Robert Richardson on Stone's Wildest Shoots at Karlovy Vary
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- Robert Richardson premiered the documentary "The White Devil," directed by Czech filmmaker Jana Hojdová, at Karlovy Vary on July 4 weekend — a project that began as Hojdová's 2016 spec letter inviting herself to profile the cinematographer.
- Hojdová ended up stranded at Richardson's home during COVID lockdown because she couldn't fly home, and Richardson says her relentless archival digging and old 16mm/Super 8 projection sessions turned a houseguest into a decade-long collaboration.
- Richardson recounted how he nearly walked off "Natural Born Killers" after his wife demanded he quit, triggered by a comment Oliver Stone's wife relayed about her nearly dying in childbirth — Stone allegedly saying he'd "have no problem getting another wife."
- Richardson called "Natural Born Killers" too crazy and "over the edge," and noted that Tarantino has never watched the film because he sold the script and wishes he hadn't — yet Richardson says animation and genre elements from that shoot resurfaced in "Kill Bill."
- Richardson recalled eating mushrooms while scouting the tripping sequence for "The Doors" while Oliver Stone stayed "completely straight," and said he once took six tabs of acid at once but never became a "slave to it."
- Martin Scorsese once rejected Richardson for "Cape Fear," telling him he wanted someone "more old school" — a snub that preceded Richardson's eventual three Oscar wins with Scorsese, Stone, and Tarantino.
- Tarantino told the documentary that Richardson's attitude had to change before they'd work together again; Richardson, 70, says he doesn't know what Tarantino is referring to, but adds he's still shooting with the same key grip and gaffer he's used for 30 years.
Why it matters: Richardson, at 70 and one of the most decorated cinematographers alive, is using the Karlovy Vary premiere to air career-spanning grievances and behind-the-scenes drama — including Tarantino never watching Natural Born Killers and Richardson's near-departure from it over a personal clash with Stone. The documentary reframes landmark films not just as creative products but as sites of volatile personal conflict, and Richardson's openness about his past acid and mushroom use signals a rare unfiltered phase from a craftsman long protected by auteur mystique.
