false http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1180279146m/1018628.jpg 1018628 3 Critics have always had a problem with Ridley Scott. In this volume, remarkably the first ever book-length study of Scott's films, Paul M. Sammon puts this down to the director's links with commerce: "many pundits view Ridley Scott as too successful, too technical, or too mercantile to take seriously". In this slim volume, the author--who has also written books on <I>Blade Runner</I> and the <I>Alien</I> Trilogy--attempts to demonstrate that Scott is in fact an <I>auteur</I> worthy of critical recognition.<p> Sammon takes a chronological approach to his subject, beginning with the director's youth and his early success in television advertising, before moving on to a film-by-film analysis of Scott's work from <I>The Duellists</I> to <I>G.I. Jane</I>. Each film is afforded a brief description of its writing, casting and production, together with details of its critical and commercial reception. Anxious to counter claims of "style over substance", Sammon also draws the reader's attention to important themes in the director's work and features of his style. On the whole, Sammon succeeds in persuading the reader that there is more to Scott's work than many critics allow, even if the writer's friendship with the director does sometimes cloud his judgement. With this in mind, the reprinting of the <I>Variety</I> reviews for each of the films offers a welcome sense of critical balance, as well as providing useful lists of cast and crew. --<I>John Oates</I> 367461 1999 Ridley Scott: The Making of His Movies total:1|3:1| 1 3 5 1 0 0 false false Sun Mar 29 06:33:31 -0700 2009 Tue Mar 31 05:12:13 -0700 2009 eBay.]]> 0 0 false false Wed Oct 28 11:52:06 -0700 2009 Wed Oct 28 11:52:06 -0700 2009 0 0 false false Sun Aug 17 01:06:58 -0700 2008 Sun Aug 17 01:06:58 -0700 2008 0 0 false false Sun Jan 20 06:53:13 -0800 2008 Sun Jan 20 06:53:16 -0800 2008 3 0 false false Thu Dec 06 17:37:14 -0800 2007 Thu Dec 06 17:37:14 -0800 2007 http://www.goodreads.com/book_link/follow/8?book_id=1018628