November 22, 2024
We should all be so lucky to be as productive as Ridley Scott continues to be, still directing films in his mid-80s, with no plans to stop anytime soon. He may only be rivaled in longevity by 94 year-old Clint Eastwood, whose latest film will be available on HBO Max next month after a disgraceful release strategy by his studio, Warner Bros. Discovery. But that’s a rant for a different day. This blog post is focused on the brilliance of Sir Ridley. As his latest epic film, Gladiator II, makes its way into theaters this weekend, I thought it would be fun to look at his career, which is approaching 50 years as a director. In case you are wondering, I was fortunate to catch Gladiator II earlier this week and will be sharing my thoughts in full next week. Spoiler: It’s fantastic.
Now, when it comes to Ridley’s filmography, I was struggling in deciding how to cover his career in a concise way. He has directed almost thirty feature films across several genres, so comparing and ranking them is a little challenging, but I was up for the task. Let’s start with one from the genre he is probably best known for.
#10 – Kingdom of Heaven (2005)
Ridley is the master of the period piece epic. From 1977’s The Duelists through 2023’s Napoleon, he’s been demonstrating his expertise in this genre throughout his entire career. Some of these films work better than others. His reunion with Gladiator star Russell Crowe for 2010’s Robin Hood was rather bland. I rather liked his Biblical tale Exodus: Gods and Kings, but it was a commercial and critical failure.
One of his more successful films in this genre was Kingdom of Heaven, starring Orlando Bloom as a warrior during the Crusades. It has wonderful performances, top-rate action sequences, and a production design that places you back in that time. What is probably most interesting about this film is Scott’s decision to release an extended director’s cut which restored footage that the studio insisted be removed for the theatrical release. Audiences overwhelmingly agree that the director’s cut is a superior version and it’s the one that I watched. He’s done this several times now, including multiple versions of Blade Runner that have been released over the years, and a director’s cut of last year’s Napoleon that came out a few months ago on Apple TV+. I rather liked that film and will likely check out his new version to see if it’s even better than the original. Suffice it to say, the director’s cut of Kingdom of Heaven is the way to go.
#9 – Matchstick Men (2003)
In preparing this top ten list, I had a hard time settling on the last few movies to include, as there were several contenders for spots 7-10. I considered including 2017’s All the Money in the World, an excellent crime drama best known for Scott’s decision to recast Kevin Spacey with Christopher Plummer only a month before the film’s release, rapidly reshooting the scenes in which he appeared. The strategy was seen as risky, but Scott had the last laugh when Plummer earned an Oscar nomination for his performance.
Alas, that film didn’t fit into my top ten as I just had to include the wonderful dark comedy Matchstick Men. Nicolas Cage stars as a small-time con man whose world is turned upside down when he reconnects with his long-lost teenage daughter. There are twists and turns as you wonder who can be trusted among Cage, his daughter (Alison Lohman in a charming performance) and his partner, played by the always reliable Sam Rockwell. This movie is an example of my favorite kind of Cage role – quirky, but not unhinged. I count Matchstick Men along with Adaptation as two of his best movies. It’s also nice to see Ridley turn out a successful comedy that is very different from his usual work (science-fiction, historical epics, and crime dramas.)
#8 – Black Hawk Down (2001)
If there is one aspect of filmmaking we know Ridley is great at, it’s the action sequence. Most of the movies on this list feature at least one great action set piece. The crash of a Black Hawk helicopter is at the center of this true story, in which a group of Army Rangers face a harrowing ordeal while their fellow soldiers try to rescue them. Ridley has a knack for strong casting choices, especially in ensemble pieces like Black Hawk Down, which features Josh Hartnett, Ewan McGregor, Eric Bana, and many familiar faces.
Black Hawk Down is one of those movies that you feel like you “should” watch, given the importance of the story, its critical acclaim, and the superior filmmaking at work. The incident at the center of the story was one of the biggest black marks on Bill Clinton’s presidency, and seeing how the events played out, it’s easy to understand why. Images of dead soldiers being dragged through the streets of Somalia was shocking to American television audiences back home. Sometimes movies like this can be tough to watch, as most well-made war films can be, given the difficult subject matter. But it’s also a rewarding experience to admire what Scott and his team accomplished with a picture like Black Hawk Down.
#7 – American Gangster (2007)
As we begin to narrow down the list of frontrunners for the upcoming Oscars, one name keeps coming up for Best Supporting Actor – Denzel Washington, for his performance in Gladiator II. He seems like a lock for a nomination, and a win would be his third Oscar. Having seen the film, let me just tell you that Denzel COOKS in this performance – he owns the screen during his scenes. Gladiator II is actually not the first movie Washington made with Ridley. The two worked together in American Gangster, which co-starred frequent Ridley collaborator Russell Crowe.
In this film, Washington plays the head of a drug operation, with Crowe playing the cop trying to pin a case on him. Much like most of Ridley’s movies, American Gangster features a deep cast that support Crowe and Washington in their game of cat and mouse. One of the aspects of this film I love is the understated way that Washington plays a despicable person, especially in contrast to his performance in Training Day. Don’t get me wrong – that’s a great movie and he deserved his Oscar, but American Gangster is a reminder why Washington is one of the best living actors. Speaking of which, I’ve started planning my 2025 blog topics and with Washington reuniting with Spike Lee for the upcoming remake of the excellent Akira Kurosawa film High and Low, I’ll be exploring Washington’s incredible career next year. Stay tuned for that one and in the meantime, admire some of his best work in American Gangster.
#6 – Blade Runner (1982)
This is the movie that I have come around the most since I first saw it a few years ago. I had heard so many great things over the years about Blade Runner, that I think I built it up in my mind as this amazing movie. I was kind of underwhelmed, but decided to revisit it in preparation for this ranking of Ridley’s films. Let’s just say that I’ve seen the light.
In this futuristic story (set in 2019) Harrison Ford is excellent as a contract killer (called blade runners), charged with hunting down and retiring (read: killing) rogue synthetic humans, called “replicants.” His main target is played by Rutger Hauer, in a chilling performance as a replicant trying to extend his life before his warranty runs out. Ford also spends time with an advanced replicant who thinks she’s human, played by Sean Young.
It’s kind of hard to evaluate science-fiction movies from the 1980s given the advancements in filmmaking technology since then. But, in seeing what Ridley did with creating the dystopian world in which Blade Runner takes place, I have a lot of appreciation for what he accomplished. The dinginess of Los Angeles at this time, coupled with the futuristic touches he includes, sets the mood of the film perfectly, especially as you think about how far technology has come since the 1980s, and how rapidly it now changes year to year. I couldn’t help thinking about the constant debate we are seeing about AI as I was watching Blade Runner this time. Of course, there is more pressing scary shit going on in the world right now to worry too much about AI. But that’s a rant (manifesto?) for a different day. We were fortunate to see Ford play this character again in the 2017 sequel Blade Runner 2049, directed by Denis Villeneuve and co-starring Ryan Gosling. Ford is an all-time legend, just like Denzel. Damn, do I need to do a Harrison Ford retrospective too? Gotta add it to the list.
#5 – Thelma & Louise (1991)
Of all of the movies on Ridley Scott’s filmography, you’d be forgiven if your reaction when reading this next selection was “Wait, he directed Thelma & Louise? The man who directed Alien and Gladiator?” Yes. And give him credit. He knows a good story when he sees it, this one written by first-time screenwriter Callie Khouri, who won an Oscar for her screenplay. Our titular characters are played by Geena Davis and Susan Sarandon, best friends whose lives are upended when they go on a road trip that takes a number of unfortunate turns.
Sarandon and Davis are both outstanding, with each of them earning Oscar nominations for Best Actress. It’s pretty rare for two actors from the same film to be nominated in a leading acting category, but that demonstrates the strength of their performances and the admiration of Thelma & Louise. Alas, they both lost to Jodie Foster for The Silence of the Lambs, and Ridley lost Best Director to Jonathan Demme for the same film. Nothing was stopping that juggernaut that year.
It’s interesting watching this film thirty years after its release, which gives you a reminder of just how good Sarandon and Davis were in these roles. Playing characters who are looking for any sort of spark from their dreary lives, whether it’s a simple trip out of town, escalating events that lead to a killing, then a robbery, or a fling with a young hotshot, played by Brad Pitt in his breakout role. Yet another example of Scott’s eye for actors early in their career. Thelma & Louise is best known for its iconic ending, which some found baffling and unbelievable at the time. But when you watch the film and see how much these two characters care for each other, they know they are facing a life that is not worth living, whether it’s prison or back to their dreary lives as a waitress and housewife. There is only one choice they have, leading to one of the best endings in movie history.
#4 – The Last Duel (2021)
Ah, 2021. In the midst of our COVID fog, when several years zipped past us in an instant. It was also an excellent year in movies, and one that will largely be forgotten given other “world events” going on that year. CODA, Dune, West Side Story, and Nightmare Alley just to name a few excellent titles we were fortunate to see. Ridley Scott actually had two movies released in 2021, mostly due to the pandemic delays that caused all sorts of chaos in film production and theatrical releases. He summoned Adam Driver, Lady Gaga, Al Pacino, and (in an absurdly comic performance) Jared Leto to tell the batshit crazy story of murder and betrayal in the high fashion world with House of Gucci. That film was a love it or hate it kind of experience. I had a good time at the theater, relishing in the intrigue and fun performances, choosing to ignore the ridiculous accents of the actors involved.
The second movie we were fortunate to see from Ridley that year was The Last Duel, a medieval military drama told from the perspective of its three main characters. Matt Damon and Jodie Comer portray a married couple. When she reports being raped by her husband’s best friend and fellow member of the French military, played by Adam Driver, no one believes her. Throughout the movie we see what actually happened through each of their perspectives, in a Rashomon-style portrayed in numerous films over the years. We also witness the aftermath of the accusation, including Damon and Driver engaging in the titular action-packed duel.
Once again demonstrating his mastery of period-piece dramas, Scott assembled a team that presents the world of 14th century France to perfection. The locations, the costumes, and the action set-pieces are wonderful. To most filmmakers you could imagine trying to build worlds like this would be too intimidating, but when you look at the number of times Ridley has done this throughout his career, he seems to relish in it.
The script for The Last Duel was initially written by Damon and Ben Affleck, who has a supporting (and ridiculously funny) role in the picture, which was based on a 2004 book. As they were working with Ridley on the film adaptation, they realized the script needed some work, particularly through the focus of Comer’s character. They brought on writer-director Nicole Holofcener to refine the screenplay, and during promotion for the film, the three writers talked about how valuable their collaboration was to bring this story to the screen. The Last Duel will not be in the first paragraph of Scott’s obituary when he dies, and it’s not the first role people will think of when it comes to Damon, Driver, or Comer (who are all excellent), but it was one of my favorite films of 2021, and ranks very high on my favorite movies of Sir Ridley.
#3 – Gladiator (2000)
Now we come to the movie that will definitely be in the first paragraph of Scott’s obituary, not that I am wishing to read that anytime soon. I need to come up with a new analogy. We are talking about (of course) the Oscar winner for Best Picture of 2000, starring Russell Crowe, who won Best Actor for his performance. While we are on the topic of Oscars, Ridley did not win this year. He lost the Best Director award to Steven Soderbergh, who was nominated twice for Traffic (for which he won) and Erin Brockovich. It is still insane to me that two of the five spots were held by the same person. Yes, I wish Ridley had an Oscar, but I also am glad that Soderbergh got his. Ridley has been nominated four times for Best Director (Gladiator, Thelma & Louise, Black Hawk Down, and our next film), but has lost each time. It’s sad to say, but I’m not sure he will ever win one (Gladiator II this year feels like a long shot), but I could see the Academy giving him an Honorary Oscar, as they have down for other legends of the movies they failed to recognize with competitive Oscars, including Alfred Hitchcock and Charlie Chaplin.
In Gladiator, Crowe portrays Maximus, a general in the Roman army, who looks forward to spending time with his family following an intense battle that opens the film. The emperor asks him to assume the throne, informing him that he intends to pass over his son Commodus (played by Joaquin Phoenix in his breakout role). When Commodus hears of the plan, he murders his father, assumes the throne and orders his soldiers to kill Maximus. He is able to escape, but learns his wife and son have been killed and he is forced into a life as a slave, engaging in gladiator fights. He eventually finds himself doing battle in the Roman Colosseum in front of the new emperor who ruined his life, and plots his revenge.
It’s no surprise that Gladiator was a hit with both critics and audiences alike. Crowe was at the height of his popularity, after 1999’s brilliant performance in The Insider and he would go on to star in Best Picture winner A Beautiful Mind a year after Gladiator. The film is a classic Hollywood story of action and revenge, featuring incredible (albeit pretty violent) battle scenes among the gladiators. Phoenix is excellent as Commodus, as is Connie Nielsen as his sister and love interest of Maximus. At the time, and even 24 years later, Gladiator feels like a throwback movie to the golden era of Hollywood epics like Ben Hur and Lawrence of Arabia. It’s the kind of film that you never get tired of rewatching. I mean, let’s be honest – Are you not entertained? If you know, you know.
#2 – The Martian (2015)
The textbook definition of the kind of movie you put on during a Saturday afternoon when the sun starts going down at 3:00 (Damn you Daylight Savings Time!) and you are looking for a fun popcorn movie to keep you entertained. Yes, we did just that last weekend. Of course, I’ve seen The Martian many times in the last ten years, but it just never gets old and I wanted to confirm my rankings for Ridley’s top three movies. For me, Gladiator and The Martian are very close, but I’m giving the nod to Matt Damon’s adventures as astronaut Mark Watney, stranded on Mars, and the team of people back on Earth (and in space) trying to get him home.
Scott is certainly not a newcomer for stories set in space (see our next film and the franchise it spawned), so a story set on the red planet seems like a natural fit. The scenes set on Mars work very well, partially due to the production design Ridley created, but mostly because of the genius in casting Damon. He is brilliant in this movie, combining his charming comedic bits speaking to the camera (while creating a video blog of his experience) and his absolute terror at his predicament. Sure, we remember the funny moments (the be-bopping to Donna Summer’s Hot Stuff, growing potatoes on Mars, selling the idea of being a “space pirate,” and pretending to be Iron Man to reunite with his crewmates.) But there were also two other moments that stood out to me in the latest rewatch.
The fear that Damon displayed while Watney is treating his own wound after being impaled by a piece of equipment was very moving. He portrayed this scene in such a realistic way, showing someone who knows he needs to patch himself up quickly since he is literally the only one on the planet, while trying not to lose his shit. The second moment was when Watney was getting ready to take off from Mars to meet up with the ship coming to rescue him. He just starts breaking down, realizing that after more than 18 months completely alone, with everything he has done to survive day to day, hour to hour, minute to minute, it has come down to this next moment. It reminded me a lot of Tom Hanks’ performances in Cast Away, having to perform so many scenes completely alone, and the magnificent Captain Phillips, when he completely breaks down after being rescued. Rewatching The Martian again reminded me that Damon should have won an Oscar for this performance, but 2015 was the year the Academy finally recognized Leonardo DiCaprio for his role in The Revenant, a decent movie, but one I will probably never watch again. Maybe Damon can secure an acting Oscar for his next role, leading Christopher Nolan’s forthcoming film. Hey, it worked for Cillian Murphy.
In addition to Damon, Ridley assembled a deep cast of NASA employees working to bring home their wayward astronaut, including Jeff Daniels, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Sean Bean, Mackenzie Davis and (an unfortunately miscast) Kristen Wiig. I absolutely love this portion of the movie, watching people figure shit out using science, math, problem-solving logic, and a little bit of luck. We get the perfect mix of tense-filled drama and funny moments, especially from Ejiofor, who has great comedic timing in his performance. And let’s be honest, how great is that concluding sequence when the crew secures Watney and tells Mission Control? It gets me every time. As much as I love watching new films, sometimes you need a comfort movie to hit the spot, one just like The Martian.
#1 – Alien (1979)
I mean, c’mon. If you direct one of the scariest movies of all-time and a science-fiction horror classic, it has to be the best film of your career, right? Yes, the choice for me was pretty clearly Alien at #1. Not only has this movie stood the test of time, it has spawned several sequels (some better than others), including a very good one from earlier this year (Alien: Romulus now streaming on Hulu.) Next year we will also see a prequel television series from Noah Hawley, the showrunner for the excellent Fargo television series.
Now, having seen over forty years of Alien movies, you kind of know what to expect going in. You will see very creepy monsters terrorizing characters who may have no idea what they are encountering, and we know there will eventually be a chest-bursting scene that will implant itself into your brain for future nightmares. Oh, is that just me? Now, imagine being in the audience for the original Alien and seeing that scene for the first time. Terrifying, right?
What’s interesting to me about this series is that the tone of these films over the years has evolved. The original picture is more of a horror story. After all, the tagline was “In space, no one can hear you scream.” The sequel, directed by James Cameron, was more of a science-fiction action movie with lots of guns. Ridley returned to the franchise with 2012’s Prometheus (a film I strongly considered for my top ten), which was set much earlier than the original and had themes of religion and morality at the center of the story. Any way you slice it, the Alien movies will not only scare the shit out of you, they will make you think, whether it’s about the origin of life or plain old greedy capitalists.
I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention the star of this franchise, Sigourney Weaver, as Ellen Ripley, the only crew member who seems to be able to outsmart the aliens during these movies. Being a badass certainly helps. Weaver was still relatively unknown when she was cast in this role, but with the success of the movie, she became a star and had a strong run in the 1980s, including an Oscar nomination for her performance in the sequel Aliens. It seems ridiculous now, but in the late 70s there was a feeling in Hollywood that a woman couldn’t be successful as the lead of an action or horror movie, but Weaver dispelled that notion with Alien. And I know that anytime Weaver shows up in a film I’m watching, I’m always happy to see her on screen.
As for Scott, this was only his second movie, even though he was in his early 40s at the time. He spent his early career doing commercials and television before he got his first chance to make a feature film with The Duelists in 1977, which was mildly successful. With Alien, he put himself on the map as a talented director who could combine a compelling story with special effects and production design to thrill audiences. While he has never written the script for his movies, his decisions in picking screenwriters and stories have worked very well with almost all of his pictures. Some directors (like Quentin Tarantino and Paul Thomas Anderson) only direct scripts they have written. Ridley doesn’t care – give him a good story and several millions of dollars to create a world we can immerse ourselves in, and he will put the magic on the screen. And I know I will keep showing up as long as he wants to keep making them.
That’s all for this week’s post. I hope you enjoyed my look at the wonderful career of Ridley Scott. Next week, I’ll be back for a look at some more new releases, including Gladiator II, Wicked, a brilliant new horror movie starring Hugh Grant, and much more. Thanks for reading and if you’d like to be notified of future posts, you can subscribe below.