Ridley Scott has responded to Quentin Tarantino's recent declaration that the director's 2001 war film «Black Hawk Down» is the best movie of the 21st century — and he is not buying it. Speaking to The Times ahead of the release of his new film «The Dog Stars», Scott joked about the compliment before rejecting it outright.
«I wonder what he was on, because whatever it is, I want some,» Scott said. When asked directly whether he agreed with Tarantino's assessment, the filmmaker simply replied: «No!»
Tarantino made the comments during a podcast discussion last year, placing «Black Hawk Down» above «Toy Story 3», «Lost in Translation» and «There Will Be Blood» in his ranking of the century's best films. His praise for the movie came with a side of controversy after he disparaged «There Will Be Blood» star Paul Dano in the same conversation.
«Black Hawk Down» features a massive ensemble cast including Josh Hartnett, Ewan McGregor and Tom Hardy in his first film role. The movie dramatizes the real-life rescue mission for the survivors of two Black Hawk helicopters shot down during the Battle of Mogadishu in Somalia in 1993. It was a box office success and won Academy Awards for both editing and sound.
While the two filmmakers have not discussed the comments directly, Scott noted that his late brother Tony had a close relationship with Tarantino, with the pair collaborating on «Crimson Tide» and «True Romance». «Tony adored Quentin and, I think, Quentin adored Tony,» Scott said.
Scott's reaction is consistent with his recent public stance on modern cinema. Last year, during a talk at the BFI Southbank, he called current movies «shit» and said the industry is «drowning in mediocrity». He added that he has started rewatching his own films, saying, «Actually, they're pretty good! And also, they don't age.»
Elsewhere, Jacob Elordi, who stars in Scott's upcoming «The Dog Stars», playfully dodged questions about auditioning for the role of James Bond while promoting the film in London.