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5 Years Later, This Ridley Scott Crime Thriller Deserves a Second Chance
This piece revisits Ridley Scott's 2021 film House of Gucci, arguing that the crime epic deserves reappraisal five years on. It notes Scott's career rarely ventures into the 20th-century crime genre, making the film's flamboyant take on the Gucci family's downfall a notable departure, comparable in structure to Martin Scorsese's Casino, tracing the rise and self-destruction of a glamorous dynasty.
The article details the film's long gestation, with Scott first developing the project in 2006, only for the real Gucci family to resist it over fears the story would be portrayed unflatteringly. Scott instead made All the Money in the World before eventually gaining the family's trust and full access to their archive to complete House of Gucci. The film centres on Lady Gaga as Patrizia Reggiani, whose marriage to heir Maurizio Gucci (Adam Driver) and clash with his father Rodolfo (Jeremy Irons) drives the story towards forgery, betrayal and the house's eventual collapse.
In short
- House of Gucci (2021) is reassessed five years after release.
- Scott spent 15 years developing it after family resistance.
- Lady Gaga's Patrizia Reggiani anchors the true-crime fashion saga.
Steelman: both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
Ridley Scott's venture into contemporary crime drama represents an ambitious stylistic departure that may warrant reconsideration, with the film's flamboyant aesthetic and tonal choices potentially reflecting deliberate artistic decisions about opulent excess and moral chaos rather than missteps. The director's meticulous 15-year development process and unprecedented access to the Gucci archive suggest serious artistic intent deserving generous reassessment, particularly as cultural perspectives on such narratives evolve with time.
The case against
Initial critical and audience responses likely reflected genuine artistic issues rather than misunderstanding or critical blindness. A film's tonal inconsistencies, pacing problems, or casting choices that failed to resonate cannot simply be reframed as bold stylistic decisions through retrospective reappraisal; the burden of proof rests with those advocating reconsideration to demonstrate fundamental underestimation rather than accurate initial assessment.
Explained simply
Gucci is an Italian fashion house built by the Gucci family, whose members held both ownership and leadership roles. House of Gucci draws on the family’s history, focusing on Patrizia Reggiani’s marriage to Maurizio Gucci, an heir to the business, and the tensions surrounding his family and the company.
The film is set against the wider rise and decline of a wealthy family whose private disputes became bound up with control of a famous brand. Its story connects fashion, family relationships and crime, offering a dramatised account of how conflict within the Gucci family contributed to the house’s troubles.