The first academic evaluation of the work of this major film director aims to study both his aesthetic achievement and the underlying themes and values he projects. Working within the boundaries of many diverse popular genres, Scott has infused his works with new energy through both a strong formal sense and a cohesive world view. In such films as Alien, Blade Runner, Thelma & Louise, and the recent blockbuster Gladiator, Scott addresses the tensions between institutions and individuals, passion and reason, and social order and personal freedom--particularly for women, who in Scott's films often posses strong characters, moral rectitude, and physical prowess--making him the rare mainstream director who does not reserve such heroic qualities for men only.

Providing extensive discussion of each of Ridley Scott's films--from 1977's The Duellists through the recent blockbuster epic Gladiator--author Richard A. Schwartz considers the power that even a filmmaker working well within the boundaries of the Hollywood studio system has to define and promote social values. Scott's frequent choice of the genre film as his mechanism for this makes him a particularly fascinating figure in contemporary cinema.

A consideration of Ridley Scott's visual style, thematic concerns, and his reinvigoration of such cinematic genres as science fiction, film noir, the road film, and historical epics.

About the Author

RICHARD A. SCHWARTZ is Professor of English, Fellow of the Honors College, and Director of the Film Studies Certificate Program at Florida International University. He is the author of Cold War Reference Guide, Cold War Culture, Encyclopedia of the Persian Gulf War, and Woody, From Antz to Zelig (Greenwood, 2000)

Book Information
ISBN 9780275969769
Author Richard A. Schwartz
Format Hardback
Page Count 200
Imprint Praeger Publishers Inc
Publisher Bloomsbury Publishing Plc