>> i've got to get to work. >> i can drive you. i feel fine. >> as racy as ever. >> i don't think you can say this on prime-time cnn. we're just going to have to have a sort of slew of bleeps. >> let me apologize. >> tonight, the one thing you never thought you'd see him go. >> she said, you okay with talking about it? i said sure. >> this is "piers morgan tonight." good evening. our big story tonight. oliver stone. on his first oscar more than 30 years ago for "midnight express." churning out hits ever since. "platoon." "born on the fourth of july." "jfk." and "wall street." opinionated on everything. i'm pretty sure he'll have some tough answers. oliver stone. >> hello, piers. >> welcome. i'm very excited. i've been a huge fan of yours for a long time. i don't normally say that. it's a very american thing to say that. we're british. we tend to hide our feelings. i love the provocative undercurrent towards them. i love the fact you in your own life are as provocative. you don't really take prisoners, do you? >> no, i try to be a politician. i try to be a diplomat. i try to do -- i don't want to offend people. i certainly don't look for fights. because you know what they end up in. it isn't pretty it so what i am interested in is curious about the truth. i go for it. i don't want to run away from what i know. so if someone says, you know, if you want to lead with a question and you say, i can't run from the truth, maybe i can phrase it better. >> if you google your name, almost everything that comes up on the first page involves the word "controversial." >> not really but that is a little bit exaggerated. i think there is a body of work that stands up. the controversial thing -- >> do you mind that? >> yes, i do. it comes and goes. it doesn't mean anything. it's the long-term implications. my work is i think good. and i think you go back and you look at that film, that second and third time a few years later. you might have a -- i don't know why everybody got so upset about that silly thing. that was the headline. the truth is there's a movie with a dramatic core. great characters. it's fun. >> fascinated by your early life. your parents. very different, your father and mother. but you said about both of them slightly mad. slightly crazy. which you've clearly inherited. although you say you're calming down. they were divorced early on. you've been divorced twice likened the movies to a divorce process. >> very clever of you to go there. i'd much rather talk about the beautiful blake lively for -- >> beautiful blake lively. i'm try to get to what makes you -- >> my own life is i haven't hidden it. i've been to -- you know, i've written about it. talked about it. my parents were extremely colorful people. dramatic, strong. my mom still alive today and probably watching. so, you know. but it was a wonderful story. and -- but it really did hurt because at 14 years old, you go off to a boarding school. you're english, you know. you disappear. you lose because you're the only child. the family does separate. traumatic. wasn't long before i was in vietnam. merchant marines. all these things. i do miss the family life. i'm trying to reconstitute one to some degree. >> what is your relationship like with your mother now? she's in her 90s, right? >> that's right. >> has been your biggest fan and critic over the years? >> she thinks so. put it this way, i have an interesting relationship and ongoing one. it's contrary. there are many difficulties. as there are. i'm sure you know what i'm talking about. families are difficult. >> what do you think you've got from your parents, from both of them? let's accentuate the positives. what are the stuff you really think, thank you, i got that stuff from you? >> the good stuff. >> yeah. >> from mom, i got a great sense of love. emotion. affection. universal forgiveness. my dad, i would say -- a sober intelligence. a sense of looking at things and not falling into the fashion of the time. but thinking for yourself as much as possible. >> hard-working, independent, passionate, creative and slightly crazy. this is of course what everyone who's ever worked with you says. >> that's nice. >> i think they mean all of them as positives. >> i think that -- i haven't been around -- i've been around for these 19 movies. i've collaborated with a lot of people. i've worked for the most part 90% of them well. it's been a rich life. people have brought enormous things to me because i've been open to them, not closed. >> which of all the actors you've worked with has been the best? >> kevin costner's as different from anthony hopkins as night to day. they're both extraordinary to work with. tom cruise is as different from colin farrell as night to day but i enjoyed both enormously. >> charlie sheen. >> charlie sheen was a young man when i worked with him on two films. on both films, he was quite different. you saw -- i felt he was that dreamy quality in "platoon" that i loved. when we got to "wall street" it became more cosmo poll continue definitely. >> when he had his sort of mad period last year, i know you're no longer that close to him, but what did you feel, looking at this guy who you worked with so closely before? >> lost track of charlie in the mid-'80s. >> i think he lost track of charlie in the mid-'80s. >> but i did see him about four months ago, three months ago, on a reunion of "platoon." he was delightful to everybody. he remembered everything. and we went into -- we laughed about some of the incidents in the forest. >> who could outparty who, you or charlie? your peak. >> at my peak? we had fun in new york. i have to say. charlie though -- but no, colin farrell can outparty all of us. >> this is what i've heard. >> in the old days. charlie too. >> all of you at your peak, who would be the greatest guest you'd have to a party? >> robert downey was pretty wild. and so was juliette lewis and woody harrelson, tom sizemore. tommy lee jones. they're fun. and you know what, it's great to party with them. most of them are fun. i mean, they were good drunks. >> let's turn to "savages." let's watch a clip from "savages" first. >> welcome to the recession, boys. you should be grateful you still have a product people want. >> so you don't mind if your envelope gets a little thinner then? >> oh, you guys, you guys, you know, you have a clean business. there's no problems. but there aren't no ben and shawn without dennis so my envelope stays the same. >> it's a fascinating film. not known what to expect. great acting in it. great theme these two kind of hippie character brothers. but they build this amazing -- it's the nice end of the drug industry, isn't it? then they collide with the nasty end. which is the really vile drug barron end. it all goes horribly wrong. you've been no stranger to drugs. you've spoken very vocally about it. what was your purpose of making the movie? what do you hope to achieve? all your movies have a purpose. >> it's pretty hard-edged. it's like writing a book. i think i made the movie because it was different. you didn't know what was going to happen next. it's a wild ride. you don't -- it's an improbable situation because we don't know anything about the present day contemporary marijuana industry. in california, it's legal. so these growers are growing it semi illegally. they're selling it out of state but they're also selling it in state, which is legal. of course the cartel. hypothetical fiction. wants to move in like a walmart would move in on a niche business and take it over. learn their techniques. >> you've been to south america a lot. you've been very outspoken about the way mexico has treated the drug war. what is the simplistic answer do you think? >> this war on drugs got bigger since 1970 when nixon declared it. it's gotten huge. >> it hasn't worked, has it? >> and the mexican economy would die without it because they need the money. it goes into their legitimate economy. it's bigger than tourism. it's bigger than oil. it's bigger than remissions from their mexican immigrants back to their country. it's huge in this country. >> given the importance to a country like mexico's economy through this back economy, what do you do? >> if you declared -- if there were no war on drugs, the mexican economy would have to -- would dry up. i don't know. even the banks would dry up. it couldn't happen overnight. you'd have to move in a direction to decriminalize it first of all. because in america we're suffering greatly. not only do we have a huge dea with a huge budget. homeland security's involved. we have, you know, we've militarized the war on drugs. we've made enemies. we've made them into narco states almost. as a result our prisons too. 50% of our prison system in america is victimless crimes. people who have never hurt anybody. they're in for marijuana and various charges. that have nothing to do with punishment. it's a medical issue. and i think we have to move to decriminalization and legalization. >> let's take a break. come back and talk a bit more about "savages" and also about politics. maybe a dash of religion. >> mention the film. >> i started with the film. i said "savages" first. then i got to [ bleep ] ♪ why not try someplace different every morning? 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(push button tone) this is stacy from springfield. oh woah. hello? yes. i didn't realize i'd be talking to an actual person. you don't need to press "0" i'm here. reach a person, not a prompt whenever you call chase sapphire. greed works. greed clarifies, cuts through and captures the essence of the evolutionary spirit. greed in all of its forms. greed for life. for money. for love. knowledge. has marked the upward surge of mankind. and greed -- you mark my words -- will not only save teldar paper but that other malfunctioning corporation called the usa. >> his role as a quintessential corporate raider gordon gekko. do you ever wish you hadn't done that particular scene, the "greed is good" scene? >> no, i love it, it's powerful. the movie works. it still does. it set up what's going on in our capitalism right now. >> when you saw what unfolded, the greed is good, a lot of people took it at face value? >> you know, the movie -- the vietnam movies too. doesn't necessarily mean there's going to be a change in society. what happened is of course i couldn't believe it when i went back to do "wall street money never sleeps." the numbers were a huge amount back then. then became billions of dollars. these corporations were wheeling and dealing without the ownership issue. the banks were doing what gekko was doing in the 80s. that's what happened. that's what's amazing. they became the buccaneers. >> who stopped them? >> the crash stopped them. >> nobody went to jail. >> there are some laws that are being enacted. think they're important. >> are they effective? >> some are, yeah. it depends how they enact it. definitely they would help. the problem is we are in another place. now, like in the war on drugs, it's the same thing. we've gotten it to such a huge amount, no one can quite figure out how to stop the hurricane. >> when you see your country $16 trillion in debt and everyone squabbling over what most people say is an insubstantial solution, what do you think? >> i think that's a pretty easy headline. $16 trillion in debt means nothing to me. what means something to me is the unemployment figure. a country such as the united states can afford that. what we need to do is get people working. and spend money. in a good positive infrastructure way. not on stupid wars in iraq. we they'd to make the war for our country's infrastructure. also education and climate control. >> you fought in vietnam. you've been to south america. seen the drug cartels in action. you've had a long lunch with one of the barons himself. do you think it would help if more policymakers in america had experienced war? >> i do. i think it would be -- i think world war ii generation, the korean war, these people were in congress and makes a big difference because they know war. and when you don't, you start to be like a bit of a chicken hawk. a lot of these neoconservatives that have started these wars in the last 20 years have no war record except for rumsfeld. cheney, rove, bush. it's not an attractive portrait of people who can call for other people to suspend their lives. also, well, the whole issue of vietnam, you know, the whole -- lyndon johnson never raised taxes. and bush jr. never raised taxes during the iraq war. so, you know, the whole idea of how to fight a war is what's weird in this country. we have to learn that it's a national -- if we go to war, it's a serious thing. >> everyone's in it together. >> yeah, but we don't call it war in this country. we call it a mini-event or something. >> what was it you learned about yourself when you were in vietnam? >> oh, first of all, i learned to survive, piers. that's the hardest thing of all. which is to say get smart. because most of the time we go into a situation. we're a bit dumb. we don't know exactly what it's like till it happens. when it happens, you learn fast. it's on the job training. so let's say i got more visceral. more visual. i think i was a writer in my head. after the war, more of a director could see things i hadn't seen before. >> about the drug war, isn't it? i think your theme about war generally throughout your movies is incredibly important actually. as someone who's watched them and enjoyed them and understood what you're trying to get at. i think you talking about the reality of war makes a big difference. you're one of the few who can actually talk from experience. >> i made three vietnam movies. i loved them all. they were "born on the fourth of july." "heaven and earth." i also did "salvador." about the central american wars. people watched. they praised them and this and that. you know, when we went to iran and afghanistan -- iraq and afghanistan, where was the memory? you know? it's a bizarre thing, the american ability to forget. >> let's take a break. come back and talk "savages" and also probably the least savage person in the world, your wife. [ manager 1 ] out here in the winds, i have to know the weather patterns. i upgraded to the new sprint direct connect. so i can get three times the coverage. [ chirp ] [ manager 2 ] it's like working in a giant sandbox with all these huge toys. and with the fastest push-to-talk... i can keep track of them all. [ chirp ] [ chirp ] [ male announcer ] upgrade to the new "done." with access to the fastest push-to-talk and three times the coverage. now when you buy one kyocera duracore rugged phone, for $49.99, you'll get four free. visit a sprint store, or call 855-878-4biz. 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[ engine revs ] boat protection people love. now, that's progressive. call or click today. i like talking to you, ophelia. but let me remind you that if i had to, i wouldn't have a problem cutting both their throats. >> well, you'll never get them together. i'm the only one who can do that. >> come on. are you really bragging about that? there's something wrong with your love story, baby. >> oliver stone's latest movie "savages." stars selma hayek, blake lively, taylor kitsch and john travolta. there's touches of all sorts of other movies. a lot of sex. >> that scene you just showed is a crucial moment because the two women, very strong in the movie, blake and selma, having a bit of a -- in the movie, blake is living with two men. >> yes. >> who she says as a young california beach girl, southern california, she says, i love both men. that's what selma's calling into question. this is an answer that you find in the end of the movie. where you know we deal with the issue of can people -- can three people live together equally. >> what do you think? >> i'm not going to give away the ending because that's a spoiler. >> what do you think? >> i think it's hard. >> impossible? >> have you tried it lately, piers? >> i've never been tempted by blake lively. >> the book is very graphic on that issue. >> it is graphic. what is your -- i mean, you found what seems to be true love. haven't you? >> how do you know? >> just from what you said about it. you talk in such a loving way about your third wife. she seems -- >> she's a lovely woman. >> a very extraordinary person. >> she's a lovely woman. it's been almost 15, 16 years. because our daughter's 16. so we've been, you know, we're there for her. different kind of relationship for me. less stormy. remains to me absolutely beautiful every day. i see her. she's so gracious a person. >> you had this great quote. she comes from another place of graciousness, transparency and selflessness. that's why i love her. >> yeah, sounds like florence nightingale. >> she comes from also a totally different world. a background of -- >> she's not in our reality. because of vietnam and various -- i love asia. i feel calm when i'm in asia. i feel that calmness coming from her. >> are you calmer now? >> perhaps of her, yes. i'm older too. you got to slow down. your testosterone drops a bit. >> i can't imagine you slowing down. >> thank you, it's kind of you. takes a lot to do. >> if you were describing yourself to somebody who had never heard anything about you, what would be the honest description? >> i'm equally astonished and disappointed about myself. >> why astonished? >> put it this way, i think this life is a mystery. it's also a hunt for the truth. a hunt for what works for you. you express yourself as you go sometimes badly, sometimes well. you got to take both. you take the good with the bad. as my grandmother used to say. >> why disappointed? >> in the same way, 'cause there are things i wish i had done better. >> are you the kind of guy that regrets? are you able to just say -- >> i regret too much. i don't think that's necessarily -- you learn from regret. if you repeat the emotion over and over, you are flagellating yourself with self-pity. >> "savages." above all, it's a cracking thriller, isn't it? >> i think hitchcock is the ultimate filmmaker in the sense, you know, the audience doesn't want the messages and the politics. they want a good time. you know, i go to the movie because i want to have a good time. i've always tried to make movies. even if the controversial subject, as you say, like "jfk." try to make it fun to sit through. >> you essentially recalled from the word controversial. i never saw it as a negative with you. that's a good thing. to get people debating and talking. and analyzing. >> yeah, but it shouldn't be about the messenger. the old greek parable about they killed a messenger. it's silly because i'm, you know -- every time i made the movie, every time, it's been a different me that delivered a different one. so it's not the same person. it's how i change from every movie. >> how would you like to be remembered? >> what do you think? as a filmmaker. >> i would say -- yeah, i mean -- if you could jazz it up a bit, can't you? >> that's -- >> you could write your own tombstone. >> it's a pantheon of certain filmmakers. maybe 50, 60 that just have