Annotated Catalouge

Could the attention to detail in Ridley Scotts films qualify him as an auteur?

Films:
1-Blade Runner (Focus Film)
Blade Runner is my focus film because throughout the whole film there are strong visuals and attention to detail. I would say that Blade Runner is Scott's strongest film for visuals taking influences from 15th century art and film noir. Scott mixes the influences perfectly to create a mood instead of a completely gripping story line. Scott had full artistic control on the film. The visuals were also influenced by his interests in Sci-fi and the idea of post modernism.

2-Alien
Alien is my second film because it creates a mood right from the start. The geiger characters are introduced in sleeping pods and no words are spoken for the first few minutes of the film. The beginning sequence is almost an introduction to the space craft. The film also combines genres, using film noir and sci-fi.

3-Gladiator
Gladiator is known for its compelling action scenes but again, Ridley Scott really nailed the visuals. Creating the perfect setting of ancient rome. Unlike the other two films there is day light in gladiator and sets a completely different mood. The first scenes of gladiator are probably the darkest of the whole film with dark tones in the editing.

Rejected film:
4-Black Hawk Down
I felt that this films attention to detail wasn't not as prominent as the other three films. Although it has good action scenes I feel as if the film didn't have any deeper meanings or under tones.


Research Sources:
5-Ridley Scott by James Clarke  (Book):
This book gives a good summary of the plot line and other additional information about the films such as the reason he made the film, costumes, lighting choices and quotes from the films. I think that this book would be useful for finding inner meanings and original ideas of Scott, because of this I think that the book can be referenced to.

6-Ridley Scott film making part 1 http://filmschoolthrucommentaries.wordpress.com/2013/04/25/ridley-scott-on-filmmaking-part-i/ 
Ridley Scott discusses how he got into directing and into the film industry. He also discusses why he casts the Actors to play the characters and what they bring to the character. This interview isn't not relevant to my question.

7-Teach yourself film studies by Warren Buckland (Book) The Director as Auteur
This book discusses the idea of an auteur instead of the directors being mere 'technicians'. It discusses how mise-en-scene and themes can qualify directors as an auteur, and how the film looks to the audience just like Ridley Scotts. Ridley Scott's films are all glossy and really good on the eyes.

8-Analysis of Blade Runner 
http://vimeo.com/47059529
This analysis is about the look of Scott's Blade Runner, how he got into the industry of film. It shows that he gets influences from different pieces of arts and other auteurs. It shows how he concentrates on the whole look of the film rather than the narrative of the film. He bases a lot of Blade Runner on historical events and artefacts to give the film an moody look.

9-Ridley Scott as an Auteur
http://laceysfilms.wordpress.com/2012/06/04/ridley-scott-as-an-auteur/
This article is about what qualifies Ridley Scott as an auteur. It says that the glossy look of of Scotts films are part of his art, the reason for this glossy look is probably to do with the advertising job at the BBC. Scott is the controlling voice in his films and employs people to realise his vision. Scotts films have more emphasis on their look compared maybe to their story lines. This is a good source because it shows how it qualifies Scott as an auteur.

10- Adventures in the Screen Trade
This article is an argument against the auteur theory. It discusses how a director of a film because there are more than one person working on a film so that it is not just one persons decision.