The 96th Academy Awards ceremony March 10 saw director Christopher Nolan’s biographical drama “Oppenheimer” overtaking the competition to win in seven of the 11 categories for which it was nominated, including Best Picture. The night’s runner up, with four statuettes, was the bizarre fantasy “Poor Things,” helmed by Yorgos Lanthimos.
Hovering at the other end of the spectrum was Martin Scorsese’s sprawling adaptation “Killers of the Flower Moon.” Nominated for 10 Oscars — and thought by some observers to be the prime rival to “Oppenheimer” — the film received no awards at all.
In his fourth appearance as host of the event, comedian and talk show host Jimmy Kimmel maintained a relaxed atmosphere. The humor intended to keep the mood bright, however, proved uneven to say the least.
The night’s most poignant moment came with the acceptance speech of Ukrainian filmmaker Mstyslav Chernov, whose “20 Days in Mariupol” took home the prize for Best Feature Documentary. His address included anguished observations on the cruel war Russia is waging against his homeland but also highlighted the potential power of visual media at its best.
“Cinema forms memories,” Chernov noted, “and memories form history.” He concluded with the now familiar exhortation, “Slava Ukraini” (Glory to Ukraine).
Oscar night has long been notorious for dragging on interminably and overflowing its time slot. With the ritual’s opening pushed back an hour to 7 p.m. EDT this year, by contrast, things moved along with sufficient briskness to wrap up around 10:30 Eastern. That’s still a long runtime but somehow the pace didn’t feel as dawdling as it has in earlier years.
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