By Ridley Scott has abandoned contemporary films. The iconic director of timeless masterpieces such as Alien, Blade Runner, and Gladiator has recently expressed his concerns about the current state of film, attributing it to the ‘volume over substance’ mentality and stating that he primarily views his own works now.
The filmmaker was interviewed by his son, Luke Scott, during a discussion at London’s BFI Southbank yesterday (October 5), reflecting on his journey and responding to audience inquiries. When a fan inquired about his typical viewing patterns, Scott revealed his critical perspective on the industry.
“At this moment, I’m encountering mediocrity, we’re submerged in mediocrity,” he remarked (via Yahoo UK). “Thus, what I do, and it’s rather unfortunate, is that I’ve begun to view my own films, and honestly, they are quite impressive! Plus, they don’t seem to age.”
He isn’t mistaken in that regard – his filmography is brimming with cinematic treasures, including Alien, Gladiator, Thelma & Louise, American Gangster, Blade Runner, The Duellists, and more.
“I viewed Black Hawk [Down] the other evening and thought, ‘how on earth did I accomplish that?’ However, I believe there are occasionally good ones that emerge, and it’s a relief to know there’s someone out there creating quality films.”
The director further stated that, despite “the volume of films produced today”, he considers “most of it is rubbish”. He slightly backtracked on his statement by suggesting that 5% of modern films are “excellent” and 10% are “fairly good”, with approximately 40% being “acceptable” and the remainder, well, those are indeed “rubbish”.
“I’m uncertain about the specifics of what I’ve just articulated, but in the 1940s, when around 300 films were produced, 70% of them were alike, for instance. I think many films today are salvaged and rendered more expensive through digital special effects since what they lack is a strong narrative foundation. Get it on paper,” he noted.
Ridley Scott’s most recent film to reach theaters was Gladiator II, a highly anticipated sequel featuring Paul Mescal.