Paul Thomas Anderson’s political saga “One Battle After Another” captured best picture Sunday night at the 98th Academy Awards, leading a ceremony that celebrated several long-awaited achievements for filmmakers and performers.
The film, a sweeping multigenerational story about political resistance in America, entered the night as a favorite and ultimately won six Academy Awards. In addition to best picture, Anderson earned Oscars for best director and best adapted screenplay, marking the first Academy Award wins of his career after decades as one of Hollywood’s most acclaimed filmmakers.
The San Fernando Valley native has been a major figure in American cinema since releasing his first short film as a teenager. Despite numerous nominations for movies such as “Boogie Nights,” “There Will Be Blood,” and “Licorice Pizza,” he had never previously won an Oscar.
“One Battle After Another” also took home awards for best casting and best supporting actor for Sean Penn.
The ceremony at the Dolby Theatre also featured major victories for the film “Sinners,” including a best actor win for Michael B. Jordan in one of the evening’s most closely watched races. The film, directed by Ryan Coogler and set in the Jim Crow South, had entered the night with a record 16 nominations.
“Sinners” also earned a historic award for cinematography, with Autumn Durald Arkapaw becoming the first female director of photography to win the Oscar. She was also the first Black cinematographer to receive the award. Only four women had ever been nominated in the category before her win.
Jordan’s victory represented a major milestone in his career after more than a decade as one of Hollywood’s most prominent leading men.
Another major acting award went to Irish performer Jessie Buckley, who won best actress for her role as Agnes Shakespeare in the historical drama “Hamnet.” Buckley became the first Irish actress to win the category.
The night proved especially successful for Warner Bros., which distributed both “One Battle After Another” and “Sinners.” Together the two films helped the studio collect 11 Academy Awards, tying a record for a single studio in one year.
The triumph came during a period of major change for the entertainment company. Warner Bros. recently agreed to a $111 billion merger with Paramount Skydance, a deal that is still awaiting regulatory approval and has raised concerns about potential layoffs across the industry.
Streaming platforms also had a significant presence during the ceremony. The animated feature “KPop Demon Hunters,” which became one of Netflix’s biggest hits after the streaming service acquired it from Sony Pictures, won best animated feature and best original song for “Golden.” The film has drawn hundreds of millions of views on the platform.
Another Netflix release, Guillermo del Toro’s “Frankenstein,” earned three technical awards, including honors for costume design, makeup and hairstyling, and production design.
Veteran actress Amy Madigan won best supporting actress for her performance in the horror thriller “Weapons,” securing the award 40 years after her first Oscar nomination.
Hosted by Conan O’Brien for the second time, the ceremony balanced humor with commentary about the state of the film industry and the wider world. References to global politics, the war in Iran, and tensions surrounding the entertainment industry’s future appeared throughout the evening.
Political themes were also reflected in some of the winning films. The documentary “Mr. Nobody Against Putin,” about a Russian schoolteacher documenting wartime propaganda, won best documentary feature, while Norwegian director Joachim Trier’s family drama “Sentimental Value” took the award for best international feature film.
Tributes also marked the ceremony, including memorials for several Hollywood figures who died over the past year. Billy Crystal delivered a tribute to filmmaker Rob Reiner and his wife, Michele Singer Reiner, while Barbra Streisand honored actor Robert Redford.
Despite the growing influence of streaming services, the night’s biggest awards again went to films released primarily in theaters. Both “One Battle After Another” and “Sinners” were traditional theatrical productions shot on film, continuing a trend in which cinema’s top prize has largely remained with big-screen releases.
Source: CNN, AP