Director Ridley Scott retaliates against the real-life Gucci family's criticism of his upcoming biographical crime drama, House of Gucci. Based on Sara Gay Forden's book The House of Gucci: A Sensational Story of Murder, Madness, Glamour, and Greed, the movie chronicles the opportunistic Patrizia Reggiani's infiltration of the Gucci family dynasty through her marriage to Maurizio Gucci. As an outsider aspiring to impact the luxurious Italian brand, Reggiani surmises that pitting the family against each other is the most effective tactic in realizing her aspirations. In the process of her ascent, however, Reggiani finds herself on the outs with Maurizio, and she resorts to violence to keep from losing her grip on the fashion titans.
After having previously been tapped to adapt the book in the mid-2000s, Scott moved forward with the project in 2019, with Lady Gaga attached to play the lead role. The all-star House of Gucci cast was eventually rounded out by Adam Driver, Jared Leto, Jeremy Irons, Salma Hayek, and Al Pacino. Prior to the film's release, however, members the Gucci family spoke out against it, with Maurizio's cousin Patrizia Gucci criticizing Scott for attempting to profit off her family's identity.
In a recent interview with BBC Radio 4's Today programme, Scott brushes off the real-life family's criticism of House of Gucci. In an assertive, yet perfunctory fashion, the director states that he does not immerse himself in such dialogue. He reminds listeners that one Gucci was murdered and another jailed for tax evasion, claiming that all privacy is lost in the aftermath of such public scandals. See Scott's exact response to the family's criticism below:
I don’t engage with that. You have to remember that one Gucci was murdered and another went to jail for tax evasion so you can’t be talking to me about making a profit. As soon as you do that you become part of the public domain.
This is certainly not the first instance of criticism from the subjects of House of Gucci. Reggiani, for example, who served 16 years behind bars for hiring a hitman to murder her husband, previously voiced her annoyance towards Lady Gaga for portraying her in the film without ever meeting with her. Gaga later responded by stating that she did not want any outside opinions to influence her portrayal of the role.
While the Guccis have the right to be upset about the film, they would not be the first of Hollywood's real-life subjects to be unhappy with their portrayals, and it will be up to audiences to decide whether they feel Scott's film is exploitative. In fact, complaints from the family are more likely to build interest in House of Gucci, as viewers hardly expect a movie with such subject matter to portray the fashion titans flatteringly. Given the disappointing box office performance of Scott's other 2021 release, The Last Duel, any press is probably good press for the House of Gucci team.
Source: BBC Radio 4's Today
