OSCARS 2024: Looking Back at the 96th Ceremony Honoring the Best of Cinema

The awards season for the best talents in cinema ended last night. On Sunday, March 14th, the big names of the film industry gathered for their annual meeting at the 96^th Oscars ceremony at the Dolby Theater in Los Angeles. 

 

Far from being the scene of scandalss as it was two years ago with Will Smith’s slap to Chris Rock, the 96^th Oscars ceremony represented an opportunity for the industry to draw attention to the current war between Israel and Hamas. While pro-Palestinian demonstrations disrupted traffic outside the Dolby Theater,  several personalities walked the red carpet wearing red pins reading “Artist for Cease-Fire”. 

 

 

Awarded for the Oscar for Best International Film, director of The Zone of Interest Jonathan Glazer paid tribute in his speech to the Israeli victims of October 7th and to the inhabitants of Gaza.

 

Oppenheimer, Explosive Success

 

Oppenheimer, the latest film by director Christopher Nolan and a huge success in 2023, was already  announced as the favorite. Nominated in 13 categories, including Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Actor, the feature film about the father of the atomic bomb walked away from this ceremony with seven statuettes.

 

The Dark Knight (2008), Inception (2010), and Interstellar (2014)… Christopher Nolan is behind numerous films beloved by audiences over the years. In twenty-five years of career, the American-British director remained overlooked by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences with only four Oscar nominations until this year. 

 

 

It’s a triumphant revenge he achieved with Oppenheimer, released in theaters last year. The story about physicist Robert Oppenheimer and his involvement in the Manhattan Project allowed him to win the statuette for the best direction. The feature film was also crowned Best Picture, and its lead actor, Irish Cillian Murphy, Best Actor. Robert Downey Jr shines on his own with the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor. The film also takes home the awards for Best Original Music, Best Editing, and Best Cinematography.

 

He’s just Ken

 

Oppenheimer thus emerges as the big winner of the Barbenheimer duel that had stirred social media last summer, leaving Barbie from Greta Gerwig with only the Oscar for Best Song awarded to What Was I Made For? by Billie Eilish.

 

However, the film about the blonde doll offered one of the highlights of the evening thanks to the highly anticipated performance of I’m just Ken by actor Ryan Gosling. Nominated for Best Song, he caused hilarity from his partner Margot Robbie as he stepped onto the stage, wearing a rhinestone-studded pink suit and holding a microphone. Sixty-five dancers awaited him, including his co-star Simu Liu, for a performance inspired by Marilyn Monroe and her song “Diamonds Are a Girl’s Best Friend” from the film Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (1953). The star of La La Land spared no expense for this performance and was also accompanied on guitar by Slash from Guns n’ Roses.

 

 

The other winners of the evening

 

France left this evening proud thanks to an award for Anatomy of a Fall. Competing in five categories, the film by Justine Triet won the award for Best Original Screenplay as was the case at the Golden Globes and the Césars. 

 

Poor Creatures by Yorgos Lanthimos also received its share of statuettes. The film’s creativity earned it several technical categories including Best Costumes, Best Makeup and Hairstyling, and Best Production Design. Emma Stone was awarded the Oscar for Best Actress for the second time for her portrayal of Bella Baxter, a female version of Frankeinstein eager to discover life and emancipate herself from the men around her.

 

Glamour on the red carpet

 

The actress remained true to her spontaneous personality by admitting in the midst of an emotional speech that she had torn the back of her dress during Ryan Gosling’s performance. Designed by Louis Vuitton, her peplum dress followed the style of Bella Baxter’s costumes with its volumes and its soft seafoam green color. 

 

 

Many stars adopt the clothing style of their character on the red carpet. This phenomenon, called “Method dressing,” was notably illustrated by Margot Robbie during her promotional tour for Barbie. Last year, the actress provided notable fashion moments by wearing almost exclusively pink and outfits inspired by the Mattel doll in all her appearances.

 

 

Her outfit for this 96^th Oscars ceremony certainly didn’t leave anyone indifferent. In a black, corseted, and sparkling dress by Versace, the star seemed to want to show the world that her reign as Barbie was over. A glamorous finale for a promotion strategy executed with style.

 

The singer and actress Ariana Grande, on the other hand, addressed a wink to the character of Glinda, whom she portrays in the film Wicked, based on the universe of The Wizard of Oz. She referenced her role as the Good Witch of the South while dressed in a voluminous pink dress by Giambattista Valli.

 

 

The major fashion houses didn’t hesitate to bring out pieces from their archives for the event. Anya Taylor-Joy appeared in a sublime Dior Couture dress designed in 1949 by Christian Dior. Composed of overlapping petals of silk tulle, this sparkling creation was accessorized with Tiffany & Co jewelry and a Jaeger-LeCoultre watch. 

 

 

In a Balenciaga dress, Carey Mulligan paid tribute to the work of another great master. Imagined by Cristóbal Balenciaga himself, this couture creation in black velvet, finished with a scallop detail contrasting against a white tulle underskirt, was one of the most beautiful looks of the evening. 

 

 

For men, the trend remains in elegance with simplicity. Bradley Cooper, accompanied by his mother, wore a black double-breasted suit jacket paired with flared trousers. The ensemble by Louis Vuitton offered an interesting and sharp silhouette.

 

 

The actor from Barbie, Simu Liu, wore a suit by Fendi closed with a magnificent brooch. To complete his outfit, he opted for a jewelry watch with a lacquered blue dial signed by Jacob & Co.

 

 

Read also > GRETA GERWIG, DIRECTOR OF BARBIE, TO HEAD THE JURY OF THE CANNES FILM FESTIVAL 2024

 

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