There he is again.
Ridley Scott has never been one to play it safe when it comes to interviews, and his latest sit-down with Letterboxd proves the 87-year-old director is still as cocky as ever.
When asked about Demi Moore’s resurgence thanks to her awards-season run with “The Substance,” Scott couldn’t resist weighing in. First, he backhandedly dismisses Coralie Fargeat’s acclaimed body-horror hit, citing the “idea behind it as “Kubrickian” before admitting that Fargeat “kind of lost control of it.”
Then Scott pivoted to Moore’s work with him on “G.I. Jane” and upped the cockiness:
With Demi, we made a very, very good film with “G.I. Jane.” I think it is the best pro-women film honestly ever made, even better than Thelma & Louise.
Yes, he really said that.
For context, Scott himself directed “Thelma & Louise,” a landmark feminist text that’s been analyzed, celebrated, and canonized. However, calling his 1997 Navy SEAL drama with Moore the “best pro-women film ever made” is the kind of claim only Scott could make — and he does it with such conviction you almost forget how absurd it sounds.
“G.I. Jane” has its defenders, sure. Moore’s physical transformation and commitment to the role remain impressive, and the film tackles gender discrimination in the military head-on. However, “the best pro-women film ever made”? If anything, “G.I. Jane” felt like a Navy SEAL recruitment ad.
That said, Scott has always thrived on provocation. Whether he’s calling “Gladiator II” as “the best film I’ve ever made,” dismissing superhero movies as “boring as sh*t” or proclaiming “I’m expensive, but I’m good,” his interviews are always a joy to read.