Oliver Stone courts controversy. The politically outspoken filmmaker hasn’t been shy in the lead up to this week’s election about his feelings towards the US government, surveillance and the growing threat of cyber warfare. At the press conference for the Mexican premiere of Snowden, for which Collider was in attendnace, these issues came to a head when a press member asked him about his feelings on Donald Trump’s election.
“Everybody is so terrified of Trump” Stone said, “They've said it all over Europe and everywhere I've heard this story. What's going to happen? It might not be quite as dramatic as that. It'll probably be more conservative. There's a lot of restraint being practiced on him. You also have the media already telling him what to do... I certainly think in some areas we can look optimistically - that he's a smart man and he doesn't want war.”
“I was worried very much the administration under Hillary Clinton was leading towards a neoconservative approach to Russia and to China and to Iran. Looking for proxy spots to put pressure on especially in Syria. That would have led to a very difficult situation because I don't think the Russians are going to back down on Syria or much less on their own country. I think Hillary Clinton's endgame was a regime change in Russia and then a regime change in China… So with Trump, I hope, because he's a businessman, he has the good sense [to] make a deal with Russia and then with China. I think that'd be better for everybody than this current situation of uncertainty and cyber warfare. [On the other hand], he was the man that called for the execution of Edward Snowden and more surveillance. So I'm confused as many people are. I'm not sure what's going to happen but let's hope he's a good businessman at this time.”
Stone then stressed the implications of the US government’s illegal reach over its citizens and the world at large. Per Stone: “The United States has achieved total dominance of both cyber space, sea, land, air… There's no reason for this. And there's no law that allows it. Snowden would say if you're talking about surveillance, make it targeted surveillance. That's the way you catch terrorists... There's no reason to listen in on everybody. The only reason it exists is for global and social control of societies.”
“It's a dangerous world because one country is telling everybody what to do except they can't tell Russia, China, Iran or North Korea. That's the only exception to the rule. Let's hope for a balance of power and allow other countries to be who they are. That's my big point I'm trying to make... We're at the edge of war. A real World War III and Mrs. Clinton was charging -- more pressure. What's worse? I don't know. It can only get better because I don't think Trump's stupid and wants World War III. I don't think the United States military wants World War III… We forget sometimes the danger of nuclear war... Can you imagine the bombs we have between Russia and the United States? They'll ruin the planet. It's over. So the only important thing is war. Avoid war. We have to talk peace. We have to have treaties. We got to get off this war path we're on. That's what scares me and what should scare you.”
Of course this wasn’t quite enough of an answer – another press member later pushing Stone for some sort of admonishment on Trump: “Don’t you think a Trump presidency is a threat to your country and the rest of the world?”
“I just answered the question” Stone sighed, “I don't want to go into it again. I tried to make the point of look at where we are now. Talk about threat… You don't understand the threat we are posing as a country. You're not really paying attention to what I was saying about where Clinton was at. So what could be worse? We'll see. Stop getting hysterical about something that's three or four months away. You understand what I'm saying. I don't feel like you understood a word of what I said. I feel like I'm talking into the wind.”
Snowden will be released on DVD and Blu-ray December 27th
The Los Cabos International Film Festival runs from November 9th – 13th
