Michael B. Jordan in “Sinners” (Warner Bros.)
By Jade Enos
The 98th Academy Awards, held March 15, delivered a mix of unexpected wins and surprising outcomes after a competitive year for film. Even after the event, people are still debating about the outcome. While some results divided audiences, the night still marked several historic milestones and industry shifts.
Michael B. Jordan Wins First Oscar
One of the most closely watched races was for best actor, with Timothee Chalamet and Michael B. Jordan leading the conversation.
Timothee won Critics Choice and Golden Globes for his performance as Marty Mauser in “Marty Supreme.” While Michael B. Jordan won the Actor Awards (previously referred to as the SAG Awards) for best actor and the Critics Choice Super Awards for best actor in a horror movie for his dual performance as Smoke and Stack in “Sinners.”
Jordan ultimately won the Oscar, marking his first nomination and win. He becomes the sixth black man to receive this award, joining Will Smith, Denzel Washington, Jamie Foxx, Forest Whitaker, and Sidney Poitier.
His win also underscores his ongoing collaboration with director Ryan Coogler on films such as “Fruitvale Station,” “Creed,” and “Black Panther.”
There was a lot of controversy surrounding Timothee Chalamet in the weeks leading up to the Oscars due to his behavior while campaigning for the award as well as the comments he made in an interview with Matthew McConaughey about ballet and opera. Many suspect that the comments he made caused him to lose the Oscar. However, with the way the Academy voting process works, it is likely that the outcome was decided before the controversy gained traction.
Autumn Durald Arkapaw Makes History with Cinematography Win
Autumn Durald Arkapaw won best cinematography for “Sinners,” becoming the first woman of color to win in the category.
Her work, which was shot using a variety of cameras such as IMAX MSM, IMAX MKIV, Panavision 65 Studio, Panavision 65 high speed, and 15 Perf. It was widely praised for its visual scale and atmosphere. She previously worked with Coogler on “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.”
Arkapaw also used Kodak Ektachrome for the film. While ektachrome was introduced in the 1940’s, this specific film stock was constructed specifically for this film which had never been done before.
Paul Thomas Anderson Wins His First Three Oscars
Despite being the mastermind behind classics such as “Boogie Nights,” “There Will Be Blood,” and “Punch Drunk Love,” Paul Thomas Anderson had never received an Oscar until recently. Receiving fourteen nominations over the course of his career, winning his first three in one night for “One Battle After Another.”
He took home awards for adapted screenplay, director, and best picture, The screenplay is based off the 1990 novel “Vineland,” written by Thomas Pynchon.
This win marks long-awaited recognition of Andersons talents as a writer and filmmaker which had been overlooked in the past.
Ryan Coogler Wins His First Oscar
The first Oscar that Sinners received that night was for best original screenplay, also marking Coogler’s first win. While many people would have loved to see him take home best director, the award is still significant because it shows that Coogler is finally being appreciated for his talent and influence in the film industry.
This is also significant because it is very rare that a horror film wins in this category, with “Get Out” being the previous time this genre has won. This highlights the genres storytelling depth beyond traditional expectations.
New Casting Category Debut
“One Battle After Another” received six Oscars. One of them being the brand-new category for best casting. With an ensemble cast of well renowned actors Leonardo DiCaprio, Sean Penn, Benicio Del Toro, Regina Hall, Teyana Taylor, as well as fresh faced new actress Chase Infiniti.
The award was given to Cassandra Kulukundis who has done casting for films such as “Her,” “There Will Be Blood,” “The Brutalist,” and “Boogie Nights.” Based off these films alone, Cassandra is very talented when it comes to bringing a filmmaker’s vision to life by picking people who would be perfect for these roles. It’s interesting to see this skill be recognized as it is also a very important aspect of the film industry that a lot of people do not consider.
Amy Madigan Breaks Record with Oscar Win
Forty years after the first time she was nominated for her role in “Twice in a Lifetime.” Amy Madigan receives her first Oscar at seventy-five years old for her role as Gladys in “Weapons.” Breaking the record of the longest gap between a first nomination and a first win which was previously held by Geraldine Page whose gap was thirty-two years.
Madigan is also the second person to win supporting actress for a horror role. The first being Ruth Gordon in “Rosemarys Baby.”
“K-Pop Demon Hunters” Wins Two Major Awards
“K-Pop Demon Hunters” won best animated feature. This marks a milestone for South Korea as director Maggie Kang became the first South Korean filmmaker to win an Oscar for this category.
The film also won best original song for “Golden,” which became the first K-Pop song to win an Oscar for this category.
Final Thoughts
Despite mixed reactions to the results, the ceremony highlighted major achievements across the industry. As Paul Thomas Anderson said in his acceptance speech for his best picture award. “In 1975, the Oscar nominees for best picture were ‘Dog Day Afternoon,’ ‘One Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest,’ ‘Jaws,’ ‘Nashville,’ and ‘Barry Lindon.’ There is no best among them, there is just what that mood might be that day.”
