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.
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.
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."
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."
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.
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.
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.