Jane Campion is clapping back after actor Sam Elliott described her Oscar-nominated western “The Power of the Dog” as a “piece of s**t.”
Elliott, who’s appeared in his fair share of westerns over the years, trashed “The Power of the Dog” during an appearance on Marc Maron’s “WTF” podcast last month.
“They’re all running around in chaps and no shirts. There’s all these allusions to homosexuality throughout the f**king movie,” Elliott said, comparing the male cowboys in the film to Chippendales dancers.
READ MORE: ‘F***, No’: Sam Elliott Did Not Enjoy ‘Piece Of S***’ Oscar-Nominated Film ‘The Power Of The Dog’
“Well, what the f**k does this woman — she’s a brilliant director, by the way, I love her work, previous work — but what the f**k does this woman from down there, New Zealand, know about the American West?” he continued. “And why in the f**k does she shoot this movie in New Zealand and call it Montana and say, ‘This is the way it was?'”
Campion responded to Elliott’s comments while speaking with journalists ahead of Saturday night’s DGA Awards.
“I think it’s really unfortunate and sad for him because he’s really hit the trifecta of misogyny and xenophobia and homophobia. I don’t like that. I think he was being a little bit of a b-i-t-c-h. Plus he’s not a cowboy, he’s an actor,” Campion told Deadline.
“When [Elliott] gets out of hair and makeup, I’ll meet him down at the OK Corral on the set with Doctor Strange, and we will shoot it out,” she joked.
Campion reiterated her comments for Variety. The West is a mythic space and there’s a lot of room on the range,” she said. “I think it’s a little bit sexist.”
Jane Campion responds to Sam Elliott's #ThePowerOfTheDog comments: "I'm sorry, he was being a little bit of a B-I-T-C-H. He's not a cowboy; he's an actor. The West is a mythic space and there's a lot of room on the range. I think it's a little bit sexist." https://t.co/I32wQ8lCiF pic.twitter.com/Tftq4AoXCy
— Variety (@Variety) March 13, 2022
Also commenting on Elliott’s remarks is “The Power of the Dog” star (and Best Supporting Actor nominee) Jesse Plemons. Speaking with The Hollywood Reporter said that Elliott’s words made him laugh.
READ MORE: Kodi Smit-McPhee Reacts To Sam Elliott’s ‘Power Of The Dog’ Criticism: ‘Good Luck To Him’
“I don’t know why I reacted this way, but — I’m not going to say it made me happy, but it made me laugh. I don’t know,” Plemons said.
“People can have their own opinions about something,” he added. “I know there are different layers to that … but not everyone has to like it.”
