Legendary filmmaker Ridley Scott, known for classics such as Alien, Blade Runner, and Gladiator, has voiced his frustration with the current state of cinema, saying he no longer watches modern films because “we’re drowning in mediocrity.”
During a screen talk at London’s BFI Southbank on October 5, where he was interviewed by his son Luke Scott, the director reflected on his career and shared candid thoughts on today’s movie landscape.
“Right now I’m finding mediocrity, we’re drowning in mediocrity,” Scott said (via Yahoo UK). “So what I do, and it’s a horrible thing, but I’ve started to watch my own movies, and actually they’re really good! And also, they don’t age.”
Scott, whose filmography includes Thelma & Louise, American Gangster, Black Hawk Down, and The Duellists, said he revisited Black Hawk Down recently and was surprised by his own work. “I watched Black Hawk [Down] the other night and I thought, ‘how the hell did I do that?’ But I think that occasionally there’s a good one that will happen, it’s like a relief that there’s somebody out there who’s doing a good movie.”
Despite acknowledging the vast number of films produced today, Scott criticized the lack of quality. “Most of it is st,” he said bluntly, before softening the comment slightly. He estimated that only 5% of today’s films are “great,” 10% are “pretty good,” and about 40% are “not bad” — with the rest falling into the “st” category.
He compared the current landscape to Hollywood’s past, noting that “in the 1940s, when there were perhaps 300 movies made, 70% of them were similar.” According to Scott, modern films often rely too heavily on technology rather than strong writing. “I think a lot of films today are saved and made more expensive by digital effects, because what they haven’t got is a great thing on paper first. Get it on paper,” he said.
Scott’s most recent film, Gladiator II, starring Paul Mescal and Denzel Washington, recently hit cinemas. The director’s upcoming projects include an adaptation of Peter Heller’s post-apocalyptic novel The Dog Stars, a Bee Gees biopic, and potentially a third installment in the Gladiator franchise.
Source: Gamesradar
