Director Ridley Scott is one of the more prolific filmmakers in Hollywood, having been steadily cranking out films since his debut with 1979's Alien . And despite dabbling in everything from historical drama to science fiction to comedy, Scott's films have a few common elements. They all have a strong focus on visual design and tend to feature very memorable performances from some of Hollywood's best actors.

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In honor of the release of his latest project Exodus: Gods and Kings, we've decided to examine the 10 best films from Scott's directing filmography. Will Prometheus make the cut? And how does it stack up to the likes of Gladiator and Blade Runner? Read on to find out.2008Kingdom of Heaven explored tensions between Western and Middle Eastern cultures during the Crusades. Scott returned to that subject matter a few years later in Body of Lies, only this time from a more contemporary perspective. Body of Lies is a spy thriller wherein both CIA operatives and Jordanian intelligence officials clash over attempts to capture an elusive terrorist named al-Saleem.Like so many Scott movies on this list, Body of Lies benefits from a strong cast (Leonardo DiCaprio, Russell Crowe, Mark Strong) and an equally strong sense of visual style. The use of color to separate scenes set in America and the Middle East is especially effective.On the downside, Body of Lies delivers a surprisingly straightforward and rudimentary spy plot with many of the usual genre tropes. Ultimately, the strong cast and directorial style only elevate what would otherwise be a very conventional film.2007Denzel Washington had an iconic, villainous turn as a crooked cop in 2001's Training Day. Scott sought to recapture that same magic six years later with American Gangster. This crime film is (loosely) based on the story of real-life drug kingpin Frank Lucas (Washington), who smuggled heroin from Southeast Asia into the US by hiding in the coffins of Vietnam War casualties. Russell Crowe once again teamed with Scott, this time playing Newark police detective Richie Roberts.American Gangster featured an engrossing story, and as usual, Washington delivered a charismatic, intense performance. Perhaps too charismatic, however. Many have complained that the film is too flattering in its portrayal of Lucas as a noble figure rather than a violent criminal. By comparison, Crowe's character is the more morally conflicted and interesting of the two. Outside of these two rivals, the supporting characters are too frequently underdeveloped, especially Chiwitel Ejiofor's Huey Lucas.American Gangster works for many of the same reasons most of Scott's films do, but occasionally its lack of nuance drags it down.2012Prometheus qualifies as the most divisive of Scott's many films. Some viewers praise the movie for its gorgeous visuals, its impressive performances, and its thematic depth. Others criticize it for what they see as a messy story full of plot holes and lacking in resolution. Either way, none can fault the movie for its lack of ambition.Prometheus also happens to be a prequel to Alien. If the reviews are mixed, they're certainly far more positive than the ones other follow-ups like Alien: Resurrection or the Alien vs. Predator movies received.Prometheus may not have been what fans were expecting when they learned Scott was returning to the franchise he created. In that sense, it offers a very interesting preview of what might be in store as Scott is reportedly gearing up for a Blade Runner sequel.1991Glancing at the poster for Thelma & Louise , one might be forgiven for assuming the movie is a feel-good comedy about two women traveling and growing together. Well, there are some comedic elements involved, Thelma & Louise is actually a darker tale of two women seeking liberation and a road trip that goes horribly wrong.Geena Davis and Susan Sarandon play the leads, respectively. The film follows their progressively chaotic journey across the American Southwest as they run afoul of the law, attract the attention of a suave con artist (Brad Pitt), and seek to find a safe route into Mexico. There are some laughs and chase scenes along the way, but ultimately the movie is a look at two robed women attempting to shake the bonds of their old, oppressive lives.Again, Scott delivers a visually mesmerizing film filled with great performances. The tragic finale sequence still ranks as one of the most iconic in Hollywood history.2006Kingdom of Heaven met with a very lukewarm response when it hit theaters in 2005. There was plenty of Crusades-era action and intrigue, but the characters and storyline weren't enough to distinguish Scott's latest historical drama from the rest.What a difference an extra 45 minutes of footage can make. It turned out that the movie Scott assembled was not the one that actually arrived in theaters. The eventual Director's Cut DVD release restored the lost footage and, in the process, morphed a decent historical drama into a great one. New scenes greatly fleshed out the conflict and character motivations. These scenes even revealed an important character (Baldwin V) who had been completely eliminated from the theatrical cut.About the only thing the director's cut didn't fix was the fact that Orlando Bloom's performance didn't quite measure up to the rest of the cast. But even with that flaw, the unaltered Kingdom of Heaven ranks as one of Scott's best.1977The late '70s were a good time for fans of Joseph Conrad's stories. First, Francis Ford Coppola morphed “Heart of Darkness” into the surreal Vietnam War drama Apocalypse Now. Then Ridley Scott followed that up with his directorial debut, which adapted “Point of Honor.”As it turns out, Scott's first film still ranks as one of his better efforts. The Duellists follows the lives of two French military officers (played by Harvey Keitel and Keith Carradine) who are drawn into a series of duels over the course of several decades.Even so early in his career, Scott and his collaborators showed a flair for cinematography, costume designs, and other visual elements that would become a recurring hallmark of his work. Scott admitted that the movie was, in terms of both plot and cinematography, an homage to Stanley Kubrick's Barry Lyndon.The only aspect of the film that holds it back slightly is the lead performances. Keitel and Carradine do a fine job in their roles, but they don't quite manage to convince the viewer they're actually Napoleonic-era French characters.2000Gladiator was the film that kicked Russel Crowe's career into overdrive and began the trend of Crowe re-teaming with Scott. It even revived the long-dormant sword & sandals genre.Crowe plays Maximus Decimus Meridius, a respected general in service of Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius. After being betrayed by Aurelius' son, Commodus, Maximus finds himself a slave doomed to die in the gladiatorial arena.Crowe won over viewers and critics alike thanks to his intense portrayal of Maximus, while Joaquin Phoenix had a memorable turn as the sleazy Commodus. Though the film was only very loosely based on historical events, Scott sought to create a more accurate depiction of Rome as a city and society than Hollywood had offered before. The sweeping CG shots of the city aren't quite as impressive now as they were 12 years ago, but the movie did maintain Scott's typically sumptuous visual approach.Rumors have persisted for years that a Gladiator sequel and/or prequel will eventually take shape. We have to wonder what any director would hope to accomplish with this story that Scott and Crowe didn't already.2001After Gladiator, Scott turned his attention to this adaptation of Mark Bowden's book, which chronicled the disastrous Battle of Mogadishu in 1993. The film immediately took on a new sort of relevancy, as it hit theaters mere months after the September 11th terrorist attacks.Scott's film follows a group of soldiers (Josh Hartnett, Ewan McGregor, Eric Bana, Tom Hardy and others) as they fought their way through the hostile streets of Mogadishu and struggled to salvage their failed mission. Few films so expertly capture the horror and tension of the battlefield. Certain scenes are shocking in their violence and brutality. Once again, the emphasis on visual design and camera techniques paid off.Black Hawk Down managed to strike the right chord at the right time. Though it focused on the hopelessness and sense of despair of a failed mission, it was ultimately a rousing celebration of military heroism.1979If Prometheus is a divisive film, Alien is a movie every Ridley Scott fan can get behind. It remains a classic of both the science fiction and horror genres and gave us the iconic tagline “In space, no one can hear you scream.”Scott probably had no idea he was providing the spark for a massive, multimedia franchise when he took on this assignment. Instead, he and his collaborators were more concerned with the logistical challenges of creating a convincing spaceship environment and alien creature. The Xenomorph came to life through clever costume design and various practical effects, while H.R. Giger's surreal set designs made viewers feels as though they were trapped in a cold, hostile, claustrophobic environment right alongside the crew of the Nostromo.In the end, it was no wonder the Alien franchise grew so large. Scott provided an isolated glimpse of a captivating new sci-fi universe. It begged for further exploration, and it's a shame that there have been so many failed attempts to follow up on this landmark film.1982Only one film could hope to beat out Alien as the greatest of Ridley Scott's extensive catalog. No, it's not G.I. Jane, it's Blade Runner.Three years after Alien wowed audiences, Scott returned to the sci-fi realm with this adaptation of Philip K. Dick's “Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?”. Headlining the film was Han Solo and Indiana Jones himself, Harrison Ford. Ford plays a detective named Deckard who specialized in tracking down deadly androids called Replicants, while Rutger Hauer is at his most electric at the Replicant leader, Roy Batty.Blade Runner easily ranks as Scott's most visually mesmerizing film. The special effects hold up surprisingly well 30 years later, while Scott's vision of a seedy, rainy, neon-lit future world is unlike any other. At the time, Blade Runner was accused of favoring style over substance, but in the decades since fans have come to appreciate the film's thematic and emotional depth.It helps that there are so many versions of the film to dig through. Like Kingdom of Heaven, the theatrical release of Blade Runner was trimmed down and diminished by the studio (complete with new narration and an unnecessary happy ending). The Director's Cut version was released in 1992, and various official and unofficial revisions surfaced. But it wasn't until the Final Cut hit in 2007 that fans finally had access to Blade Runner in its purest form. The wait was long, but well worth it.

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