FOLKS -- MY NEXT GUEST IS AN ACADEMY
AWARD WINNING FILMMAKER KNOWN FOR "PLATOON," "WALL
STREET," AND "J.F.K."-- FOR HIS NEW DOCUMENTARY, HE SPENT OVER
20 HOURS INTERVIEWING VLADIMIR PUTIN.
>> YOU DO REALIZE HOW POWERFUL YOUR ANSWER COULD BE IF YOU SAID
SUDDENLY THAT YOU PREFERRED X CANDIDATE, HE WOULD GO LIKE THAT
TOMORROW, AND IF YOU SAY YOU DIDN'T LIKE TRUMP OR SOMETHING,
RIGHT, WHAT WOULD HAPPEN?
HE WOULD WIN, RIGHT?
YOU HAVE THAT AMOUNT OF POWER IN THE U.S.
>> THAT IS ONE OF THE PRINCIPLES.
>> THANK YOU, SIR.
WE'LL SEE YOU TOMORROW.
TALK ABOUT SOME HEAVIER STUFF.
>> Stephen: PLEASE WELCOME OLIVER STONE.
( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ) >> Stephen: HEY!
GLAD TO SEE YOU!
( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ) >> Stephen: WELCOME BACK.
NOT TOO LONG AGO.
>> Stephen: WE'VE TALKED A FEW TIMES OVER THE YEARS.
>> Stephen: LAST TIME WE WERE HERE, ABOUT THREE-QUARTERS OF
THE WAY THROUGH THE INTERVIEW, I ASKED YOU A QUESTION AND YOU
SAID THAT'S COMPLEX, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU WANT TO GET
PHILOSOPHICAL.
I DO WANT TO TALK PHILOSOPHICAL.
I WANT TO TALK ABOUT WHAT'S TRUTH AND WHAT WE CAN
UNDERSTAND, SO LET'S TALK ABOUT VLADIMIR PUTIN.
YOU SPENT 20 HOURS WITH THIS GUY AND PEOPLE SAY YOU'RE GETTING
TOO COZY.
WHAT DO YOU SAY TO PEOPLE WHO SAY YOURS IS A FAWNING INTERVIEW
OF A BRUTAL DICTATOR?
>> YOU HAVE TO BE POLITE BECAUSE IT WAS A TWO-YEAR DEAL AND I WAS
WITH HIM NUMEROUS TIMES, CATCHING UP WITH HIM. HE HAS A
BUSY SCHEDULE.
HE WORKS 12 HOUR DAYS FOR ALMOST 16 YEARS NOW.
IT'S POLITENESS, CURIOSITY AND IT'S THE WAY YOU ASK THE
QUESTIONS.
HE RESPECTED ME AND MY WORK AND KNEW I WOULD GIVE HIM A FAIR
HEARING AND WOULDN'T BE COPPED INTO PIECES.
>> Stephen: THE 40 SECONDS OR MINUTE YOU SAW WHERE YOU ASKED
HIM ABOUT INTERFERING IN ELECTIONS AND HE SAID THIS IS
SOMETHING WE DON'T DO, IS YOUR RESPONSE, WHAT HAPPENED IN THAT
MOMENT, IS THIS CONTIGUOUS TIME.
>> I TOOK THAT AT FACE VALUE.
THIS IS IMPORTANT FOR HIM AND HE KEEPS INSISTING ON IT.
>> Stephen: NO FOLLOW UP ON THAT QUESTION.
IT SEEMS LIKE AN OPPORTUNITY FOR HIM TO MERELY PROPAGANDIZE.
>> IN THE FOURTH HOUR, WE WENT ON.
I PRESSED HUM ON THE ELECTION COMING UP FOR HIM IN 2018, AND I
ALSO PRESSED HIM ON THE THIS ISSUE OF MR. TRUMP, THE WHOLE
HACKING THING AND CYBERWARFARE.
THE CYBER WARFARE IS VERY COMPLEX.
I DON'T TAKE IT LIGHTLY.
>> Stephen: AFTER SPENDING 20 HOURS WITH THE GUY, DO YOU TRUST
HIM?
>> I THINK YOU SHOULD SEE THE FILM FOR YOURSELF.
>> Stephen: I'M ASKING YOU A QUESTION, DO YOU TRUST HIM AFTER
SPENDING 20 HOURS WITH HIM?
>> HE'S THE HEAD OF STATE AND HAS HIS OWN INTERESTS OF RUSSIA
AT MIND.
I RESPECT HIM FOR THAT.
I UNDERSTAND WHY HE DOES IT.
HE'S A STRONG NATIONALIST.
HE WENT THROUGH A HISTORY OF 16 YEARS SINCE 2000 TILL NOW
OUTLINING WHAT ARE THE RELATIONSHIP WITH THE U.S. HAS
BEEN.
I'VE NEVER HEARD HIM BAD MOUTH THE U.S.
I HEARD HIM TRY TO REACH OUT AND HAVE A RELATIONSHIP WITH THEM.
HE CALLED THEM OUR PARTNERS REPEATEDLY.
I ALMOST MADE FUN OF IT AT SOME POINT BECAUSE IT DOESN'T SEEM
THE PARTNERSHIP IS WORKING BOTH WAYS.
HE WANTS STILL A PARTNERSHIP.
THERE IS A STRONG FEELING THAT HE CAN STILL HAVE A RELATIONSHIP
WITH THE U.S.
THAT I DID NOT -- I FELT VERY GENUINE ABOUT THAT.
>> Stephen: WHEN I WATCH THIS DOCUMENTARY WHICH I WILL DO,
WHAT WILL SURPRISE ME MOST IN THE FOUR HOURS AT THE I SEE?
ABOUT HIM.
>> THERE IS A TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF INFORMATION AND A LOT OF IT
FOR THE FIRST TIME WE HAVEN'T HEARD.
I CAN'T TELL YOU HOW YOU THINK.
I THINK HE'S DEVOTED TO HIS COUNTRY, AND I'M AMAZED AT HIS
CALMNESS, HIS COURTESY.
HE NEVER REALLY SAID ANYTHING -- BAD MOUTH ANYBODY.
HE'S BEEN THROUGH A LOT.
HE'S BEEN INSULTED AND ABUSED.
I DIDN'T SENSE ANY KIND OF -- ABUSED IN THE PRESS, IN THE
MEDIA.
( AUDIENCE REACTS ) I DIDN'T SENSE ANY KIND OF ANGER
ABOUT THAT.
>> Stephen: ANYTHING ABOUT HIM NEGATIVE YOU -- YOU FOUND?
( LAUGHTER ) ( APPLAUSE )
ANYTHING?
OR DOES HE HAVE YOUR DOG IN A CAGE SOMEPLACE?
( LAUGHTER ) >> WHAT IS WRONG WITH RUSSIA?
WHY WOULD YOU BE AGAINST IT?
I DON'T UNDERSTAND THIS MENTALITY OF -- MAYBE IT'S
BECAUSE YOU HATE TRUMP.
>> Stephen: HATE'S A STRONG WORD.
>> IT IS A STRONG WORD.
>> Stephen: I DON'T TRUST HIM.
YOU DON'T TRUST HIM.
SO, THEREFORE, RUSSIA IS CONVENIENT --
>> Stephen: I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY OUR PRESIDENT WILL NEVER SAY
ANYTHING NEGATIVE ABOUT VLADIMIR PUTIN GIVEN THAT PUTIN IS AN
OPPRESS YOU'VE LEADER OF HIS COUNTRY WHO SUPPRESSES THE FREE
PRESS AND ARRESTS HIS ENEMIES.
( APPLAUSE ) THAT'S NOT SOMETHING THAT I AS
AN AMERICAN OR MEMBER OF THE PRESS CAN RESPECT.
AND I'M SURPRISED THAT YOU DO RESPECT THAT.
>> WELL YOU KNOW I'VE ALWAYSBURN FOR FREE SPEECH.
>> Stephen: YES, HE DOESN'T SEEM LIKE H HE WOULD BE A HERO
OF THAT.
>> LISTEN, NO QUESTION, HE'S A SOCIAL CONSERVATIVE.
IN THAT WAY, HE BELIEVES THAT -- ( LAUGHTER )
I DON'T KNOW WHY YOU'RE LAUGHING, BUT --
>> Stephen: BECAUSE IT SEEMS LIKE A MILD DESCRIPTION, THAT'S
WHY THEY'RE LAUGHING.
I WANT YOU TO BE ABLE TO GET OUT WATT YOU WANT TO SAY HERE,
BUT -- >> WELL, WHAT I SAID IS IN THIS
FOUR-HOUR DOCUMENTARY.
IF YOU WATCH IT PATIENTLY, I THINK IT'S DEVELOPED, IT'S A
FILM THAT HAS A FLOW FROM 2000 TO 2016, '17, IT HAS A LOT OF
WORK IN UT.
WE WENT BACK AFTER THE ERECTION TO TALK TO HIM SERIOUSLY ABOUT
THE ELECTION.
IT'S ALL DONE IN THAT VEIN AND EVERYTHING IS ABOVE BOARD.
THESE THINGS WHERE -- HAS HE MURDERED A MAN?
I WOULDN'T KNOW HOW TO ASK HIM THAT QUESTION.
I LOOKED AT THE EVIDENCE, TOO, AND IF I BELIEVED IT, I WOULD GO
AFTER IT.
>> Stephen: THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING HERE, MR. STONE.
THE PUTIN INTERVIEWS A FOUR-PART SERIES AIRS THIS WEEKEND ON SHOW
"TIME" ALONG WITH A COMPANION BOOK.
OLIVER STONE, EVERYBODY!
WE'LL BE RIGHT BACK!