Ridley Scott reveals the impact thatThe New Yorker’s scathingBlade Runnerreview had on him. The 1982 movie has an enduring influence on the science-fiction genre and is widely considered to be one of Scott andHarrison Ford’s best movies. Nevertheless,Blade Runnerwas not received well by many critics, significantly underperformed at the box office, and only later gained its reputation as an iconic science-fiction movie that forever reshaped the genre.
In an interview withThe Hollywood Reporter,Scott explained that even though he was offended byThe New Yorker’sBlade Runnerreview, it taught him an invaluable lessonabout himself and how he should handle criticism of his movies. Decades later, Scott keepsThe New Yorker’s review framed in his office to remind himself of the lesson he learned. This has continued to impact Scott’s attitude as he continues to direct new movies. Check out his comments below:
No-no-no. Pauline Kale in The New Yorker killed me stone dead with her Blade Runner review. It was four pages of destruction. I never met her. I was so offended. I framed those pages and they’ve been in my office for 30 years to remind me there’s only one critic that counts and that’s you. I haven’t read critiques ever since. Because if it’s a good one, you may get a swollen head and forget yourself. And if it’s a bad one, you’re so depressed that it’s debilitating.
What This Means For Ridley Scott
Reviews Do Not Influence His Filmmaking
Scott’s filmography is evident of him living by the lesson he learned, regardless of what the critics say. HisAlienprequel,Prometheus, received significant criticism, but this did not stop him from going on to direct a sequel,Alien: Covenant.DespiteAlien: Covenantreceiving more criticism thanPrometheus,Scott still shared his intent to continue and finish the prequel series.In the past decades, he has had critical hits like The Martian, while others,includingNapoleon, have been poorly received. Regardless of the reviews,Scott has continued making the movies he wishes to create.
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Scott’s movies are not always crowd-pleasers, and as withBlade Runner, some take years to receive more appreciation.Blade Runner 2049and now the upcoming televisionBlade Runner 2099were born out of the enthusiastic following that developed around Scott’s original movie long after its debut. By making the movies he wants to make,each project ends up being true to Scott’s creative visionas he fully delivers the stories that he set out to tell.
Our Take On Ridley Scott’s Comments
His Attitude Makes Him A Better Filmmaker
Scott’s attitude is a healthy onethat is not only beneficial to him, but has created a wide range of movies. Despite many of his movies being commercial blockbusters, he still has incredible versatility as a filmmaker. BetweenAlienand its prequels,Blade Runner,The Martian,Gladiator, andnowGladiator IIare amongthe many movies that have been important for the science-fiction and historical epic genres, with Scott’s works making a far-reaching impact based on stories he believes in.
Blade Runner
Cast
The original Blade Runner is a sci-fi neo-noir film set in 2019 in a dystopian cyber-punk society. Harrison Ford stars as Rick Deckard as a Blade Runner for the LAPD, tasked with hunting rogue replicants, genetically engineered humans designed to tackle tasks that human beings cannot. When four replicants go rogue and begin killing humans, Deckard is forced out of retirement to hunt them down and stop them - but the truth isn’t as simple as it seems. Deckard will have to reckon with the philosophical dilemma of what makes someone human.
