Oliver Stone, the three-time Academy Award-winning writer-director of such films as "Platoon" and "JFK," will come to the College January 24 to receive the Dartmouth Film Award in Spaulding Auditorium.
The controversial filmmaker is known for his hard-hitting style and strong political views by both his fans and critics.
Film Society Director Marc McDonald '96 said that Stone is "a guy that everyone has a strong opinion about." McDonald said he hopes the Film Society will be able to set up microphones in the audience so students can ask Stone questions during one portion of the tribute.
So far, the tribute will consist of an hour long selection of clips from his many films and an on-stage interview conducted by English Professor Donald Pease, who once taught a class on Stone's films.
Pease said he is looking forward to interviewing the opinionated director. "I intend to ask him the strong questions," Pease said. "After all, this is the man that gave us 'JFK.'"
Few films have spawned as much discussion as Stone's "JFK." Some critics praised the movie as mesmerizing for the way it combined fictional drama, recreations and actual documentary footage into a three-hour argument for conspiracy in the Kennedy assassination.
The film's detractors, however, questioned its glorification of Kevin Costner's character, District Attorney Jim Garrison -- seen by some as a loose cannon -- and found it difficult to draw the line between what was fact and what was Stone's own opinion.
Regardless, the film became a focal point for new discussion about the Kennedy assassination and the classified reports of the Warren Commission.
Stone first gained attention with the release of "Platoon," described by many as the first Vietnam War film which truly captured the terror and insolence of the war. Stone experienced the war first hand when he volunteered for the service, winning a bronze star and a purple heart during his tour.
"Platoon" won Stone an Academy Award -- his second -- for best direction. He also garnered an Oscar in 1978 with his screenplay for the Turkish-prison drama "Midnight Express." In 1989, Stone took home his third Oscar for directing "Born on the 4th of July," the second film in his Vietnam trilogy.
Stone completed the trilogy in 1993 with "Heaven and Earth," a mildly well-received look at the impact the war had on a Vietnamese woman and her transition to life in America.
In 1994, Stone took on the media and America's addiction to it with "Natural Born Killers," which was intended as a satire of how violence is glorified in the media.
While some believed his dark, violent film achieved this, others claimed the film's over-the-top violence and kinetic, jolting style simply fed into the frenzy.
Stone's other films include: "Salvador," "Wall Street," "The Doors" and "Nixon." He is also active as a producer, having played a role in bringing "Reversal of Fortune," "The Joy Luck Club" and "The People vs. Larry Flynt" to the screen.
His first book, "A Child's Night Dream," was recently released as well.
Stone's most recent film, the ill-received "U-Turn," was his first attempt since the forgettable horror movies of his early career to make a strictly commercial film without a political agenda. The darkly comic tale of a drifter (Sean Penn) in a deranged western town quickly left theaters and did little to change the common impression that Stone has little to no sense of humor.
"U-Turn" premiered at the Telluride Film Festival, which is also run by Bill Pence, director of film at the Hopkins Center. Pence met Stone through Telluride and convinced him to come to Dartmouth for the award.
The Dartmouth Film Award, according to McDonald, is given to those who have made "considerable contributions, generally life-long contributions in film." Past recipients include Robert Redford, Glenn Close, Stephen Frears, Johnny Depp and most recently Meryl Streep.
Tickets for this year's tribute will go on sale this Friday at the Hopkins Box Office. General admission is $6; $2 with a Film Society pass.
