Ridley Scott’s Foreigner (1979) was his second feature film but what an impact it had on public consciousness. A haunted house movie in space, Foreigner The spaceship, with its beautifully unsettling visuals of the Nostromo, the slow-burn climax of the alien bursting out of Kane’s (John Hurt) chest, and thousands of other big and small details, richly deserves its iconic status.

However, Scott, by his own admission, came to directing feature films late, at the age of 40, at a time when his peers, including Steven Spielberg, Brian De Palma, Francis Ford Coppola, and George Lucas, were making critically acclaimed and Having made commercially successful films, Scott made up for lost time with amazing output.

Scott has had two releases in a year, three times – Hannibal And black Hawk Down in 2001, Alien: Covenant And all the money in the world In 2017, and more recently, final duel And house of gucci In 2021.

Foreigner Then came another game-changer, blade Runner (1982). From Philip K. Dick’s 1968 novel Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? The film stars Harrison Ford as Rick Deckard, a policeman who hunts down rebellious ‘replicants’. blade Runner Set the template and palate for neo-noir and steampunk. 2019’s dystopian, rain-soaked, futuristic and decaying Los Angeles, with neon bright billboards and silently flying cars, was as unsettling as it was immersive.

Ridley Scott and Paul Mescal attend the global premiere of ‘Gladiator II’ in London, Britain on November 13, 2024. Photo Credit: Meena Kim

‘Stealth Feminist’

came in 1991 Thelma and Louisecemented Scott’s reputation as a “secret feminist”, in the words of Los Angeles Times Film editor Joshua Rothkopf. The film is about two friends Thelma and Louise, played by Susan Sarandon and Geena Davis, who go on a weekend road trip to escape their extremely boring middle-class lives, which ends in the definition of a cliffhanger.

historical epic 1492: Conquest of Heaven (1992) about Columbus’s voyage to the New World, starring Gérard Depardieu, Armand Assante and Sigourney Weaver, could have been a dry run for the 2000s the GladiatorBased on Daniel P Mannix’s 1958 novel, ‘Those About to Die’ (yes, like Roland Emmerich’s execrable eponymous show), the Gladiator Told the story of an honest, upright General Maximus (Oscar winner Russell Crowe).

The evil, incestuous, patriarchal Commodus (Joaquin Phoenix) orders Maximus’s death by having his wife and eight-year-old son crucified and burned. The Praetorian Guards are no match for the battle-hardened Maximus who flees after killing his captors. He teams up with a gladiator trainer where his superior abilities make him a crowd favorite. When Commodus, as emperor, proclaims 150 days of games in honor of his father, Marcus Aurelius, Maximus comes to Rome to seek vengeance on all those who had wronged him.

the Gladiator It has aged very well and the battles and barbarity continue to thrill people. Scott made significant films in a variety of genres, including two prequels Foreigner , Prometheus in 2012 and Alien: CovenantScott’s ability to create amazing worlds, even if it’s the desolation of the Red Planet Martian (2015), war-torn Mogadishu in kinetic black Hawk Down, or Jerusalem during the Crusades in medieval epic Kingdom of heaven (2005) is intoxicating and addictive.

Scott is able to move comfortably between the gorgeously detailed world, the high-octane action, and the people who drive the story forward. Amidst the blood, dank corridors and relentless Xenomorphs, no one forgets Ripley (a statuesque Sigourney Weaver) and her bravery, doubt and fear.

Similarly, despite the blood lust of the Colosseum and the frenzied energy of the Roman crowd (as is repeatedly told to Maximus), Scott draws us into the characters’ stories. From the theft from the home of Numidian gladiator Juba (Djimon Hounsou) to Commodus’s sister, Lucilla (Connie Nielsen), her fear of her son, Lucius, and her love for Maximus, they keep the audience engaged and with big scenes of gore. Stay connected. And sand.

There has been talk of its sequel ever since its release. the Gladiator Including a revived Maximus. Thankfully, this was not followed and the brave general was allowed to enjoy life in peace.

gladiator iiReleasing today, it tells the story of Lucius (Paul Mescal) who is the son of Maximus. Now this is a hair-raising twist, considering that Maximus tells Lucilla, his son is the same age as Lucius. And all the time we thought that Maximus was an honorable man.

In gladiator iiLucius is sent to grow up in Numidia, away from the corruption in Rome. The evil Romans arrive anyway, kill his wife and enslave Lucius. He decides to become a gladiator like his father and challenge Rome.

Denzel Washington and Pedro Pascal also star – the former as Lucius’ mentor and the latter as a general who served under Maximus. Scott returning for a sequel to one of his most critically and commercially successful films is a good sign. Advance reviews are full of praise for the gory action and acting, especially from Washington and Mescal. It’s time to start the game. Hopefully the odds will always be in Scott’s favor.