Not one to shy away from letting you know how he really feels, veteran filmmaker Ridley Scott has ruffled a lot of feathers over the years. At the same time, he does not necessarily have an aversion to getting criticism himself. Speaking about how he approaches reviews in a new interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Scott says that he respects their opinions but mostly uses his own taste as a barometer.
This is no accident. Scott’s mindset on this matter goes back to when 40 years to when he was hit with a harsh review by The New Yorker’s Pauline Kael for Blade Runner, a film that is now considered to be one a cinematic classic. Still entertained and inspired by the review, Scott keeps it framed in his company’s office. From his point of view, this negative review has had a much better effect on Scott’s career than anything else, and the director suggested that it’s actually the overly positive reviews that can negatively affect a filmmaker’s future work.
MOVIEWEB VIDEO OF THE DAY
This is not to say Scott is willing to take every critique thrown his way with grace and humility. While promoting The Last Duel, a journalist inferred that the film depicted a more realistic version of it historical setting than Scott’s previous movies. In response, Scott said, “Sir, fck you. Fck you. Thank you very much. Fck you. Go fck yourself, sir.” When the Gucci family criticized the casting of his movie, Scott clapped back, “You probably have the berst actors in the world, you should be so f**king lucky.”
Ridley Scott Released Two Big Movies Last Year
The Last Duel did not perform as well as expected when it was released in theaters last year. Despite having an A-list cast and positive reviews, there weren’t enough people turning out to watch it. Ben Affleck, one of the stars of the film, theorized that this was because most audiences prefer to wait to stream lengthy dramas like The Last Duel at home rather than going out to the theater. Affleck has stood by the quality of the film, as has Scott, despite the shortcomings of its box office performance.
Also in 2021, Scott released the film House of Gucci which also boasted an impressive ensemble. While the reviews were a bit mixed, many critics were fond of the acting, in particular that of Lady Gaga and Jared Leto. Along with The Last Duel, Scott has also said how there had been tons of footage that wound up on the cutting room floor, and the director teased that he’ll one day release extended cuts of both movies.
Ridley Scott’s next project is Kitbag. The film is a Napoleon Bonaparte biopic and it stars Joaquin Phoenix and Vanessa Kirby. It is in development for the streaming service Apple TV+.
