Tony Scott

See also Tony Scott for the American clarinet jazz musician.

The 1990s

In 1990, Scott returned the Simpson-Bruckheimer fold to helm the big-budget auto racing saga Days of Thunder. Once again directing Tom Cruise in a tale of a talented-but-reckless young man who must master his emotions as well as his machinery, the similarities to Top Gun did not go unnoticed. Unlike its predecessor, the film was a box-office disappointment when released in the summer of 1990.

Related Topics:
1990 - Days of Thunder

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Scott's next film, The Last Boy Scout, faired little better, its grim, downbeat tone (with notable overtones of misogyny) and punishing violence proving to be a little much for Holiday moviegoers at the time of its release in December 1991. It was, however, a modest commercial success, particularly in comparison to star Bruce Willis' previous vehicle, Hudson Hawk. Sensing that he was perhaps being pigeon-holed as a director of glossy, high-tech, big-bang action pictures, Scott then turned his attentions to a much smaller-scale production, albeit one every bit as technically polished and visually accomplished as the rest of his work. Through a meeting arranged by a former employee, Scott was introduced to a bright, extremely enthusiastic video store clerk turned fledging filmmaker by the name of Quentin Tarantino. Tarantino offered him samples of his work to read, among them the screenplays for Reservoir Dogs and True Romance. Scott told Tarantino that he would love to make them both. Tarantino, however, showed remarkable tenacity for a filmmaker who had not yet made even one finished film, and politely replied to Scott that he could not have the rights to Dogs, as Tarantino intended to direct it himself. He was, however, able to make True Romance.

Related Topics:
The Last Boy Scout - Misogyny - 1991 - Bruce Willis - Hudson Hawk - Quentin Tarantino - Reservoir Dogs - True Romance

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Made for $13 Million in 1993, a fraction of what his previous four pictures had cost, True Romance was a bold, exuberant, turbo-charged variation on well-worn Bonnie and Clyde themes. Boasting a first rate cast including Christian Slater, Dennis Hopper, Christopher Walken, Gary Oldman, Brad Pitt, Tom Sizemore, Chris Penn, Val Kilmer and, in bit roles, James Gandolfini and Samuel L. Jackson, True Romance was the picture that helped change the perception of Scott from that of well-paid Hollywood "hack", to that of highly skilled action auteur. Although reaction to the film was initially lukewarm, like most of Scott's work, it quickly developed a strong cult following. And while most of the press coverage of the film centered on its star screenwriter, True Romance is every bit as much a tour-de-force for Tony Scott as it was for Quentin Tarantino. Tarantino himself was a self-confessed "huge Tony Scott fan", and was enormously pleased with the final product, even consenting to record a commentary track for the special edition DVD release of the film.

Related Topics:
1993 - Bonnie and Clyde - Christian Slater - Dennis Hopper - Christopher Walken - Gary Oldman - Brad Pitt - Tom Sizemore - Chris Penn - Val Kilmer - James Gandolfini - Samuel L. Jackson - DVD

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Scott's next film returned him back into the Simpson-Bruckheimer fold for a big-budget thriller, but unlike their previous collaborations, this one showed a renewed interest in strong characterizations. Crimson Tide, a submarine thriller starring Gene Hackman and Denzel Washington, was a box-office hit in 1995 and confirmed Tony Scott's status as an A list director, capable of drawing top level acting talent. His follow-up film, 1996's The Fan, contained a similarly strong cast (Robert De Niro, Wesley Snipes, Ellen Barkin, Benicio Del Toro, etc.), but was perhaps the low point in Scott's filmography, a film which pleased neither critics nor moviegoers, and unlike The Hunger, seems unlikely for rediscovery anytime soon. Scott bounced back in 1998 with Enemy of the State, a paranoid thriller starring Will Smith and Gene Hackman. Playing like an amphetamine-charged version of Francis Coppola's The Conversation (1974), Scott's high-tech thriller was well received by critics and audiences alike.

Related Topics:
Crimson Tide - Submarine - Gene Hackman - Denzel Washington - 1995 - 1996 - The Fan - Robert De Niro - Wesley Snipes - Ellen Barkin - Benicio Del Toro - 1998 - Enemy of the State - Paranoid - Will Smith - Amphetamine - Francis Coppola - The Conversation - 1974

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