Ridley Scott is one of the most versatile filmmakers in cinema today. He is known for experimenting with different genres, introducing strong female characters and incorporating stunning visuals in his work using lighting and special effects.
Born and raised in South Shields, England, Scott studied at the Royal College of Art where he helped establish the film department and produced a short film titled Boy and Bicycle (1962). A year later, he landed a job for the BBC as a set designer and eventually directed television shows for the channel a few years later. In 1968, Scott launched his own production company with his brother Tony called ‘’Ridley Scott Associates’’ and went on to direct many iconic television commercials such as the ‘’Bike Round’’ commercial for Hovis, which has been regarded as an ‘’all-time classic’’ on British Television. In the late 1970s, Scott made the transition from directing commercials to feature films with his debut The Duellists (1977). Since then, he never looked back as he built an impressive and diverse body of work in film.
Alien (1979)
The film that frightened audiences and instantly turned Ridley Scott into a household name. Described as the ‘’Texas Chainsaw Massacre of Science Fiction’’, Alien focuses on seven crew members of the Nostromo starship who are terrorized by an extra-terrestrial creature (called the Xenomorph) after discovering a nest of eggs inside a derelict ship.
Scott combines elements of horror with sci-fi by creating suspense and making the Xenomorph terrifyingly aggressive, leading to gory violence throughout the film. The most shocking and memorable moment of this film is the demise of executive officer Gilbert Kane (John Hurt), where an infant form of the Xenomorph suddenly bursts out of his chest. Apparently, Scott wanted to capture genuine reactions from the other cast members so he did not tell them what was about to happen before filming this scene.
Alien spawned a successful franchise and introduced one of the greatest characters in cinema, Ellen Ripley (Sigourney Weaver), a warrant officer of the Nostromo who battles with the Xenomorph throughout the series. Originally, Ripley was supposed to be male but Scott made the decision to switch the protagonist into a female action hero. Scott returned to the franchise 33 years later with Prometheus (2012) and Alien: Covenant (2017), the prequels to the original Alien film.
Blade Runner (1982)
Following the success of Alien, Ridley Scott continued to revolutionize the science fiction genre with his next film Blade Runner. Set in 2019, former detective Rick Deckard (Harrison Ford) is hired to track down and destroy four Nexus-6 replicants who have returned to earth, led by the leader of the group and central antagonist Roy Batty (Rutger Hauer).
During his investigation, Deckard meets and falls in love with Rachael (Sean Young), the latest experiment engineered by the Tyrell Corporation where the replicants have been created. Blade Runner is worth watching purely for its stunning cinematography of the dystopian Los Angeles, particularly in a striking scene where the flying police car drive past the electronic billboards in the city. It is also compelling to watch the remarkable performances from the cast like Hauer, for example, who delivers a powerful monologue in the rain.
It should be noted that there are several versions to the film but the Final Cut (2007) is regarded to be the best one because Scott was given complete creative control over the film. Later this year, a sequel produced by Scott titled Blade Runner 2049 (2017) will be released starring Ryan Gosling as Officer K and Harrison Ford, reprising his role as Deckard.
Thelma and Louise (1991)
After a series of unsuccessful films in the late 1980s, Ridley Scott took a step back from large scale sci-fi/thriller films and directed Thelma and Louise, which revived his career. Thelma Dickinson (Geena Davis), a bored housewife decides to go on a weekend vacation with her tough-as-nails best friend and waitress Louise Sawyer (Susan Sarandon).
However, their plans go awry one night when Louise kills a man who attempts to rape Thelma outside a bar, forcing them to go on the run before the police find them. Like Ripley in Alien, Scott depicts Thelma and Louise as strong female characters who refuses to be controlled by the patriarchy. The pairing of two women on a road trip as outlaws has brought a new approach to the buddy film genre, which often stars men. Thelma and Louise’s friendship is essential to the film as they always protect each other and stick together throughout their tumultuous journey, especially during the brilliant ending.
Gladiator (2000)
In Ridley Scott’s epic historical drama, Maximus Decimus Meridius (Russell Crowe) is a respected general who is offered by the emperor Marcus Aurelius (Richard Harris) to take his throne. However, Aurelius’ jealous son Commodus (Joaquin Phoenix) murders his father in a rage after finding out, claiming the throne for himself.
After being sold to slave dealer Antonius Proximo (Oliver Reed), Maximus is forced to participate in the gladiator games and plans to use his fighting ability to seek revenge on Commodus for killing his family. Gladiator is notable for its intense and graphic battle sequences set in spectacular areas of Rome such as The Colosseum, which has been recreated using digital effects. The score by Hans Zimmer and Lisa Gerrard captures the mood for every scene, for example: the distressing moment where Maximus mourns for his wife and son as he finds their bodies.
The success of Gladiator led to twelve Academy Award nominations, winning five including Best Picture and Best Actor for Crowe. The film also revived the big-budget historical drama genre with films such as Troy (2004) and 300 (2006).
The Martian (2015)
Based on Andy Weir’s bestselling novel, The Martian follows the story of Mark Watney (Matt Damon), an astronaut who is stranded on Mars after disappearing during a storm, leaving his crewmates to believe he’s dead.
Throughout the film, Watney attempts to tolerate the environment of a different planet by filming a video diary, growing a few years’ worth of food and using a Pathfinder to communicate with NASA. For a sci-fi film, The Martian includes elements of humour, such as Watney’s witty narration and his hatred for disco music, contrasting the grim and dark tone of Alien. The film also contains breath-taking wide exterior shots of the planet, which was shot in Wadi Rum, Jordan. To achieve the authentic scenery of Mars, Ridley Scott collaborated with visual effects supervisor Richard Stammers and MPC on the post-production process by colour-grading the shots into a sharp, red colour and adding computer-generated mountains.
The Martian is another successful hit for Scott as it became one of the highest grossing films of 2015 and received seven Academy Award nominations.
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