UPDATE: Ridley Scott is again claiming that he was going to win the Palme d’Or in 1977 if the Jury hadn’t been bribed that year. This time he’s telling the story to THR’s directors roundtable which includes Denis Villeneuve, Edward Berger and Brady Corbet.
I don’t know how truthful Scott’s story is. A few months ago, I spoke to a Cannes staffer who was baffled by Scott’s “tale.” They told me it was the first time they’d ever heard this story, and that if such a thing had even occurred then we would have surely heard about it these last 48 years.
Posted on 11.08.24:
Any list of the best Ridley Scott films shouldn’t go without his 1977 debut, “The Duellists,” which is still one of his most gorgeous looking films.
“The Duellists” had its world premiere at the Cannes Film Festival where it was met with glowing praise, and even won the Best First Film prize. With that said, it turns out that it was actually supposed to win the Palme d’Or, that is if the jury hadn’t been bribed with money. That’s what Ridley Scott is telling The New York Times ..
When I made [“The Duellists”], they said, “Oh, we want to make this the British entry at Cannes.” I go, “Wow, OK.” Now I’m in Cannes and [Jury President] Roberto Rossellini was on the board. I wonder if I’ll tell you this. You judge, be careful what I’m going to tell you.”
Rossellini said to me, “Listen, I love the movie. I want to give you the Palme d’Or.” He said, “The committee are rejecting it because somebody in there has bribed the committee to vote for somebody else […] That was interesting. Money had been chucked in at the top.”
In the end, The Taviani brothers won the Palme for “Padre Padrone.” Scott’s film settled with the Best First Film prize. Regardless, “The Duellists” should probably now be added to our list of the films that almost won the Palme d’Or.
This isn’t the first time that we hear of a Cannes jury having been tampered with. In 1979, the Cannes jury were said to be less keen on “Apocalypse Now,” but the festival president at the time, Robert Favre Le Bret, would subsequently make a startling intervention on the issue. According to then Jury President Françoise Sagan, Le Bret summoned her to a meeting in which he told her it was in the best interests of Cannes for them to select “Apocalypse Now” as the winner.
The following day, a compromise was reached, and the Palme was awarded to two films, “Apocalypse Now” and Schlöndorff’s “The Tin Drum.”