Ridley Scott tells off journalist for saying 'Last Duel' is more realistic than previous films (original) (raw)
Published on December 5, 2021 11:33AM EST
From trashing superhero films to being blunt about criticism about his latest film, House of Gucci, Oscar-winning director Ridley Scott is known for not mincing his words. And his latest exchange with a journalist shows that he has no sign of veering off-brand.
Scott recently got candid with a journalist during an overseas press tour for his film The Last Duel. In a clip from the video interview (which is part of a larger Russian interview), the journalist is seen giving a backhanded compliment of sorts, remarking that The Last Duel is "a very realistic film." He goes on to note it looks more realistic than Scott's other films, Kingdom of Heaven or Robin Hood. But he doesn't get much farther, as Scott immediately cuts him off.
"Sir, f--k you. F--k you," he replies. "Thank you very much. F--k you. Go f--k yourself, sir. Go on."
EW gave The Last Duel at B+, saying "Duel is entirely, often sensationally watchable without ever quite justifying why it needs to remind us what the world has done to women for centuries" and praising the film for feeling "like something vanishingly rare these days: a big-screen drama with budget and scope, richly told for grown adults."
But critic approval didn't transfer to the box office, leading Scott to speak out about his disappointment over his film's performance and blame it on "the millennian."
"I think what it boils down to — what we've got today are the audiences who were brought up on these fucking cell phones," Scott told Marc Maron on his WTF podcast. "The millennian, who do not ever want to be taught anything unless you told it on the cell phone ... this is a broad stroke, but I think we're dealing with it right now with Facebook. This is a misdirection that has happened where it's given the wrong kind of confidence to this latest generation, I think."
Scott remains proud of the film, however, and maintains he doesn't regret making it. "We all thought it was a terrific script. And we made it. You can't win all the time. I've never had one regret on any movie I've ever made," he told Maron's podcast. "Nothing. I learned very early on to be your own critic. The only thing you should really have an opinion on is what you just did. Walk away. Make sure you're happy. And don't look back. That's me."
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