British writer-director Terry Gilliam has criticised the #MeToo movement calling it a “witch hunt” and has expressed his displeasure over white men being blamed for “everything wrong with the world”.
In an interview with Independent, the veteran director said that a lot of men have been “hammered” by sex abuse complaints.
“#MeToo is a witch hunt. I really feel there were a lot of people, decent people, or mildly irritating people, who were getting hammered. That’s wrong. I don’t like mob mentality,” Gilliam said.
Talking about disgraced Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein, who goes on trial next week in Manhattan on sex-crime charges, the Oscar-nominated filmmaker said, “When you have power, you don’t take responsibility for abusing others. You enjoy the power. That’s the way it works in reality.” Gilliam said he feels sympathetic towards Weinstein’s victims, but believes some of them made a choice.
“These were ambitious adults … There are many victims in Harvey’s life, and I feel sympathy for them, but then, Hollywood is full of very ambitious people who are adults and they make choices.
“… I understand that men have had more power longer, but I’m tired, as a white male, of being blamed for everything that is wrong with the world. I didn’t do it,” he said.
Gilliam’s latest film is The Man Who Killed Don Quixote, featuring Adam Driver in lead role. (PTI)
