STONE OLIVER, by Salewicz

Oliver stone is one of the most charismatic, unpredictable and talented writer/directors to emerge in the last twenty years. Applauded for Platoon and derided for Natural Born Killers his individual and uncompromising style sets him apart. He has had great critical acclaim and received a cabinet of Oscars for such films as Platoon, Wall Street and Born On The 4th of July. Equally he has attracted the opprobrium of the press and his piers with films such as Natural Born Killers and The Hand. Whatever the reaction to movies few would argue that he is one of the most talented and individual filmmakers to have emerged in the last twenty years. His directing style is blunt and perfectionist, but his style on screen is very much tailored to the subject matter and the script. Unlike Ridley Scott for example it is difficult to characterise the look of a Stone movie. So what is it that makes Stone tick? What makes him take on a movie? How does Stone approach the script and decide he what he wants up there on the screen? Chris Salewicz spent two months talking with Oliver Stone getting the inside stories of the making of his movies.