Stephen Colbert Zings Oliver Stone For 'Fawning' Putin Documentary

Maybe if Oliver Stone had interviewed Vladimir Putin the same way Stephen Colbert grilled Stone Monday on “The Late Show,” the director wouldn’t be criticized for “fawning” over the Russian president in his new Showtime documentary “The Putin Interviews.”

After watching a clip of Stone appearing to not follow up on Putin’s assertion that Russia “never interferes with the domestic affairs of other countries,” Colbert reminded Stone that some reviews describe the “Platoon” and “JFK” filmmaker as getting “too cozy” with Putin.

Stone said he had to be polite, but Colbert wasn’t having it.

“That doesn’t seem like an interview, that seems like an opportunity for him to merely propagandize,” the host said.

The somewhat awkward back-and-forth continued with Stone noting that he pressed Putin on a number of issues, including hacking and cyber warfare. But when Stone mentioned Putin’s “calmness” and “courtesy” in the face of being “insulted and abused,” Colbert asked if Stone found anything negative about the Russian leader. “Or does he have your dog in a cage someplace?”

Watch the exchange above.