I mostly shot slide films and the emulsion side of film was always rather dark with a matte surface, not very reflective. I'm not sure what film is like before it's exposed and developed, an maybe colour films with the orange mask are different. Film records the full spectrum of colours across the entire surface - each colour is recorded on a different layer of emulsion - so you would expect it to have a black surface.
By comparison, digital sensors always seem a little brighter and the glass cover sheet is more reflective. Digital sensors have separate RGB sensors, each absorbs only a limited range of the spectrum, reflecting some of the un-absorbed light - so the overall appearance will never be black resulting in an overall lighter, more reflective surface.
But as you say, either way, this is not likely the cause of the flare in Ricks pictures.
