As the 2018 Academy Awards gets underway in Los Angeles, DW takes a look at the history of the famous film awards and how it has changed since it got started as a 15-minute gala.
Image: picture alliance/AP/Invision/D. Moloshok
Advertisement
10 unforgettable movies that won best picture at the Oscars
Many of the works that have won the top Academy Award are legendary. Here are 10 of them. Have you seen them all?
The historical romance set in the American South is one of the most beloved film classics of all time, though it is also criticized for its racially insensitive content. Starring Clark Gable and Vivien Leigh and directed by Victor Fleming, it received 10 Academy Awards in 1940 (eight competitive, two honorary). Supporting actress Hattie McDaniel became the first Black American to win an Oscar.
Image: Imago/Granata Images
1960: 'Ben-Hur'
The monumental epic directed by William Wyler already started breaking records before it was even produced, going through 40 script versions. Its budget of over $15 million was larger than that of any film produced at the time. Its cast included 10,000 extras; some 2,500 horses were used to shoot the movie. It went on to win 11 Academy Awards — another record, tied by only two other films since.
Image: Imago/AD
1973: 'The Godfather'
Francis Ford Coppola's gangster classic won the Oscar for best picture in 1973; Marlon Brando was also recognized for his unforgettable performance as mafia don Vito Corleone. However, the actor stirred controversy by refusing to accept his Academy Award, in protest against the treatment of Native Americans in the US.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa
1988: 'The Last Emperor'
The ambitious historical film directed by Italian director Bernardo Bertolucci is about the life of the last Emperor of China, Puyi, who ascended to the throne at the age of two and had to live detained in the Forbidden City. The biographical work won nine Oscars.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa
1992: 'The Silence of the Lambs'
The legendary thriller nabbed five Oscars in 1992. Adapted from a Thomas Harris novel, it centers on a psychiatrist and cannibalistic serial killer called Hannibal Lecter — terrifically portrayed by Anthony Hopkins, earning him an Academy Award. His co-star, Jodie Foster (as FBI trainee Clarice Starling, pictured), and the movie's director, Jonathan Demme, both picked up a statue as well.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa
1993: 'Schindler's List'
Steven Spielberg's epic historical drama portrays the horrors of the Holocaust through the story of German businessman Oskar Schindler, who saved the lives of over a thousand Jews by making them work in his factories during World War II. Earning eight Oscars, the work starring Liam Neeson (picture), Ralph Fiennes and Ben Kingsley is often listed as one of the best films ever made.
Image: picture alliance / United Archives/IFTN
1998: 'Titanic'
The characters depicted by Leonardo Di Caprio and Kate Winslet memorably fell in love in this fictionalized account of the sinking of the Titanic. With a production budget of $200 million, the masterpiece directed by James Cameron was the most expensive film ever made at the time. It picked up 11 gold statues in 1998, tying the record set by "Ben-Hur."
2004: 'The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King'
Nominated in 11 categories, Peter Jackson's third installment in the fantasy trilogy also won 11 Academy Awards — making it the record-holder for the highest Oscar sweep. Altogether, the three films based on J. R. R. Tolkien's "The Lords of the Rings" novels collected 17 Oscars.
Image: picture alliance/United Archives
2012: 'The Artist'
Starring Jean Dujardin and Berenice Bejo, this black-and-white homage to the silent film era from the 1920s barely contains any dialogue. The comedy-drama directed by Michel Hazanavicius won many accolades around the world, including five Oscars. It was the first French production to win best picture; Jean Dujardin also became the first Frenchman to win Best Actor.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa
2017: 'Moonlight'
The coming-of-age drama directed by Barry Jenkins (pictured here on set with actor Alex Hibbert in the role of Chiron as a child) memorably won best picture after "La La Land" was initially announced as the winner by mistake. "Moonlight" became the first film with an all-black cast and centering on a LGBT story to win the prestigious accolade.
Image: A24/DCM
10 images1 | 10
The first Academy Awards ceremony, commonly known as the Oscars, was held on May 16, 1929. Some 270 guests, including prominent film stars, directors and influential producers, gathered in a hotel on Hollywood Boulevard for the ceremony and accompanying banquet dinner. The prize ceremony lasted around 15 minutes. Then, the attendees turned their attention to dinner and small talk.
The first-ever Oscar recipient was German actor Emil Jannings, who won best actor in the awards' inaugural year for his roles in two silent films, "The Last Command" (1928) and "The Way of All Flesh" (1927). Jannings' victory came as no surprise since the winners had been announced months earlier. The film "Wings," directed by William A. Wellmen and set during World War I, took home the first Academy Award for best picture.
German actor Emil Jannings won the very first Oscar in 1929Image: picture alliance/akg-images
A glamourous live TV ceremony
No one at that time suspected that the short ceremony would become the cornerstone of the world's most important film prize. Today, the gala is a global media event that takes place every year at the end of February or beginning of March. Millions of people tune into the show via TV and internet to see who will win a golden statuette.
An Oscar is a crowning career achievement for every director, actor or actress, composer, or anyone else involved in film creation. The coveted trophy is just 34 centimeters (13 inches) tall. It is coated in a thin layer of 24-karat gold, while its weight of 8.5 pounds (3.8 kilograms) comes from its interior of solid bronze.
"Oscar" became an official nickname for the golden statuette in 1939. Up until that point, it had simply been known as an Academy Award of Merit, which remains its official name today. The name "Oscar" has been protected by trademark since 1979. Millions are made in profit every year through visual reproductions of Oscar statuettes and related advertising.
The Oscar statuettes are made of bronze coated in goldImage: Getty Images/C. Polk
The influential Academy
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, the organization behind the Oscars, has pushed for technological advances in the film industry, among other things ever since its earliest days as a non-profit organization. Founded in 1927, it originally was composed of the leaders of Hollywood's biggest studios. Money and investment for the future were the main orders of business then.
The idea for the Academy came from Louis B. Mayer, the influential head of the Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) Hollywood film production company. He brought other Hollywood figures on board and organized the first prize ceremony. The first president of the Academy was the popular silent film actor Douglas Fairbanks. In 1949, the organization moved its headquarters to Beverly Hills. The Academy's extensive library is also located there today.
Big changes since 1929
Though the first Oscar ceremony took place at the end of the 1920s, many changes only took place in recent years, such as the composition of the Academy's members, whose votes determine the prize winners. The calls for the Academy to diversify its old-white-male composition and include younger individuals, more women and more people of color, have proven effective.
Around 7,000 people from the film industry are now members of the Academy. In 2017, two German film creatives, director Fatih Akin and actor Daniel Brühl, received the great honor of membership invitation.
Germans Fatih Akin (L) and Daniel Brühl (R) received prestigious invitations to join the Academy's ranksImage: picture-alliance/Vennenbernd; H.Kalaene
The awards procedure has changed, too. For many years the media was told in advance who the winners would be on the condition of silence. But this practice changed after a newspaper announced winning names and film titles before the prize gala had taken place.
As a result, sealed envelopes have been in place since 1941. These are only opened during the public awards ceremony.
This method worked quite well until 2017, when a backstage mix-up led to an embarrassing false announcement: the musical "La La Land" was mistakenly named best film. Only after official intervention from the organizers did the award get passed to the correct winner, the creative team behind the drama "Moonlight."
This year, many people are expectantly looking forward to the best picture award, the last of the gala evening. Instead of listening for the words, "And the winner is…" film fans will await the final iteration of, "And the Oscar goes to …" That has been the official announcement line since 1989, when it was determined to be less discriminatory and more politically correct.
The red carpet will be rolled out for the 90th time this Sunday, as Hollywood's most prominent individuals arrive at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles. It's a runway for past Oscar winners, and those who are still hoping to win big.
Most promising 2018 Oscar nominees
If getting one Oscar nod is a dream, are multiple nominations a sign of a great film? From "Dunkirk" and "The Shape of Water," here are the film nominees to look out for at the Oscars on Sunday.
Image: Getty Images
'The Shape of Water' for best picture, best director, best actress, etc.
This monster romance took home the most nominations of the bunch: a whopping 13. Director Guillermo del Toro's love story about a lonely janitor (played by Sally Hawkins) who falls in love with a strange, amphibious creature may very well end up being the big winner on March 4.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/Twentieth Century Fox
'Call Me By Your Name' nominated for best picture, best actor
Timothée Chalamet, 22, who plays 17-year-old Elio in the film "Call Me By Your Name," is the third-youngest actor in history to be nominated for best actor. The coming-of-age romance by director Luca Guadagnino is also up for best picture.
'Three Billboards outside Ebbing, Missouri' — best picture, best actress, best supporting actor
The enthralling crime drama about a mother (played by Frances McDormand) is up for five awards. McDormand has the chance to take home an Oscar for best actress, while both Sam Rockwell (pictured) and Woody Harrelson could win in the best supporting actor category. The film is also up for the best original screenplay and best film editing awards.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/M. Morton
Meryl Streep: Best actress in 'The Post'?
Meryl Streep is arguably Hollywood's leading lady. As such, it is hardly a surprise that she received her 21st Oscar nomination (this time for best actress). In "The Post," Streep plays "Washington Post" publisher Katherine Graham as she deals with the fallout of publishing the Pentagon Papers.
Image: picture-alliance/20th Century Fox/Everett Collection/N. Tavernise
'Lady Bird' gets a nod for best picture, best director, best actress, best supporting actress
This charming comedy-drama by Greta Gerwig is up for five awards. Actress-turned-director Greta Gerwig is only the fifth woman to be nominated in the best director category.
'Get Out' for best picture, best actor, best director
In addition to being nominated for best picture, the film "Get Out" is also up for best director. Jordan Peele is the fifth black filmmaker to receive that nomination and only the third to direct a best picture nominee in the Oscars' 90-year history. He follows Barry Jenkins, who was nominated last year for "Moonlight."
Image: Universal
'Dunkirk' for best picture, best director
Christopher Nolan's nail-biting World War II drama humanizes an epic battle; a sign of its success is the eight Oscar nominations it received. Notably, the film also features famous British pop star Harry Styles in a rare serious role. In addition to the big categories, it's also being considered for best cinematography, best soundtrack and best editing, among other awards.
Image: picture-alliance/AP Photo/M. S. Gordon/Warner Bros. Pictures
'Blade Runner 2049' for best cinematography
This futuristic follow-up to the sci-fi classic, "Bladerunner," is a strong nominee for best cinematography. This marks the 14th nomination for cinematographer Roger Deakins, who still hasn't taken an Oscar home. Is 2018 finally his year?
Image: Sony Pictures Releasing GmbH
'Loving Vincent' for best animated film
This film about the life of tormented impressionist Vincent van Gogh was nominated for best animated film. As the world's first fully painted feature film, it seems to deserve that designation. The film was painted entirely in oils. Other films in the category include Pixar's "Coco" and "The Breadwinner" by Nora Twomey.
