Quentin Tarantino is refusing to bow to the pressure of criticism when it comes to the use of the ‘N’ word in his latest movie Django Unchained. The movie, as MTV comment, “does not shy away from showing the horrors of slavery” and Tarantino has defended the use of the word, stating that it’s an accurate representation of how his characters would have talked at the time.

“I think it's kind of ridiculous, because no one can actually say with a straight face that we use the word more than it was used in 1858 in Mississippi,” argued the director, who is no stranger to controversy. “So since they can't say that, what they're basically [saying] is I should lie. I should pretty it up. I should lie, and I don't lie when it comes to my characters and the stories I tell." Much of the controversy seems to have stemmed from The Drudge Report, who posted an image of Tarantino on its pages last week, with the N-word written beneath it 7 times. Quentin was nonplussed, though, saying “Well, it's just ridiculous… I can't really take it seriously. Again, consider the source, the Drudge Report. They're going to say anything that's going to offend me, bother me. They are who they are.”

Regardless of any negative press, the movie is still benefitting from rave reviews. Its aggregate score on the Rotten Tomatoes review site currently stands at 98%, having been at 100% for some time. It’s released on January 18, 2012.