Remembering Tony Scott: His 5 Best Films

“True Romance” (1993)
Gifted Quentin Tarantino’s excellent screenplay for “True Romance,” in many ways his own version of Terrence Malick’s “Badlands” (hammered home by Hans Zimmer riffing on its use of Gassenhauer for the theme), Scott ended up delivering one of the most nuanced, and least hi-octane, works of his career, and perhaps the film that’ll prove his most lasting legacy. The pairing of screenwriter and director here (which didn’t work so well for Richard Kelly in “Domino,” unfortunately) is a good fit, with a plethora of memorable characters and dialogue, most notably Brad Pitt’s honey bear bong-smoking pothead and the legendary face off between Dennis Hopper and Christopher Walken (“You got me in a vendetta kinda mood”), the single finest scene of the director’s career, and some of the most electric acting of the 1990s. The original ending was changed by Scott, and for the better; Clarence (Christian Slater) died in the end of Tarantino’s script, but it goes to show that sometimes a Hollywood happy ending can be the more satisfing and authentic choice to make. It was proof that Scott had the ability to make wise directorial choices, show restraint where needed, and tease out a host of great performances (Slater, Patricia Arquette, Gary Oldman, James Gandolfini, Val Kilmer, all giving enormously entertaining turns).

“Crimson Tide” (1995)
Yes, “Crimson Tide” is a Tony Scott film, very much so. But it may be remembered these days, at least to the obsessive film geeks of the world, for the contributions of uncredited co-writer Quentin Tarantino. Tarantino, a longtime Scott fan, was called in to punch up the dialogue after “True Romance” on this certifiably great submarine thriller that pits Denzel Washington against the power-mad captain played by Gene Hackman. The portions that bear Tarantino’s mark might as well be highlighted in blinking neon lights: an early scene in the film where the various crew members talk about their favorite submarine movies (in a wonderful bit of meta-textual knowingness); a discussion about which version of the Silver Surfer is better; and Hackman rattling on endlessly about different breeds of horses, a speech which has the flow of the famous “Sicilian” speech in the pair’s earlier collaboration. But Tarantino’s contributions are ultimately cosmetic, because even without them, “Crimson Tide” is a gripping, taut thriller, with the highest stakes imaginable. Scott choreographs the suspense sequences brilliantly (aided by claustrophobic cinematography by Dariusz Wolski), and emphasizes that the close-knit camaraderie that forms underneath the ocean can just as quickly curdle into something quite dangerous. It’s also worth noting Scott’s often unheralded genius at casting. Tucked beneath and around the cramped submarine sets are actors like James Gandolfini, Viggo Mortensen, Steve Zahn, and Ryan Phillippe, although the film’s anchored by two titanic, stubborn bull movie star performances by Denzel Washington and Gene Hackman, and Scott is careful not to let us sympathize too heavily with one or the other. How come we don’t get grown-up mainstream entertainment as smart and gripping as this anymore?