Tarantino Weighs in on 'Rust' Set Tragedy, Partly Blames Baldwin

Quentin Tarantino speaks on the 'Rust' film set tragedy, asserting Alec Baldwin is partially to blame. He claims the armorer holds majority responsibility. Tarantino emphasizes actors must understand gun safety. Baldwin's trial was dismissed, while the armorer serves an 18-month sentence. Maher questions using fake guns in films.

Renowned filmmaker Quentin Tarantino has spoken out about the tragic incident on the 'Rust' film set, attributing partial blame to actor Alec Baldwin, as reported by Deadline. The 2021 shooting saw Baldwin handling a pistol loaded with live ammunition that injured director Joel Souza and claimed the life of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins.

Speaking on the Club Random podcast, Tarantino stated, "It's a situation I think I am being fair enough to say that the armorer, the guy who hands him the gun, is 90 percent responsible for everything that happens when it comes to that gun. But the actor is 10 percent responsible." He emphasized that actors share a degree of responsibility when firearms are involved in filming, advocating for thorough walkthroughs to ensure familiarity with the weapons.

He added that if Baldwin had followed necessary safety procedures, the mishap might have been avoided. Meanwhile, Baldwin's involuntary manslaughter trial was dismissed last month due to evidence mishandling. Armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed is currently serving an 18-month prison sentence for involuntary manslaughter.

Host Bill Maher questioned the necessity of real guns on set, suggesting post-production alternatives. Tarantino countered, "I guess I can add digital erections to porno movies, but who wants to fu***** watch that? It's exciting to shoot the blanks and to see the orange, the real orange fire, not add orange fire."

Tarantino also noted that despite the frequent use of firearms in movies, the industry has only seen two major incidents: the 'Rust' shooting and the 'Crow' film incident that resulted in Brandon Lee's death, as reported by Deadline.

(With inputs from agencies.)