The work by the Scott brothers, Tony in particular, is what led me to notice style in cinema for the first time and notice that there was something unique to look out for with every filmmaker. His work was so outrageously showy with it’s striking primary – almost neon - colours, filtered skies, smoke filled rooms and very, very particular editing beats that it was hard not to be woken up to what a director can leave as a trademark.
That’s what I now take from cinema and take with me into every film I watch. I look for a style and a visual pattern. I want to be seduced by framing and cinematography in it’s simplest and showiest of forms. I don’t require them to be great philosophical works or to try my patience, I just need them to do what films were invented to do: to show me something entertaining. In every film I watch I look out for at least one shot that’s like no other and reveals to me what a love of cinema the director has.
Tony Scott’s movies were an orgy of these moments. They were addictive and compulsive viewing because every shot had some decadent design to it and every scene had a nakedly entertaining quality to it like a street carnival or kinky burlesque show. But there was also a liberalist approach to his contrasting characters. His heroes were often tortured, down on their luck but intelligent with an inner strength; whereas his bad guys were simply bad, brutal and greedy to the core. This showed his sympathy for the lost souls and wayward spirits of this world, but also a merciless aversion to corruption and privilege.
Although he has inspired many other directors over time his work has stood out amidst the lesser copyists as someone who just loved to make movies… and loved to make movies as bright and colourful and as entertaining as they could possibly be.
He style and fingerprint will last in cinema and inspire me forever.
May he rest in peace.
