20 June 2023

Oliver Stone thinks Vladimir Putin is a “very refined individual”.

Oliver Stone interviewed the Russian president for a TV series

The 76-year-old film director interviewed the president of Russia for a four-part, four-hour TV series in 2017, and he’s suggested that Putin, 70, has been treated unfairly in the English-speaking world.

He told The Independent: “We were the first English-speaking series to actually let [Putin] speak in his own voice.

“If you look at the American things they do on him, it’s always dubbed like bad Italian cinema from the 1950s. They get an actor who does his voice as a gruff, growly Russian bear, which he’s not – he’s the opposite. A very refined individual who speaks quietly, reasonably.”

The director was widely criticised for filming the series with the Russian president.

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However, he doesn’t regret making the series.

He said: “At that time, Putin was the so-called enemy. And our theory was, ‘Let’s know the enemy.’”

Earlier this year, Stone described Putin as a “great leader for his country”.

The acclaimed filmmaker claimed that Putin – who launched an invasion for Ukraine in 2022 – is “loved by the people” of Russia.

He told The Guardian: “I think Russia is doing a great job with nuclear energy. China is also a leader in that field, although I never was able to penetrate into China, which was a shame for the movie – I wish we had. But Putin is a great leader for his country and the people love him.”

Stone also suggested that he’s able to put his personal feelings to one side in order to explore “the truth”.

The director – who previously interviewed former Cuban leader Fidel Castro – said: “The truth matters to me and we’re digging for the truth.”