The German actress Sandra Hülser missed out on the Oscar for best actress, but she plays the female lead in the best international film of the year – “The Zone of Interest”. The big winner at the 96th Oscars was the historical epic “Oppenheimer” with seven awards. A naked appearance, Ryan Gosling’s “I’m Just Ken” song performance, Al Pacino’s awkward announcement of the best film and political statements about the Gaza and Ukraine wars caused a stir.
The German-language British film “The Zone of Interest” with Hülser as the wife of the Auschwitz commandant Höß (played by fellow German actor Christian Friedel) won in the category for best foreign film.
Director Jonathan Glazer addressed the Gaza war in his acceptance speech. “Whether they are the victims of October 7th in Israel or the ongoing attack on Gaza,” the filmmaker emphasized, they are all victims of dehumanization. The films by the two German directors Ilker Çatak (“The Teacher’s Room”, Germany) and Wim Wenders (“Perfect Days”, Japan), which were also nominated in the international category, went away empty-handed.
“Oppenheimer” won seven awards
Sandra Hülser (45), who comes from Thuringia and lives in Leipzig, was also nominated as best actress, something that no German had achieved for more than 80 years. In the French legal drama “Anatomy of a Case” she impressively and multilingually plays a writer who has to answer in court on suspicion of murdering her husband.
However, the award went to Emma Stone for her performance in the grotesque comedy “Poor Things.” It is Stone’s second Oscar after 2017, back then for “La La Land”. “Poor Things” by Giorgos Lanthimos won a total of four awards, for example for costume and make-up design. Da’Vine Joy Randolph received the award for best supporting actress for her role in the drama “The Holdovers”.
The historical film “Oppenheimer” about the physicist J. Robert Oppenheimer, who researched the atomic bomb, won, among other things, the award for best film, the directing award for Christopher Nolan and two acting awards: Cillian Murphy won best leading actor, Robert Downey Jr. won best supporting actor honored. Seven Oscars (from 13 nominations) are as many as “Everything Everywhere All at Once” won last year.
During the award ceremony, current political crises were recalled several times. The production “20 Days in Mariupol,” which shows the experiences of AP journalists in the Ukrainian port city under Russian siege and which is currently available in the ARD media library, was awarded the best documentary film.
John Cena let his guard down
Host Jimmy Kimmel led through the almost three and a half hour show, which was staged more quickly than in previous years. The highlight for many was the appearance of actor Ryan Gosling, who sang the song “I’m Just Ken” from the film “Barbie” with dozens of dancing men. Suddenly Guns N’ Roses guitarist Slash was on stage. However, another song from the “Barbie” film won the award for best song, namely “What Was I Made For?”, which meant the second Oscar for Billie Eilish, who was only 22 years old.
Kimmel made a number of jokes. So there was a staged speedster incident with his introduction. Wrestling star John Cena appeared naked at the award for best costume design. “Costumes are very important,” said the 46-year-old dryly as he held the large envelope in front of his crotch and otherwise only wore slippers. The eye-catching appearance was reminiscent of a scandal 50 years ago. In 1974, a speedster ran across the Oscar stage while David Niven was presenting.
Al Pacino unintentionally caused laughter
At the beginning of the gala, Kimmel said about Sandra Hülser that she played a woman on trial for the murder of her husband in “Anatomy of a Case” and a Nazi housewife living near Auschwitz in “The Zone of Interest.” live. “While these are very difficult topics for American moviegoers, in Sandra’s native Germany they are called rom-coms.”
Hollywood star Al Pacino caused an unintentional laugh when he announced the most important prize of the evening in a somewhat clumsy manner. “Well, this is the time for the last award of the evening,” said the 83-year-old at the very end of the gala. “And it’s an honor to present it. Ten wonderful films have been nominated, but only one will win Best Picture. And for that I have to push the envelope.” There was laughter in the audience as he continued to comment: “And that’s what I’m going to do. Here he comes. And my eyes see ‘Oppenheimer’.” At this point music started and the crowd cheered.
