With the winners of the Oscars finally known, I can't help but stop and ponder.
I like cinema but not to the point that I usually follow the ceremony or its run up very closely. This year was slightly different due to the fact that Brokeback Mountain was in competition for eight statuettes. I have to admit that I didn't dig much deeper. I was however aware that Capote and Good Night and Good Luck were also contending for the title of best picture. Good Night and Good Luck being the major competition for Brokeback. Of the winner, Crash, I had never heard.
Brokeback Mountain eventually only won three Oscars; for best director, for best score and for best screenplay adaption.
My question therefore, or my feeling to be more precise, is that while the jury could obviously not ignore the cinematographic qualities of the film, they just shied away from its gay theme and could not get themselves to reward such a film, prefering to give the award to a film with a more acceptable social theme (racism). Or am I just being paranoid?
This, in any case, allowed George Clooney, who won Best Supporting Actor for Syriana, to say that he was “proud” to be part of the liberal-leaning world of film.
"We are a little bit out of touch in Hollywood every once in a while," Clooney said in his acceptance speech. "We were the ones who talked about AIDS when it was being whispered. We talked about civil rights when it wasn't really popular," he added. "I'm proud to be part of this Academy. I'm proud to be part of this community. I'm proud to be out of touch.”
Despite this minute slight, it is good to remind ourselves of the incredible sucess that the film has been (and still is) both with the critics and with the public around the world. It is also now undeniable that this film has made a difference and will have a lasting impact on the perception of LGBT people in the media and therefore society in general.
Originally posted on 06/03/05 - 4.20pm
I like cinema but not to the point that I usually follow the ceremony or its run up very closely. This year was slightly different due to the fact that Brokeback Mountain was in competition for eight statuettes. I have to admit that I didn't dig much deeper. I was however aware that Capote and Good Night and Good Luck were also contending for the title of best picture. Good Night and Good Luck being the major competition for Brokeback. Of the winner, Crash, I had never heard.
Brokeback Mountain eventually only won three Oscars; for best director, for best score and for best screenplay adaption.
My question therefore, or my feeling to be more precise, is that while the jury could obviously not ignore the cinematographic qualities of the film, they just shied away from its gay theme and could not get themselves to reward such a film, prefering to give the award to a film with a more acceptable social theme (racism). Or am I just being paranoid?
This, in any case, allowed George Clooney, who won Best Supporting Actor for Syriana, to say that he was “proud” to be part of the liberal-leaning world of film.
"We are a little bit out of touch in Hollywood every once in a while," Clooney said in his acceptance speech. "We were the ones who talked about AIDS when it was being whispered. We talked about civil rights when it wasn't really popular," he added. "I'm proud to be part of this Academy. I'm proud to be part of this community. I'm proud to be out of touch.”
Despite this minute slight, it is good to remind ourselves of the incredible sucess that the film has been (and still is) both with the critics and with the public around the world. It is also now undeniable that this film has made a difference and will have a lasting impact on the perception of LGBT people in the media and therefore society in general.
Originally posted on 06/03/05 - 4.20pm
Tags: Oscars, Brokeback Mountain, gay, LGBT, GLBT, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, cinema, gay rights.
Don't be too sad - be happy Wallace & Gromit won an Oscar too!
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