It wasn't the films with the most nominations that came out on top but instead, two outliers. Can the 2020 Golden Globes be seen as a commentary on the future of the art of filmmaking?
Image: AFP/F. J. Brown
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The Netflix production Marriage Story had garnered six Golden Globe nominations. Martin Scorsese's The Irishman, another production heavily financed by Netflix, was nominated five times. The US streaming service's production The Two Popes had a proud four nominations.
But the Golden Globes gala didn't turn out to be a Netflix festival. Marriage Story earned only one Globe, and the other two left empty-handed. Altogether, the streaming giant had a total of 34 nominations for its film and TV projects — and only left with two prizes.
The winners of the evening were two "classical movies," the wartime film 1917 and Once Upon a Time in Hollywood. Both had male directors, which comes as no surprise: Not a single film by a woman director was among the nominees.
Many nominations but only a supporting actress award for 'Marriage Story'Image: Marriage Story/W. Webb
Big-screen movies recognized
1917 by British director Sam Mendes unfolds its full effect on the big screen, while Once Upon a Time in Hollywood even has movie mystique in its name. Directed by Quentin Tarantino, the story of an actor and a stuntman salutes an era of moviemaking that is coming to an end. Accordingly, Tarantino, a movie history fan, prefers to shoot with real film and not digitally.
Not that the Netflix nominations lacked cinematic quality. Martin Scorsese's The Irishman, pure visual pleasure, ended up at Netflix only because the big Hollywood studios weren't interested in funding it.
Despite its theatrical feeling and long dialogues, Noah Baumbach's Marriage Story fits the big screen — and was shown there too, if only for a limited time and in select theaters. As was last year's three-time Oscar winner, Alfonso Cuarón's Roma with its radiant visuals.
Golden Globe winners
With the winners selected by about 90 foreign film journalists, the Golden Globe is second only to the Oscar as the most important film award in the US. The nominations — and the winners — included some surprises.
Image: Reuters/NBC Universal/P. Drinkwater
Sam Mendes
"1917," the British filmmaker's passionately staged drama about a World War I episode, won the prize in the best drama category. Mendes also took top honors as best director.
Image: Reuters/NBC Universal/P. Drinkwater
'1917' — the horror of war
Having only recently premiered in movie theaters, "1917" stands out for exceptional form and dramaturgy: It is staged in a way that gives the viewer the feeling of being there in real time, through the story of two English soldiers who have to quickly bring a message through enemy territory.
Image: 2019 Universal Pictures and Storyteller Distribution Co., LLC.
Quentin Tarantino
The US director was the second big Golden Globe winner, with his film "Once Upon a Time in Hollywood" declared the best film in the comedy or musical category. Unlike the Oscars, the Globes split the main prize into two categories, one for a "serious" and one for a "lighter" film.
Image: Reuters/NBC Universal/P. Drinkwater
Three Globes for 'Once Upon a Time in Hollywood'
Tarantino's film took three top honors. Along with one of the two main prizes, best supporting actor went to Brad Pitt (shown here left, next to Leonardo DiCaprio) — and best screenplay to Tarantino himself.
Image: Imago Images/Zuma Press/Columbia Pictures
Stunning comeback: Renee Zellweger
Zellweger earned the award for best actress for her convincing portrayal of Judy Garland in "Judy," which depicts the final months in the life of the actress and singer who died in 1969. First gaining recognition back in 2001 in "Bridget Jones's Diary," Zellweger reinvented herself for the role.
Image: AFP/F. J. Brown
No surprise: Joaquin Phoenix
As most experts had expected, the best actor award went to Phoenix for his brilliant depiction of an unstable personality in the controversial film "Joker," a character alternating between violence, psychological crises and helplessness.
Image: AFP/A. Sussman
A new star: Awkwafina
US rapper, host and actress Awkwafina is still relatively unknown in the international film scene. She became the first performer of Asian descent to win a Golden Globe for best lead actress in the musical or comedy category. The prize recognizes her performance in "The Farewell," in which she plays a young woman (photo: center right) who travels to China to support her sick grandmother.
Image: picture-alliance/AP/C. Moss
Taron Egerton is 'Rocketman'
Outdoing prominent co-nominees Daniel Craig and Leonardo DiCaprio, the male victor in the musical or comedy category is British actor Taron Egerton, who portrayed pop star Elton John in "Rocketman."
Image: picture-alliance/AP/Paramount/D. Appleby
A Golden Globe for South Korea
Like the Oscars, the Golden Globes include a prize for non-English films. The award for best foreign language film went to "Parasite" by director Bong Joon-ho, which had already won the Palme d'Or at the Cannes film festival.
Image: Reuters/NBC Universal/P. Drinkwater
Television and series
Globes are also awarded to series, TV films and their actors and actresses. After taking an Oscar for her portrayal of a queen in "The Favourite" (picture), actress Olivia Coleman now has now won a Globe, honored here again as a queen for her contribution to the series "The Crown."
Image: AFP/V. Macon
Another award for Phoebe Waller-Bridge
After winning several Emmys for the satirical series "Fleabag," writer, co-producer and actress Phoebe Waller-Bridge now took the Golden Globe in the category best television series — musical or comedy.
Image: Reuters/M. Blake
The horror of Chernobyl
A convincing retelling of the story of the nuclear reactor catastrophe in 1986, the five-episode British-American series "Chernobyl" took the top honor in the category best limited TV series. "Chernobyl" demonstrates that shorter series with social-political content can perform well globally.
Taking a stand against environmental degradation and climate change
Many prize winners take the Golden Globe awards ceremony as an opportunity to make political statements. Australian actor Russell Crowe drew attention to the catastrophic fires raging in Australia. He had his statement read at the gala so that he could stay home in Australia with his family.
Image: Getty Images/Q. Rooney
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Sarcastic host
Actress Michelle Williams gave an impassioned plea for the right to abortion at the gala, and the organizers made a statement for environmental protection and animal rights by serving a vegan menu.
British MC Rick Gervais spiced the evening with biting commentary, addressing issues such as #MeToo, climate change and the social media.
He went further though, taking jabs at stars and dignitaries in attendance such as Apple CEO Tim Cook. Referencing the streaming services of giants like Apple and Disney, Gervais said, "If ISIS (acronym for the terror organization Islamic State) started a streaming service you'd call your agent, wouldn't you?" Continuing his screed, Gervais said, "You’re in no position to lecture the public about anything. You know nothing about the real world. Most of you spent less time in school than Greta Thunberg."
To some film experts, it's not Netflix and Co. who are the true enemies of film culture, but Disney Film Studios, churning out mostly franchise products, sequels and prequels, productions that often seem vapid and schematic.
In a recent interview and widely noted guest commentary for the New York Times, Martin Scorsese recently said Disney's Marvel films were "not cinema." The statement initiated a discussion about the future of film and of moviemaking. One might see the 77th Golden Globes as a contribution to this debate.
DW’s Scott Roxborough on the Golden Globes awards ceremony as political platform, and the pushback against Netflix
