The Oscars 2023 Overview

With an almost clean sweep from the movies Everything Everywhere All at Once and All Quiet on the Western Front, the 2023 Oscars were filled with tears, laughs, and a few surprises. For once, Steven Spielberg didn’t win an Oscar. Many cinema fans are also glad that Baz Luhrmann’s Elvis didn’t take home any trophies.

Winning seven Oscars, Everything Everywhere All at Once tells the story of a woman (played by Michelle Yeoh) who must save the multiverse by connecting with alter-egos of herself in parallel universes. The outrageously unhinged film deserved all of its successes except, perhaps, Jamie Lee Curtis winning “Best Supporting Actress.” Many fans of the movie Wakanda Forever were shocked that actress Angela Bassett didn’t win, including Angela Bassett herself. Bassett was the predicted winner of the Best Supporting Actress category. Yet, once awards season began, Curtis (Everything Everywhere) and Kerry Condon (The Banshees of Inisherin) were the actresses taking home awards. Curtis won the SAG (Screen Actors Guild) award and Condon the BAFTA (British Academy Film and Television Awards). When Curtis was announced as the winner at the Oscars, Bassett did not even applaud her fellow actress, and many fans were disappointed at her “sore loser” reaction. 

All Quiet on the Western Front, winner of four Oscars, was another star of the night. The film is an adaptation of the classic 1929 anti-war novel and was recognized at the Oscars for its cinematography, score, and production design. The German movie prevailed over the flashy Elvis and wild Babylon, both of which did not win any awards despite being highly anticipated films. Although some see it as just another war movie, All Quiet on the Western Front tells a different story than most war films. Set during World War I, the movie is told from the German perspective and shows the raw brutality of war.

Some other notable wins include The Whale winning Best Makeup and Hairstyling over Elvis, Top Gun: Maverick winning Best Sound, and Guillermo Del Toro’s Pinocchio winning Best Animated Feature. The striking Women Talking, a must-watch (in this writer’s opinion) directed by Sarah Polley, won Best Adapted Screenplay over All Quiet on the Western Front.

On a final note, the 2023 Oscars made history with many firsts. Michelle Yeoh (of Everything Everywhere) is the first Asian woman to win best actress. Guillermo del Toro is the first person to have won best picture, director, and animated feature. The song “Naatu Naatu” is the first Indian film song to be nominated for and win an Oscar. “The Elephant Whispers” was the first ever Indian-produced film to win an Oscar. Finally, Ruth E. Carter, the costume designer for Black Panther and its sequel Wakanda Forever, is the first black woman to have won two Oscars. 

Sources

Freiman, Jordan. "Oscars 2023: List of Winners and Nominees." CBS News, 13 Mar. 2023, www.cbsnews.com/news/oscars-2023-winners-list-nominees/. Accessed 19 Mar. 2023.

Ryu, Jenna. "Who Made Oscars History in 2023? See the Many 'firsts' from Michelle Yeoh, 'Naatu Naatu,' More." USA Today, 12 Mar. 2023, www.usatoday.com/story/entertainment/movies/2023/03/12/oscars-2023-history-firsts-awards/11462823002/. Accessed 19 Mar. 2023.

Steinberg, Brooke. "Angela Bassett Doesn’T Clap for Jamie Lee Curtis’ Oscar Win: ‘Kinda Shady’." New York Post, 12 Mar. 2023, nypost.com/2023/03/12/angela-bassett-reacts-to-jamie-lee-curtis-oscars-win/. Accessed 19 Mar. 2023.