John Mathieson, the cinematographer for both Gladiator films, has slammed Ridley Scott’s recent filmmaking habits in a new interview.
Speaking on The DocFix podcast, Mathieson described Scott’s tendency to leave things in shot to be later cleaned up in post-production as “lazy”.
“It’s really lazy. It’s the CG elements now of tidying-up, leaving things in shot, cameras in shot, microphones in shot, bits of set hanging down, shadows from [boom mics]. And they just said [on Gladiator 2], ‘Well, clean it up.'”
The cinematographer didn’t stop there, calling Scott “impatient” for getting “as much as he can” using a multi-camera setup.
“Having lots of cameras I don’t think has made the films any better,” Mathieson said. “It’s a bit rush, rush, rush. That’s changed in him. But that’s the way he wants to do it and I don’t like it and I don’t think many people do, but people love his films and he’s Ridley Scott and can do what he wants.”
Gladiator 2, starring Paul Mescal, Pedro Pascal, Joseph Quinn, and Denzel Washington, is a follow-up to Scott’s 2000 classic. As of time of writing, it has grossed over $300 million at the worldwide box office.
Our own Gladiator 2 review lauded the director’s “cinematic power” in the historical epic. Reviewer Kelechi Ehenulo wrote, “It’s far from his best work, but the return to form by Scott is notable, proving that he still has the cinematic power to visually engage and excite audiences. Are you not entertained? Well, Scott still possesses the magic.”
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