Something we’ve come to appreciate since the terrible news of the passing of director Tony Scott came in this morning, is that there’s an argument to be made that almost any one of his films saw him at the top of his game. From debut feature “The Hunger,” one of the first movies of the MTV generation, and the era-defining “Top Gun,” all the way to the bold formal experimentation of his last four films (some of which, especially the highly divisive “Domino,” were derided by many, but have their fervent auteurist supporters as well), his films were always technically impeccable, thrilling and instantly recognizable as a Tony Scott picture. He was the action director as auteur.
Which is not to say that his films were entirely about chase scenes and explosions. Far from it in fact — he loved actors, and they seemed to love him back. Denzel Washington worked with him five times, Gene Hackman twice in a row, and one only has to look at the depth of talent in his casts to see the kind of talent he attracted on his pics. Not many filmmakers could lure names like Keira Knightley, Gary Oldman, Kevin Costner, Jon Voight, Barry Pepper, Gabriel Byrne, Jack Black, Philip Baker Hall, Alec Baldwin, Robert Redford, Brad Pitt, and more to an action movie, but that’s what Scott managed across a number of films.
Sadly, there are no more Tony Scott movies to come, but the director leaves behind a resume of some of the most exciting and influential mainstream movies produced in Hollywood in the last few decades. To mark the director’s passing, we wanted to pick out five of our favorites, a task that proved trickier than we first imagined — as we said, depending on your tastes, an argument could be made for almost any one of his features deserving a place here. You can read about our five picks (and watch one more bonus film) below, and let us know your own favorites in the comments section. And for more, you can check out our 2010 retrospective on the director right here.
“The Hunger” (1983)
When the time came to make his first full feature (a decade after the 60-minute, little-seen, and somewhat uncharacteristic “Loving Memory“) the Scott of 1983’s “The Hunger” was far from a carbon copy of his by-then A-list brother Ridley, but was instead a genuine auteur announcing his entrance. “The Hunger” is a film both assured and ambitious, wringing subtlety and slow-boiling tension out of a shamelessly ridiculous plot involving a vampiric vixen that has persisted since Ancient Egyptian times in the graceful form of Catherine Deneuve, with lover David Bowie (showing off rarely seen, but always appreciated dramatic chops — this ties with “The Prestige” for his Best Supporting turn) riding her coattails through the veins of time. When Deneuve’s Miriam Blaylock takes an interest in researcher Sarah Roberts (Susan Sarandon), Bowie’s John begins a gracelessly rapid descent into advanced age and seeks the help of Roberts, who happens to study premature aging (only in the movies, folks!). Scott keeps a firm handle on his stylistic flourishes, with Stephen Goldblatt‘s noirish lighting an invaluable assist. “The Hunger” is a vampire film that could just as easily be a study of lust, love, and the waste that either lays on the body. Scott may be accused of almost exploitatively turning up the heat in the infamous lesbian scene between Deneuve and Sarandon, but like the rest of the film, even the juicy bits are handled with the kind of restraint that may have been the director’s trademark had “The Hunger” been a runaway hit. Alas, the film was too strange, too dark, and burdened with a vexing finale for that to happen. But, it is also one of the best vampire films ever made, a fable that toes the line between a fairy tale and a blood bath, occasionally (and expertly) mixing both. An assured debut, although an unfortunate box office burn for Scott, “The Hunger” is well-deserving of its sizable cult following.