Ridley Scott: Art is a shark

At 78, Ridley Scott usually starts his day with a martini. "Drinking liquor can inspire my creativity," he laughed.

The director of "Alien" and "Blade Runner" has entranced audiences with his latest work "The Martian." Combining serious science with gentle humor, the film has blasted to the top of the Chinese box office 9 days after its release, taking in 385 million yuan, industry data showed Thursday.

The new thriller is about an astronaut stranded on Mars who must come up with creative ways to survive.

"Thank god there's no monsters," Scott joked, referencing previous films such as "Alien." "It is all about science and the danger he (the hero) meets."

Whether his food source is faltering or he is facing technical malfunctions, Matt Watney, the protagonist played by Matt Damon, is almost always on the cusp of disaster. "He is in peril on a minute by minute basis."

But the film's lighter-side balances out the onslaught of tense moments, Scott said.

In one scene, Damon exclaims "I'm going to science the shit out of this" - a line that had the actor laughing during initial readings.

"Humor in such circumstances comes out of courage, human courage," Scott said during his first visit to China last week.

Nothing is more courageous than surviving in the unknown vasts of space, a setting Scott said he is interested in due to humanity's unfamiliarity, and therefore fear, of the great beyond.

"Space is very beautiful. Meanwhile, it is unknown. Lack of knowledge can cause fear," he said. < When asked how soon the scenarios in his film will become reality during a roundtable discussion in Beijing, Scott predicted "we will be able to land on Mars by 2025 if we have enough resources and financial support."

"They have been seeking more financing for space exploration, which is really costly."

In his opinion, the only reasonable approach is to form an alliance between several countries so an international team can share the cost.

Scott is known for his mastery of a wide range of themes as well as the grand and atmospheric visual style.

He made his first feature "The Duellists" in 1977. In 1979, his science-fiction horror film "Alien" firmly established him as a director. His better-known works include "Blade Runner" (1982), crime drama "Thelma & Louise" (1991) that commandeered 6 Oscar nominations, historical drama and Best Picture Oscar winner "Gladiator" (2000), war film "Black Hawk Down" (2001), crime thriller "Hannibal" (2001), biographical film "American Gangster" (2007) and "Prometheus" (2012) which is the sequel to "Alien."

Keeping busy is one of the keys to his creativity, he said. "For example, it is night in Beijing but day in Los Angeles. I can communicate with them now and have a discussion with my London team at noon."

"Art is a shark. It will drown if it stops," he said, quoting his friend and writer of "Blade Runner."

If not a director, he would choose to be a tennis player because "they are always moving," he said.

Another secret to success is to ignore the critics. It is a lesson he learned after reading a three and half page review of "Blade Runner" - the last one he has ever read.

"It is dangerous to read comments," he said. "The best way is to be a critic of your own movies."

After finishing a film, Scott reflects on the process and tries to consider his work in an objective manner. "Then, all you need to do is look ahead for the next one."

For now, that means work on his TV series "The Good Wife" and "The Man in the High castle", in the future he plans to make a "Blade Runner 2."

"If you spend too much time on one movie, it is a waste of time," he said. "I want to plan many works simultaneously."

Like a shark in fertile waters, the director doesn't seem to be slowing anytime soon. Endi