After a really quick search on the internet, it appears that there are countless film awards handed out each year, around the globe. There are the critics' awards, the festival awards and the most popular ones, the industry awards. The Oscar's fall under the latter category and are also known as the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Awards. There are also the Golden Globes, the Cannes International Film Festival awards, the BAFTAs, the Sundance Film Festival awards and a multitude of others that sadly no one has ever heard of.
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| Yay me!!!! |
Apparently, the US is the second largest producer of feature films in the world, right after India. And although India undoubtedly offers viewers a lot more bling than the States, Hollywood still remains the most glamorous movie industry of all and the Academy Awards the most anticipated film ceremony of the year.
But to be honest, the Oscars can sometimes be unjust and misleading. There have been several occasions where truly exceptional performances lost out to other artists who, to be fair, were not always less deserving but they were by no means the best out of all the nominees. And when I say performances I do not solely mean acting. This includes directors, musicians, make-up artists and everyone who participates in the making of a film, as it is their performance that is being judged.
The most notable example is of course the exquisite Leonardo DiCaprio, who has yet to win an Oscar. As an actor, he has been nominated four times for an Academy Award and he has won nil. I don't mean to say that, for instance, Jammie Foxx did not deserve the Oscar for Ray, but Leo was admittedly exceptional in The Aviator. It must have been a tough choice. Also, in 1993 he was nominated for Best Supporting Actor for What's Eating Gilbert Grape. Again, I'm not saying he should have won, but I am not entirely convinced that Tommy Lee Jones' win was just either. Personally, I thought that Pete Postlethwaite deserved that Oscar. Or maybe Ralph Fiennes for Schindler's List. Matthew McConaughey totally deserved it this year though.
Still, Leo is young. He has an amazing and award-ridden future ahead of him. But there are several other artists that the Academy has overlooked over the years, which makes it hard to not think that the entire process is completely biased and controlled. Peter O'Toole, received a "consoling" Academy Honorary Award in 2003 after being nominated and overlooked a whopping eight times. And in spite of the fact that he was tottering into antiquity, as he so eloquently put it, he did attend the ceremony, receive the award and was a perfect gentleman, giving a wonderful speech to the very people who had consistently snubbed him for several decades. Sir Charles Chaplin has also won not one but two Honorary awards for his contribution to film and an Oscar for Best Score for the film Limelight in 1973, but his acting skills were apparently never recognised by his peers as award-worthy. And Sir Alfred Hitchcock. The legendary director was nominated five times but never got the golden statue for his directorial work, despite having made some of the most iconic films of all time.
Surely, there are more examples I could give, but I reckon it is not necessary. Anyone who is into films will have an example of their own which can be subjectively or objectively argued. And they are probably right, from their own point of view. But the recognition of a good film is so much more than an award at the end of the year or box-office revenues and pop corn sales. Sure, being awarded as the best at what you do must be overwhelming but that is just an award for one film, one year, one time.
What makes film artists last forever in the public's mind is the love of the art and the need to excel at what they do. It's good acting, riveting directing, mind-numbing script-writing, unforgettable scoring, mesmerising cinematography, breathtaking visuals, the magic of movie-making and the way it makes people dream. The art of storytelling.
But to be honest, the Oscars can sometimes be unjust and misleading. There have been several occasions where truly exceptional performances lost out to other artists who, to be fair, were not always less deserving but they were by no means the best out of all the nominees. And when I say performances I do not solely mean acting. This includes directors, musicians, make-up artists and everyone who participates in the making of a film, as it is their performance that is being judged.
The most notable example is of course the exquisite Leonardo DiCaprio, who has yet to win an Oscar. As an actor, he has been nominated four times for an Academy Award and he has won nil. I don't mean to say that, for instance, Jammie Foxx did not deserve the Oscar for Ray, but Leo was admittedly exceptional in The Aviator. It must have been a tough choice. Also, in 1993 he was nominated for Best Supporting Actor for What's Eating Gilbert Grape. Again, I'm not saying he should have won, but I am not entirely convinced that Tommy Lee Jones' win was just either. Personally, I thought that Pete Postlethwaite deserved that Oscar. Or maybe Ralph Fiennes for Schindler's List. Matthew McConaughey totally deserved it this year though.
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| Soon... Very Soon!!!! |
Still, Leo is young. He has an amazing and award-ridden future ahead of him. But there are several other artists that the Academy has overlooked over the years, which makes it hard to not think that the entire process is completely biased and controlled. Peter O'Toole, received a "consoling" Academy Honorary Award in 2003 after being nominated and overlooked a whopping eight times. And in spite of the fact that he was tottering into antiquity, as he so eloquently put it, he did attend the ceremony, receive the award and was a perfect gentleman, giving a wonderful speech to the very people who had consistently snubbed him for several decades. Sir Charles Chaplin has also won not one but two Honorary awards for his contribution to film and an Oscar for Best Score for the film Limelight in 1973, but his acting skills were apparently never recognised by his peers as award-worthy. And Sir Alfred Hitchcock. The legendary director was nominated five times but never got the golden statue for his directorial work, despite having made some of the most iconic films of all time.
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| Legends |
What makes film artists last forever in the public's mind is the love of the art and the need to excel at what they do. It's good acting, riveting directing, mind-numbing script-writing, unforgettable scoring, mesmerising cinematography, breathtaking visuals, the magic of movie-making and the way it makes people dream. The art of storytelling.
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| And dream we did!! |
