‘True Detective’ Plagiarism Issue: Critic Say Nay! 'If That's Plagiarism, Then Steven Spielberg And All Great Directors Are Plagiarists!'

The accusation that "True Detective" writer/creator Nic Pizzolatto plagiarized philosophical writings by cult horror author Thomas Ligotti was faced head on by both the network and the accused. A critic sides with Pizzolatto citing that Hollywood's elite is guilty of much more than paraphrasing.

The official statements courtesy of EW:

First, HBO issued a statement on the matter: "True Detective is a work of exceptional originality and the story, plot, characters and dialogue are that of Nic Pizzolatto. Philosophical concepts are free for anyone to use, including writers of fiction, and there have been many such examples in the past. Exploring and engaging with ideas and themes that philosophers and novelists have wrestled with over time is one of the show's many strengths-we stand by the show, its writing and Nic Pizzolatto entirely."

From Pizzolatto himself:  "Nothing in the television show True Detective was plagiarized," the writer said. "The philosophical thoughts expressed by Rust Cohle do not represent any thought or idea unique to any one author; rather these are the philosophical tenets of a pessimistic, anti-natalist philosophy with an historic tradition including Arthur Schopenauer, Friedrich Nietzche, E.M. Cioran, and various other philosophers, all of whom express these ideas. As an autodidact pessimist, Cohle speaks toward that philosophy with erudition and in his own words. The ideas within this philosophy are certainly not exclusive to any writer."

IndieWire argued that many iconic scenes in movies by great directors were actually 'inspired' by other films. It reeks an aura of inevitability:

"Some of the most adored films in American cinema blatantly steal from other films. In the original 'Star Wars,' as wholesome and beloved as any American film, George Lucas lifts shots from Leni Riefenstahl's (technically brilliant, morally repulsive) Nazi propaganda film 'Triumph of the Will.' Brian De Palma, who has long battle accusations that he's just a second-rate Hitchcock pillager, transferred a scene from 'Battleship Potemkin' for his iconic baby stroller and staircase shootout in 'The Untouchables.' Kubrick yanked a shot from 'The Phantom Carriage' for the iconic 'Here's Johnny!' shot in 'The Shining.' 'Raiders of the Lost Ark" steals its rolling boulder scene from 'Journey to the Center of the Earth.' Sergio Leone blatantly remade 'Yojimbo,' and got sued for it, as 'A Fistful of Dollars.' The beloved Pixar movie 'Up' bears a striking similarity to a short French film called 'Above Then Beyond.'"

That's pretty heavy, and the thin line between 'inspiration' or 'influence' and 'plagiarism' are vague concepts unless they are very obvious, almost verbatim. The argument is that even Ligotti's work could be traced to older bodies of work from the same philosophical spectrum.