Leonardo DiCaprio and Irish screenplay Room take home golden statues.
2016 Oscar host and comedian Chris Rock stuns in his controversial opening
monologue saying: "the memoriam package, will just be
black people shot by the
cops on the way to the movies.“ Photo Credit: Disney / ABC Television Group (Flickr)
An overview of the winners in this year’s most popular categories:
Best Picture: Spotlight
Best Director: Alejandro Inarritu, The Revenant
Best Actor: Leonardo DiCaprio, The Revenant
Best Actress: Brie Larson, Room
Best Supporting Actor: Mark Rylance, Bridge of Spies
Best Supporting Actress: Alicia Vikander, The Danish Girl
Best Original Screenplay: Spotlight
Best Adapted Screenplay: The Big Short
Best Animated Feature Film: Inside Out
Best Documentary Feature: Amy
Best Foreign Language Film: Son of Saul - Hungary
Best Original Score: The Hateful Eight - Ennio Morricone
Best Original Song: Writing’s On The Wall, from Spectre
The 88th annual Academy Awards, held at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles,
ended with Leonardo DiCaprio and Mad Max (scoring a total of six wins) coming out on
top.
This year’s Oscars were not only a ceremony to honour people from the film industry but
used as a platform to raise awareness about minorities and other controversial issues.
Host and comedian Chris Rock, took on the matter of the openly criticised lack of
diversity in this year’s list of nominees, by calling it „the white people’s choice awards“
and making fun of actors such as Jada Pinkett-Smith and Spike Lee, who boycotted the
ceremony, in order to make a statement against Hollywood. The #OscarsSoWhite
movement gained attention a few weeks ago on Twitter, when it was announced that no
african-american actors had made it onto the list nominated for this year’s golden statue.
Gaga’s Emotional Performance
Lady Gaga, who was nominated in the category best original song, featured in the
documentary The Hunting Ground, shared the stage with dozens of sexual abuse
survivors, as she performed her song Til it Happens to You, which was created alongside
Diane Warren.
Lady Gaga and the survivors on stage.
Photo Credit: Disney / ABC Television Group (Flickr)
Even though she lost to Sam Smith later that night, Gaga and the aforementioned
survivors gained standing ovations and raised awareness to the issue of sexual abuse on
college campuses worldwide. Vice President Joe Biden, who is known for his strong
support towards women’s rights, took the stage to introduce Gaga and the survivors,
stating that: „too many women and men on and off of college campuses are still victims of
abuse," and urged to take the pledge and intervene „in situations where consent has not
or cannot be given. We must, and we can, change the culture."
This wasn't Gaga’s first highly anticipated performance at the Academy Awards, she
delivered an operatic medley of The Sound of Music at last year’s ceremony.
Sam Smith wins Best Song
Even though Sam Smith and Jimmy Napes took home the golden trophy for best original
song for the James Bond Spectre soundtrack Writing on the Wall, Smith received a lot of
backlash for stating, he might be the first openly gay artists to ever win an Oscar. Social
media went wild as he quoted an article written be Sir Ian McKellen saying: „no openly
gay man had ever won an Oscar” little did he know McKellen was actually referring to the
best actor award. Smith later responded to the criticism, saying: “second openly gay man
to win an Oscar or third or fourth or 100th, it wasn’t my point. My point was to shine some
light on the LGBT community who I love so dearly.” In an official statement on Facebook he announced his break from social media but not after sharing his love for shaken and
not stirred Martinis first on Twitter, obviously.
Leo’s Golden Boy
Irish Film Industry
Leonardo DiCaprio finally won his first - and long awaited - Oscar in the category best
actor, for his performance in Alejandro G. Iñárritus’s The Revenant. Hearts skipped, when
Titanic co-star and long time pal Kate Winslet celebrated his victory and cheered him on
while Leo took the stage.
As an engaged environmental activist, DiCaprio used his victory speech to raise
awareness on climate change, calling it „the most urgent threat facing our entire species“
and appeals to work together against world leaders and speak out for the underprivileged
people, that are mostly affected by this. But Leo didn't stop there and said: „we shouldn't
take nature for granted as he doesn't take this night for granted“.
Just when we thought we couldn't love this man even more, he proves us, we can.
Irish Film Industry
But this year’s Oscars ended not only with a big win for Leonardo DiCaprio but also for
the Irish film industry.
Ireland made a big mark in this year’s awards, as the historical drama Brooklyn and
Emma Donoghue’s book adaption Room were both in the running for best picture as well
as best adapted screenplay. Saoirse Ronan and Michael Fassbender represented the
Irish film front, with their nominees for best Actress and best Actor.
With Room taking home the famous golden trophy for adapted screenplay, it was also the
film’s Irish director Lenny Abrahamson (who was nominated for best director) and Benjamin Cleary’s Stutterer (selected for live action short film) who set a mark for Ireland’s
up and coming director’s scene and show how rapidly Ireland has grown over the last
decade.
With the financial help of the government, the TV and film sector in Ireland is still
growing, with successful productions such as Vikings, Ripper Street and Penny Dreadful
attracting audiences worldwide. Besides creating more jobs in the entertainment industry,
this also builds a solid ground for the tourist industry, as tours such as the Game of
Thrones set near Belfast, becomes a magnet for film fans travelling through Ireland.
