With an award season marred in controversy coming to a close, the headline coming out of the glitz-and-glamour parade (along with #OscarsSoWhite) will be Leonardo DiCaprio finally picking up the Oscar for Leading Man after so many years and countless Best Actor nominations.
Its perhaps no surprise that the Hollywood actor would grab the Golden-Baldy for his punishing turn in The Revenant. But perhaps more surprising was that he took the opportunity to highlight the growing crisis of climate change, expressing in his acceptance speech that “Climate change is real, It is happening right now. It is the most urgent threat affecting our species. We need to work together and stop procrastinating.”
Winning alongside DiCaprio was his Director Alejandro González Iñárritu picking up the award in his category but losing out for Best Picture to Tom McCarthy’s real-life drama Spotlight.
The film, depicting the lengths that journalist at the Boston Globe took to expose the crimes committed by a ring of pedophile priest. Scooped the prized award with Producer Michael Sugar hoping that the films message of zero-torlenrance of institutional silence in the face of child abuse would “resonate all the way to the Vatican.” Sugar also called out Pope Francis in his acceptance speech, urging the head of the Catholic Church “to protect the children and restore the faith.”
It wasn’t only the winners of the night that used the Academy Awards as a platform to air their views with Host Chris Rock responding to the headlining issue that was trending on Twitter throughout the ceremony, #OscarsSoWhite.
The actor and Comedian opened the show with a candid speech that perhaps was the genesis for a night of pious vocalisation, with Rock exclaiming that Hollywood is “sorority racist” before mocking tinsel towns most prolific boycotter, Jada Pinkett Smith:
“Jada got mad, she said she’s not coming. Doesn’t she have a TV show? Jada boycotting the Oscars is like me boycotting Rihanna’s panties – I wasn’t invited!”
The host also let fly at Pinkett Smith via her husband, Will Smith, noting “You get mad that Will was this good and didn’t get nominated. It’s also not fair that Will was paid $20m to do Wild Wild West.”
Although flippant, Rock also pointed out that black actors “just want opportunity“, responding to views that white actors get leading roles in spite of talent or credentials. The comedian even joked that “If they nominated hosts I wouldn’t even get this job so you’d be watching Neil Patrick Harris right now.”
Despite DiCaprio and Iñárritu picking up awards in their respective fields for The Revenant, it was surprise blockbuster Mad Max (2015) that swept the Hollywood-landscape, taking home a total of 6 Academy Awards including Best Costume Design for Jenny Beavan.
Actress Alicia Vikander also shocked audiences by beating out BAFTA and Golden Globe winner Kate Winslet to take home Best Supporting Actress for The Danish Girl. With frontrunner Brie Larson being awarded Best Actress in a Leading Role for her critically lauded portrayal of a kidnapped mother in Lenny Ambrahamson’s The Room.
With the Academy already declaring a major reshuffling in how film and performers are nominated, starting with broadening the diversity of the members who vote. It will be interesting to see if a major ceremony such as The Oscars will be able to reflect a wide demographic of audience members that go the cinema every week.
Of course, time will tell.
Maybe even Star Wars will get a look in next year … Just Saying
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