1. "Did You Know Your Ancestors Were...?"
This scene from True Romance between Dennis Hopper and Christopher Walken is my favorite Tarantino moment and perhaps even one of my favorite cinematic moments ever. Sure, he didn't direct the thing, but these are his words, are they not? Many people misconstrued the scene as racist and as having no value save for the pleasure of watching two cinematic greats verbally duke it out. But, let's break it down for all those who don't understand. When Vincenzo (Christopher Walken) comes to see Clarence's father (Dennis Hopper), Cliff (Clarence's dad) is smart enough to know how it will all play out. Either he will get tortured and reveal where his son is to this ruthless killer or he will sacrifice himself and force the man to kill him first so Clarence is never found. He makes a conscious decision to die for his son. And Dennis Hopper conveys all of this without words! So, after recognizing what kind of man Vincenzo is, a ruthless, misogynistic, racist scumbag who only cares about himself and his image, Cliff plays on that by describing the history of Vincenzo's family and telling him exactly where and whom he came from. He knows it will get him killed. He knows by pushing certain buttons, it is the only way he will get killed. He offends in a way that only a criminal would mind. The scene needs to be watched to be understood. Once it's scene, it'll go without saying why it is controversial, just not always mentioned since Tarantino technically only wrote the film. But, breaking the scene down to its fundamentals should also tell you that people like Tarantino add up to more than the controversy they inspire. They should be judged not by who they offend, but by the lasting impact and meaning of their work. Tarantino's films speak for themselves on this front.
Which controversial Tarantino scenes have we missed? Let us know in the comments section below.