Ridley Scott has been a prolific movie maker the last 25 years or so, something increasingly impressive as he pumps out big movies well into his 80s (he's 85 right now). In the end he'll probably be most remembered for directing science fiction, making two all-time great films in the original Alien (1979) and the cult classic Blade Runner (1982). He's more recently expanded on the Alien series with Prometheus (2012) and Alien: Covenant (2017), and did The Martian (2015) as well, if we're going to understand his sci-fi creds in full. Today, however, I want to talk about a different segment of his work.
Scott has also made some incredible epic period pieces, several of which are pretty underrated. I want to call these historical but he's pretty fast-and-loose with what really happened, even if he does weave in interesting people, events, etc. Regardless I've pretty regularly loved his movies set in history, more than many it seems. Let's briefly look at a few.
Gladiator (2000) maybe doesn't fit here but I want to mention it anyway. It's properly rated (you know, entirely great) and the most respected of these types of films made by Scott. We get fantastic action, by the Legion and in the ring, perfect performances by Crowe and Phoenix (as well as Richard Harris and Oliver Reed and others), and it takes place at an entirely fascinating time in Rome, as the death of Marcus Aurelius was also the end of both the 'Five Good Emperors' and Pax Romana, the Empire's golden age. What's most impressive is how you feel transported to Rome, with its politics, its brutishness, as well as its hope. This was one of my first favorite movies, aided by its release in my formative years, and should've been more considered in my favorites now.
Less well liked was Kingdom of Heaven (2005), though I think it got a raw deal. Here we follow Balian of Ibelin (Orlando Bloom), a real knight who's given a different backstory, as he travels to the Holy Land between the 2nd and 3rd Crusades and gets embroiled in the politics of the Kingdom of Jerusalem, namely the succession of the leper king Baldwin IV (Edward Norton). After the battle of Hattin, where the Crusaders are crushed by Saladin, Balian mounts a defense of Jerusalem. Scott again nails taking you to this far-flung locale and the complexity of the situation, showing bickering Crusaders about to lose territory of huge importance they'd held for 100 years. I really like this film (and everything about the Crusades), though would still place it below Gladiator and the Last Duel. Make sure to see the director's cut, they never should've forced Scott to remove those 45 minutes.
I'll even admit that I like Robin Hood (2010), at least for the most part. It's kind of a weird concept, a re-invention of the Robin Hood legend, where a nobody Crusader returns to England following the death of Richard the Lionheart and assumes the role of a knight he met (and saw die) en route. The rest gets more and more absurd, as Robin (Russell Crowe) more-or-less demands a list of rights (basically the Magna Carta) at a meeting between King John (Oscar Issac) and a bunch of unhappy nobles, and then leads the entire English army in a repulsion of the invading French. And yet, excepting a couple eye-roll inducing parts near the climax (when a sword is thrown to Robin like he's Maximus, and having Marian/the kids show up at the big battle), I really enjoy it! Scott is just too good at this. What's most disappointing is I want to see what happens next, as it finishes with Robin and his friends being declared outlaws and moving to the King's wood. This is the start of something, not the end.
Probably the best new-ish movie I've watched recently is The Last Duel (2021) and, unlike the rest of the films above, it's largely a true story. Set in late 14th century France, between phases of the Hundred Years War, the wife of a minor noble accuses a knight of rape. Jean de Carrouges (Matt Damon), the minor noble, is gifted soldier who's inept at managing his estates and is always in need of money, precipitating frequent time at war. His wife, Marguerite (Jodie Comer), was supposed to come with a large dowry but it doesn't work out that way. The knight accused of rape, Jacques Le Gris (Adam Driver), climbs the ladder and shows enough talent to gain the attention and favor of the local lord. Jean has seemingly every reason to accuse Jacques of this crime, as he's jealous of the position and wealth bestowed upon a man he considers to be inferior along with numerous slights that appear to him rather personal. But he believed his wife, who remarkably goes forward with a trial. What makes this film so interesting is the format. We see the same story from three points of view, a mimic of Rashomon (1950). The first two, Jean's and then Jacques', are idealized, first-person accounts, it took me a little bit to realize this. The third, Marguerite's, shows plainly the warts of both men and flows forward to what eventually settles the matter before the law, a duel, the last judicial duel ever sanctioned in France. The stakes in this are crazy. If Jean wins Marguerite is vindicated and freed. If Jacques wins Marguerite is burned alive, right there in the arena. So she's watching her husband in a fight to the death while wearing all black funeral clothes and atop a rig intended to be set ablaze. Seriously, go watch this movie if you haven't seen it (though be warned you see the rape, multiple times). It was 100% a casualty of Covid at the box office and was undeserving of that.
Besides saying that you should see these movies, I'm here to show that a historical epic is right in Ridley Scott's wheelhouse. And it must be noted that his next one is about Napoleon, coming out in November of this year. (eyes emoji)
Joaquin Phoenix (48) is much too old. Napoleon was in his 20s during the Revolution and only 35 when crowned Emperor, at Waterloo may be the only time he looks right. It's pretty clear the love story with Josephine will be hugely played up, as their real-life marriage was always one-sided (on his end) and ended in annulment. Lastly, this movie, at 2h38m, is going to have to fly considering how much there is to cover. Regardless, I'm excited.
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