The harsh criticism that angered Ridley Scott: “I was fucking pissed off!”
After building a reputation for robust and epic stories that span many decades and universes, Ridley Scott is lesser known for his 2006 film A Good Year, a dreamy romantic comedy set in the vineyards of Provence in which he reunited with beloved collaborator Russell Crowe. The film exudes warmth and sensuality, making a charming pair out of Crowe and Marion Cotillard. And as much as we all appreciate the delusion and charm of the romance genre, critics did not see the film through the same rose-tinted glasses.
To have your film trashed by the studio that made it must be a fairly ego-shattering experience and one that was probably less familiar to Scott after the recent success of global blockbuster hits like Gladiator and Hannibal. But after the release of A Good Year, Rupert Murdoch labelled the film a “flop”, and it was obliterated by critics, being described by the French press as a “pitiful Anglo-Saxon caricature of France” and “appalling”.
However, Scott has maintained his defences of the film and the unfair criticisms hurled at Crowe, in which he said, “Frankly I didn’t like the critique at all – I thought they were vicious and very unfair on Russell. So I wasn’t just disappointed; I was fucking pissed off! When it gets that vicious, I just switch off and don’t bother reading the rest”.
He added: “You know, we try to do the best we can, and I thought it worked out pretty well. What I find most irritating is when critics absolutely bury something like that – they forget that if there were no movies they wouldn’t have a job. So yeah, I was kind of angry”.
However, Scott raises an interesting point about the public interpretation of his work. There have been many famous instances in which critics have dismissed and ridiculed films that have later seen a resurgence in popularity and been appreciated in a whole new way. Many cult classic films have been tested in this way, being condemned upon release because the cinematic landscape at the time isn’t perhaps ready for it. Movies like Blade Runner, The Big Lebowski, Love Actually, and Jennifer’s Body all bombed at the box office but became to be loved and revered over time. It’s now nearly impossible to separate pop culture from the references to these movies that continue to have a lasting legacy and impact. Damien Chazelle’s Babylon was recently seen as one of these flops, losing Paramount over $50million, but in my belief, the film is a masterpiece, and I think we’ll see its comeback in the years to come.
While A Good Year was met harshly by critics, it was still loved by viewers worldwide, with Scott defending its place in his filmography and, despite what the studios say, its continued success through DVD sales and rentals. When asked if he regrets the project, he said, “You know what? They all make money! At the end of the day, I’m happy that I’m sitting here doing what I want. No one’s stopped me from doing that, which is really good because that’s what I do for a living. When I watch them back, I never regret any of my movies…”
The word of the critic is important but never final, and the fact that Scott is still making movies despite this judgement speaks for itself.
