After the American actor Anthony Rapp accused Kevin Spacey of abusing him three decades ago, Ridley Scott cut all of Spacey's scenes in "All the Money in the World" in November and had him recast with the Canadian actor Christopher Plummer. The unprecedented move did not jeopardize the December premiere of the movie and both Plummer's appearance and the crime drama have received good reviews.

His films burst with visual power and opulence, and even his more minor films boast stunning cinematography. In his best works, visual style and narrative depth complement each other perfectly. Ridley Scott, born in 1937, is an image magician — and has given modern cinema some unforgettable moments. He is pictured here on the set of "Black Rain" (1989).

In 1977 Scott was 40 years old and making television shows and ads, so no one expected that he'd become one of the most sought-after directors in world cinema. But his feature film debut that year, "The Duellists," the story of two officers during the reign of Napoleon, showcased Scott's special talent: sumptuous images, a distinct visual style and cinema for all the senses.

The film to follow went to a whole new level: "Alien" was remarkable in for its perfect combination of science-fiction and horror, complete with breathless suspense, bold cinematography and Oscar-winning special effects. For the first time, a woman (Sigourney Weaver) was the lead in an action movie. "Alien" went on to inspire a new generation of sci-fi thrillers.

Ridley Scott went one better with the 1982 dystopian sci-fi film "Blade Runner," which featured more fantastic visuals and unique neo-noir atmospherics. Harrison Ford entered cinema history in his role as a replicant-hunter, and few films have inspired so many imitators — a sequel was also released in 2017. The original "Blade Runner" remains one of the greatest cult films of all time.

After excursions into fantasy, action and thriller, Scott landed another coup in 1991 with "Thelma & Louise." The story of two very different friends who just want to escape their dreary everyday lives becomes a wild road movie stretching across America. It was another film with strong cinematography and a quirky story that also featured Brad Pitt in a breakout role.

Almost a decade later, Scott's next major international success came with "Gladiator," a grand Roman Empire epic. The blood and swords action drama won five Oscars (including Best Actor for Russell Crowe, who played the revengeful Roman general turned gladiator) and a nomination for Scott. It was another work with a compelling narrative and brilliant cinematography.

Following his trip to antiquity, the following year Scott released his first war film, "Black Hawk Down" (2001), and proved he was able to create breathless tension in yet another genre. Tracing an episode involving US soldiers during the 1993 Battle of Mogadishu in Somalia, the film also created controversy for its "airbrushed" depiction of American military involvement in a civil war.

Scott's next project was the sequel to the worldwide hit, "The Silence of the Lambs." The serial killer Hannibal Lecter was in good hands with Scott, who pulled out all the stops in his return to the horror suspense genre. Nevertheless, Scott struggled to replicate the massive success of the original Hannibal movie, and the 2001 film is today regarded as one of his minor works.

Scott took another trip into history with his 2010 action film "Robin Hood," a potent re-imagining of the legendary story of the do-gooder who helps the poor. "Grown-up but not too serious; action-packed but not juvenile…[it's] the Robin Hood movie we’ve been waiting decades for, it's also Ridley Scott and Russell Crowe at their most entertaining since 'Gladiator,'" said one critic.

Ridley Scott belongs to the handful of very powerful Hollywood directors who can freely choose their subjects and actors. So it proved with the A-list cast — Michael Fassbender, Penelope Cruz, Cameron Diaz, Javier Bardem, Brad Pitt — assembled for the British director's 2013 drug thriller "The Counselor." Top stars want to work with Scott. The film received a mixed response, however.

After the American actor Anthony Rapp accused Kevin Spacey of abusing him three decades ago, Ridley Scott cut all of Spacey's scenes in "All the Money in the World" in November and had him recast with the Canadian actor Christopher Plummer. The unprecedented move did not jeopardize the December premiere of the movie and both Plummer's appearance and the crime drama have received good reviews.

His films burst with visual power and opulence, and even his more minor films boast stunning cinematography. In his best works, visual style and narrative depth complement each other perfectly. Ridley Scott, born in 1937, is an image magician — and has given modern cinema some unforgettable moments. He is pictured here on the set of "Black Rain" (1989).

In 1977 Scott was 40 years old and making television shows and ads, so no one expected that he'd become one of the most sought-after directors in world cinema. But his feature film debut that year, "The Duellists," the story of two officers during the reign of Napoleon, showcased Scott's special talent: sumptuous images, a distinct visual style and cinema for all the senses.

The film to follow went to a whole new level: "Alien" was remarkable in for its perfect combination of science-fiction and horror, complete with breathless suspense, bold cinematography and Oscar-winning special effects. For the first time, a woman (Sigourney Weaver) was the lead in an action movie. "Alien" went on to inspire a new generation of sci-fi thrillers.

Ridley Scott went one better with the 1982 dystopian sci-fi film "Blade Runner," which featured more fantastic visuals and unique neo-noir atmospherics. Harrison Ford entered cinema history in his role as a replicant-hunter, and few films have inspired so many imitators — a sequel was also released in 2017. The original "Blade Runner" remains one of the greatest cult films of all time.

After excursions into fantasy, action and thriller, Scott landed another coup in 1991 with "Thelma & Louise." The story of two very different friends who just want to escape their dreary everyday lives becomes a wild road movie stretching across America. It was another film with strong cinematography and a quirky story that also featured Brad Pitt in a breakout role.

Almost a decade later, Scott's next major international success came with "Gladiator," a grand Roman Empire epic. The blood and swords action drama won five Oscars (including Best Actor for Russell Crowe, who played the revengeful Roman general turned gladiator) and a nomination for Scott. It was another work with a compelling narrative and brilliant cinematography.

Following his trip to antiquity, the following year Scott released his first war film, "Black Hawk Down" (2001), and proved he was able to create breathless tension in yet another genre. Tracing an episode involving US soldiers during the 1993 Battle of Mogadishu in Somalia, the film also created controversy for its "airbrushed" depiction of American military involvement in a civil war.

Scott's next project was the sequel to the worldwide hit, "The Silence of the Lambs." The serial killer Hannibal Lecter was in good hands with Scott, who pulled out all the stops in his return to the horror suspense genre. Nevertheless, Scott struggled to replicate the massive success of the original Hannibal movie, and the 2001 film is today regarded as one of his minor works.

Scott took another trip into history with his 2010 action film "Robin Hood," a potent re-imagining of the legendary story of the do-gooder who helps the poor. "Grown-up but not too serious; action-packed but not juvenile…[it's] the Robin Hood movie we’ve been waiting decades for, it's also Ridley Scott and Russell Crowe at their most entertaining since 'Gladiator,'" said one critic.

Ridley Scott belongs to the handful of very powerful Hollywood directors who can freely choose their subjects and actors. So it proved with the A-list cast — Michael Fassbender, Penelope Cruz, Cameron Diaz, Javier Bardem, Brad Pitt — assembled for the British director's 2013 drug thriller "The Counselor." Top stars want to work with Scott. The film received a mixed response, however.

Celie and Shug walk though a field of flowers while reflecting on God's possible vanity: "I think it pisses God off if you walk by the color purple in a field somewhere and don't notice it," Shug declares. Faith plays a strong role in this film about the oppression of African American women. The color purple has strong symbolism in Christianity — it wasn't chosen by coincidence.

Ballerina Vicki (Moira Shearer) falls in love with the composer of a ballet — and has to choose between him and ballet in the end. The color red, which reoccurs in her ballet shoes, the color of her hair and the lighting, stands for the vitality of dancing but also for Vicki's passion and doom. The dance film also features a creative use of Technicolor.

Once again ballet, but 62 years later: To become a prima ballerina requires hard training, both physical and mental. The goal is to be better than all others. To obtain the double role of the white and the black swan in Tchaikovsky's "Swan Lake," Nina (Natalie Portman) gives everything she has, leading to her self-destruction. The film plays with the symbolism of white and black, or good and bad.

A dark blue velvet curtain opens onto a colorful world: Red roses, a white garden fence and a clear blue sky — the American small-town idyll. Behind the scenes, however, violence, corruption and sadomasochistic games take place. The lead female character Dorothy (Isabella Rossellini) wears a blue velvet bathrobe, while Bobby Vinton's "Blue Velvet" plays.

In the film adaptation of Stephen King's novel, prisoner John has supernatural healing powers. He has been sentenced to death after unjustly being convicted of murder. The floors of the death row corridors are green, hence the title. Green stands for hope — could John's good soul save him from execution?

This drama based on the story of free divers features the sea's endless blue depths. Two childhood friends who become champion free divers, swimmers who can remain underwater for long periods without breathing gear, spend their lives competing against other — with fatal consequences.

Inspector Clouseau (Peter Sellers) is trailing a jewel thief who's stolen the largest diamond in the world, called the "Pink Panther." His wife is also having an affair with the thief. The comedy exquisitely parodies detective and secret agent films of the 1960s. In its opening credits sequence, the film introduced the Pink Panther cartoon character, which would later get its own series.