A slap onstage overshadows the 94th Academy Awards. Sunday's gala, which was supposed to be a turning point in the history of the US film awards, has instead brought the Oscars to their nadir, DW's Stefan Dege writes.
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Actor Will Smith slapped presenter Chris Rock on SundayImage: Chris Pizzello/Invision/AP/picture alliance
This year's Oscars could have been so enjoyable. Three awards, including best picture, went to the touching tragicomedy "Coda." Two Germans won Oscars. The presenters' show, ranging from audacious to emotional, along with its musical interludes, gave hope.
Then, along came Will Smith. By slapping the comedian Chris Rock in the face, the actor caused the night's scandal. O, Oscars, to what depths can you sink?
What a low point at the Oscars, says DW's Stefan Dege Image: DW
Smith was reacting to an offensive joke about his wife's autoimmune disorder. He demystified the glitz and glamour show in one fell swoop, even before he received the Oscar for Best Actor for the biographical film "King Richard." For many, Oscars night was over, and Smith stole the show from of his colleagues.
It remains to be seen whether he will have to return his award or whether the academy will revoke it. Smith's outburst not only harmed himself, but even more so the Oscars. The most American of cinema ceremonies and in existence since 1929, the Academy Awards were just emerging from crisis. Now the 94th award ceremony in 2022 will go down in Hollywood history as the "slap-in-the-face-Oscars." It is not the hoped-for comeback!
In recent years, the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences has faced the criticism that the Oscars are too white and too male. Too few female directors and screenwriters were nominated or received Oscars, as well as too few filmmakers of color. Facts and figures have shown that diversity was long a foreign concept in Hollywood. Audiences were noticeably turning away. That forced the academy to think things over.
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Night of firsts
The results were visible at last night's ceremony: The trio of presenters — comedians Regina Hall, Amy Schumer and Wanda Sykes — were entertaining. The attention on "Coda," Sian Heder's story about a hearing girl who grows up in a deaf fishing family, generated empathy. Incidentally, it was also a first for a film from a streaming service to win the Oscar for best picture.
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For many film fans, an Academy Award is still considered the most important cinema prize in the world. But the Oscars remain focused on the United States. World cinema is quite something else — more diverse, more realistic, more international. The innovative filmmakers on other continents and in other nations are not celebrated with awards at the Oscars, but with the Palme d'Or in Cannes or the Golden Lion in Venice.
Before he died in 2020, DW film editor Jochen Kürten called the Academy Awards "misinterpreted in artistic terms and hopelessly overrated." That may be why many viewers initially believed the slap to have been part of the show by Hollywood's dream factory. Instead, it was a low point in the history of the Oscars. Now, things can only get better.
This article was originally written in German.
Oscars 2022: 'CODA' wins best picture, Will Smith, Jessica Chastain best actors
The Apple TV+ drama about a deaf family has won the Academy Award for best picture, the first time a streaming service has won Hollywood's top prize. Will Smith also won his first Oscar after a dramatic onstage incident.
Image: Brian Snyder/REUTERS
'CODA' named best picture
The 94th Academy Awards named the feel-good "CODA" as this year's best picture on Sunday, marking the first time that Hollywood's top award has gone to a streaming service. Sian Heder's deaf family drama found a backer in Apple TV+, which scored its first best picture Oscar less than three years after the streaming service was launched.
Image: Brian Snyder/REUTERS
'Dune' bags multiple Oscars
Dune, starring Timothee Chalamet (right) and Zendaya, led this year's Oscar tally, picking up six of the 10 awards it was nominated for. Hans Zimmer won his second career Oscar for original score for Denis Villeneuve's film. Dune also won the awards for best cinematography, sound, film editing and production design.
Image: 2021 Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc.
Best actress award goes to Jessica Chastain
Jessica Chastain won the Academy Award for best actress for her role in "The Eyes Of Tammy Faye." The award was presented by Anthony Hopkins, who was notably absent at last year's ceremony to collect his best actor Oscar.
Image: Brian Snyder/REUTERS
Will Smith wins best actor prize ...
Will Smith won his first Academy Award for his portrayal of Richard Williams, the father who raised tennis stars Venus and Serena Williams, in "King Richard." He had been nominated twice before, first for "Ali" in 2001 and then for the 2006 movie "The Pursuit of Happyness."
Image: Robyn Beck/AFP/Getty Images
... but not before some controversy
Smith's win came shortly after a shocking onstage incident, as he slapped presenter Chris Rock over a joke referencing the hairstyle of Smith's wife, Jada Pinkett Smith. After what appeared to be a scripted confrontation, the mood turned somber when Smith returned to his seat and shouted back: "Keep my wife's name out of your f***ing mouth." Pinkett Smith has been diagnosed with alopecia.
Image: Chris Pizzello/Invision/AP/picture alliance
Historic win for Troy Kotsur
Troy Kotsur made history as the first deaf male actor to win an Oscar. He won the best supporting honors for his role in best picture winner "CODA," a title which stands for "child of deaf adult." Accepting the award, Kotsur signed: "I just wanted to say this is dedicated to the deaf community, the CODA community and the disabled community. This is our moment."
Image: Brian Snyder/REUTERS
Ariana DeBose's win for the LGBTQ community
Ariana DeBose also made history with her award for best actress in a supporting role, becoming the first Afro-Latina and openly LGBTQ actor to win in the category. In her acceptance speech, she said, "To anybody who has ever questioned your identity, I promise you there is a place for us" — echoing one of the songs from her film, the musical "West Side Story."
Image: Neilson Barnard/Getty Images
'Encanto' wins best animated film
Disney's "Encanto" picked up the Oscar for the best animated feature film. Hailed for its magical realism and music, the film won over a range of diverse works — including Afghan refugee documentary "Flee," Pixar's coming-of-age tale "Luca" set in Italy, the family comedy "The Mitchells vs. the Machines" and Disney's own "Raya and the Last Dragon."
Image: Brian Snyder/REUTERS
Japan's 'Drive My Car' wins international award
Japan’s emotional epic "Drive My Car" won the Oscar for the best international feature film. Directed by Ryusuke Hamaguchi, the film became the fifth from Japan to win the Oscar, the last being "Departures" in 2008. Other nominees included Italy's "The Hand of God," Denmark's "Flee," Bhutan's "Lunana: A Yak in the Classroom" and Norway's "The Worst Person in the World."
Image: Brian Snyder/REUTERS
A moment of silence for Ukraine
The ceremony held a minute of silence for Ukraine. Among those showing gestures of support for Ukraine were Oscar-winning actress Youn Yuh-jung, nominated songwriter Diane Warren, composer Nicholas Britell and the actress Jamie Lee Curtis. They wore blue ribbons that read #WithRefugees to show support for those who have fled Ukraine since Russia invaded on February 24.
