan State's College of Law reports, "conflicts of interest, lack of enforcement, man-power issues, and the limited reach of the AHA severely hinder the ability of the AHA to properly protect animal actors," which is likely why there sadly are still some reports of animals being harmed in films.

    Strangely, Tarantino still admitted that he'd "kill a million rats," but he clarified that he wouldn't do it for the sake of a movie.

    Quentin giving a thumbs-up
    Jerod Harris / Getty Images

    He said, "Some animal, some dog, some llama, some fly, some rat, doesn’t give a fuck about your movie. I’d kill a million rats, but I don’t necessarily want to kill one in a movie or see one killed in a movie, because I’m not paying to see real death.”

    Not surprisingly, many people on the internet decided to make jokes about Tarantino's real-life morals vs. his on-film morals:

    Twitter: @noivaswright

    Twitter: @17xkc

    Twitter: @aeritaas

    Twitter: @Juliephillia

    Twitter: @sw_tnn

    Twitter: @diandrasdiandra

    Twitter: @marysa_02

    Twitter: @whiteb0ycrl

    Twitter: @HardFactorNews

    Twitter: @cutienataliaa

    Anyways, considering that Tarantino makes scenes that could sometimes pass as true crime, I'm glad to hear the animals and insects are okay.

    Butterly and honey bee marked safe from Quentin Tarantino
    Medianews Group / MediaNews Group via Getty Images