The Oscars are seen by many as the culmination of the film awards season, and in this respect, the 2018 ceremony did not disappoint. The annual ceremony, held at the Kodak theatre in Los Angeles, brought with it the glitz and glamour that we are used to seeing among the best that the film industry has to offer. Unlike in previous years, it managed to take place without any huge blunders, but once again, the Academy showed that consistency is the name of the game in an industry that is clearly going through a crisis of identity.
The Shape Of Water Wins Best Picture On An Oscars Night Of Few Surprises
Guillermo del Toro‘s ‘The Shape Of Water‘ was the night’s greatest winner, the film claiming the awards for ‘Best Picture’, ‘Best Directing’, ‘Best Production Design’, and ‘Best Original Music Score’. The evening’s greatest surprises came in the ‘Best Supporting Actor’ and ‘-Actress’ categories, with Sam Rockwell and Allison Janney claiming the awards for their roles in ‘Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri‘, and ‘I, Tonya‘, respectively.
Main Photo
Embed from Getty Images
But surprises were few-and-far between, on a night that saw the favourites live up to their pre-Oscar hype. Gary Oldman finally broke his Oscars hoodoo to claim the ‘Best Actor’ award for his portrayal of Winston Churchill in ‘Darkest Hour‘, and Frances McDormand won her second Academy Award for her role in ‘Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri‘. There was only one award for the acclaimed horror, ‘Get Out‘, as well as ‘Call Me By Your Name‘, and ‘The Phantom Thread‘.
It was a difficult night for the Academy, not simply because of the quality of films on offer this year. The #MeToo and #TimesUp campaigns were given special attention throughout the ceremony, with #TimesUp creator, Mira Sorvino, in attendance. The Academy showed signs of addressing the numerous problems that have dogged the film industry in the recent past. The ‘Best Actress’ award was presented by two women, Jodie Foster and Jennifer Lawrence, for the first time. Unfortunately, this could not mask the reality that all of the main award winners were white, and the level of diversity among films nominated still remains lower than many would like. Here is a complete list of the evening’s winners:
Best Picture: The Shape Of Water
Best Actor: Gary Oldman in ‘The Darkest Hour’
Best Actress: Frances McDormand in ‘Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri’
Best Supporting Actress: Allison Janney in ‘I, Tonya’
Best Supporting Actor: Sam Rockwell in ‘Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri’
Directing: The Shape Of Water
Costume Design: Phantom Thread
Make-up and Hairstyling: Darkest Hour
Music (Original Score): The Shape Of Water
Production Design: The Shape Of Water
Sound Editing: Dunkirk
Sound Mixing: Dunkirk
Cinematography: Blade Runner 2049
Visual Effects: Blade Runner 2049
Writing (Adapted Screenplay): Call Me By Your Name
Writing (Original Screenplay): Get Out
Alarm bells have to be going off in the higher echelons of the film industry, which has remained stagnant for too long. The Oscars ceremony is the most famous, most watched reflection of what the film industry has to offer. While the films and performances on offer continue to wow audiences worldwide, more needs to be done to make the industry more accessible to a greater portion of the population.
This year’s ceremony was not a drastic change from what film fans are used to seeing at Oscars ceremonies. Nonetheless, it showed that there is potential there to make a real change for the better, if people like Mira Sorvino continue to be heard.
Main Photo
Embed from Getty Images