Why You Should Trust Me: As a long-time sci-fi and history aficionado, Ridley Scott remains one of my favorite working directors. However, in making Robin Hood, Ridley Scott and screenwriter Brian Helgeland forgot what people loved about the character. However, there was plenty to like about the historical epic, most notably the return of some truly epic Ridley Scott swords-and-sandals battles. 1 'Gladiator' (2000)The swords-and-sandals epic that remains Ridley Scott's best historical epic or war movie. Add in what is, for my money, one of Hans Zimmer's finest scores, and you get the best movie Ridley Scott has ever directed.