EXCLUSIVE: A critical case of Thanksgiving indigestion was precipitated yesterday by caustic feedback attributed to Gladiator II cinematographer John Mathieson in opposition to the movie’s director Ridley Scott on The DocFix Documentary Storytelling Podcast. Immediately, each the DP and the podcaster right this moment are every consuming a little bit of crow right here on Deadline. Mathieson regrets an interview about his illustrious profession performed final March whose edit made him appear to savage his director, when a two-hour interview bought condensed to half-hour. It made it seem Mathieson leveled disparaging feedback about Scott, when he was truly speaking in regards to the business on the whole, nevertheless it appeared like he mentioned the director took a “lazy” strategy to the epic sequel they did collectively that has been critically acclaimed and has to date grossed over $300 million worldwide and would possibly lastly get Scott that elusive Greatest Director Oscar.
Mathieson was Scott’s DP on the primary Gladiator, in addition to Hannibal and Kingdom of Heaven. It was Scott’s Alien that terrified the DP and have become a profession inspiration. Anybody who has spent any time with Scott would by no means use the phrase “lazy” to explain the filmmaker and his all-in course of that features storyboarding scenes from each angle. The podcaster mentioned the unfavorable implication of the edits weren’t performed intentionally, however the confusion is believable since Scott typically shoots an financial system of takes even on large set items through the use of as many as 11 cameras. Right here, allow them to clarify. You could find the disparaging stuff everywhere in the net, so no have to wallow within the false stuff right here.
First, this from the podcaster, Nigel Levy, himself a filmmaker. He mentioned that his podcast focuses on filmmakers who make documentaries, which each he and Mathieson have performed. They sat down when Mathieson had simply returned from taking pictures Gladiator II, however the interview was not about that movie.
“We coated many areas, together with all of the documentary and filmmaking ideas I do know my listeners would wish to hear,” Levy advised Deadline. “We did point out his time on the brand new Gladiator movie, as he had simply come again from location, nevertheless it wasn’t why we have been speaking. After we talked about how he filmed Gladiator, we then moved on to speak about how the business has modified – not all the time for the higher. The transition from digital to movie, digicam strategies, multi-camera versus single digicam, find out how to mild in a different way for every, blocking, and so forth. All this occurred over nearly two hours. Then I needed to reduce it all the way down to round 30. I primarily centered on discussing movie strategies as this was essentially the most attention-grabbing to my listeners and me. What I wish to give folks is sensible assist and recommendation. Throughout that enhancing course of, after all, issues have been condensed and that is the place the issues arose.
“One factor I used to be certain about was that John by no means meant to criticize Ridley,” Levy mentioned. “It does appear that bringing separate feedback nearer collectively might need made issues ambiguous if folks selected to take issues out of context – which they did. I’m sorry John and I didn’t have an opportunity to undergo it after my cutdown. In the long run, some folks have chosen to take heed to it and suggest issues John actually by no means meant…I’m sorry for any issues this has precipitated John, the movie and Ridley Scott. He’s, in any case, a clearly sensible movie director.”
Mentioned Mathieson: “The piece was about me. We talked about that, within the digital age, how issues have modified. And I used to be speaking in regards to the draw back of the digital age. We’ve to do extra. We’ve to get extra photographs, now we have to shoot extra daily, and now we have to mild and consider many cameras on the identical time. And I mentioned, you ask any DP that they don’t actually like doing that. And we talked about that and I mentioned that individuals simply come within the morning, change the espresso machine on, change the cameras on, say, what are we doing? As a result of the digital stuff doesn’t price something, however so that you shoot lots. And I saying that’s that, and I mentioned, this was the quote. I mentioned, the business, it’s actually lazy. Lazy and sloppy usually are not two phrases I’d ever put with this gentleman of a sure age and genius. However in case you slide out — and you’ll hear it — you slide out a paragraph and put it proper subsequent to, oh, let’s discuss Rid and multi cameras. And he edits the piece all the way down to half-hour…I may hear the blip of the sound. I mentioned, nicely, that wasn’t mentioned in opposition to that. That was most likely mentioned perhaps 20 minutes later. Nevertheless, that is what has risen to the floor. And I’m deeply regretful of that.”
He forgot in regards to the interview till Scott’s camp advised him it blew up everywhere in the web yesterday after it first bought picked up by a British tabloid, and on-line media adopted with out in search of readability. “I mentioned, oh God, nicely, that wasn’t excellent. However I didn’t actually really feel…we had offended him in any approach. However in comes Information Corp, significantly The Telegraph, they usually stick one thing collectively, a misrepresentation of what was mentioned. And right here we’re. The 2 items implies we have been speaking about him on the identical time, which we weren’t. I used to be speaking in regards to the business at massive.”
Then it fell to Mathieson to name the filmmaker. “I mentioned, ‘nicely this has occurred,’ and he mentioned, ‘Oh, God, what the fu*okay? He mentioned you’ve bought to watch out.’ I mentioned, I Know. I’m actually story you bought dropped into this, it’s very embarrassing and really hurtful.”
Scott’s birthday is tomorrow, and let’s hope the clarification places this within the rearview. In any case, the director who’s about to show 87 has a return match with Paul Mescal on The Canine Stars, with The Bee Gees, one other Gladiator and who is aware of what else up the highway.
