Three-time Academy Award-winning writer-director Oliver Stone added the Dartmouth Film Award to his list of accomplishments on Saturday night.
The director of "Platoon," "JFK" and "Natural Born Killers" received a tribute and the award at the Hopkins Center.
Director of film for the Hopkins Center Bill Pence introduced Stone as one of the most influential filmmakers of our time. He also made the point that because of the controversy Stone's films spark, his brilliant craftmanship is rarely discussed.
Pence also praised his good friend Stone as a nurturer of young talent, responsible for the careers of Barbet Schroeder ("Reversal of Fortune"), Wayne Wang ("The Joy Luck Club") and others.
Pence then introduced an hour's worth of clips after which Stone took the stage.
Visibly affected by the standing ovation, Stone could not muster much to say in thanks of his award.
Reportedly because he was crying, Stone left the stage but quickly returned and sat down for an interview with English Professor Donald E. Pease.
Stone was clearly out of it at first -- possibly due to having just flown in from Europe -- and did everything but answer Pease's questions, referring to them as "hard" and "complex."
But Stone eventually came to and was more than lively when it came time for students to ask the questions.
Except for jokingly calling one student "a little fascist," Stone was fairly amiable in answering their questions.
In response to how there are so many bad movies being made, Stone described films today as marketing machines.
He went on to slam Disney chairman Michael Eisner and jokingly referred to "Titanic" as "The Lusitania."
In describing how he works with actors, Stone said that he first watches all their previous films, then, if he notices them falling into any of their old, "comfortable" acting patterns on his set, he makes a point to tell them so.
When asked if "Natural Born Killers" glorified violence, Stone said that the word glorify is "subjective." He felt that if someone left the film thinking violence was cool, they probably had some problems.
At a post-tribute private reception with students and administrators, Stone was more than happy to talk to the hordes of students who surrounded him.
After the reception, Stone stopped in on a party at Alpha Delta fraternity, to see the original "Animal House and mingle with the student body.
