Does the German film have the Oscar for Best International Film secured? Do you have any chance of hitting the jackpot?
The accounts are clear. Among the 5 films nominated at the 2023 Oscars for the Best International Film award, there are 13 nominations, and 9 are from the same film: the German ‘All Quiet on the Front’. Sure victory?
‘Argentina, 1985’ (Santiago Mitre), ‘Close’ (Lukas Dhont), ‘EO’ (Jerzy Skolimowski) and ‘The Quiet Girl’ (Colm Bairéad) have only received a nomination in this category, while ‘All Quiet Front’ is also a candidate for Best Visual Effects, Best Sound, Best Makeup and Hairstyling, Best Production Design, Best Soundtrack, Best Photography, Best Adapted Screenplay and Best film. The last time the same film was nominated in the Best Film and Best International Film categories, it won in both categories. It was ‘Parasites’.
The similarities pretty much end there. That is to say, ‘All quiet on the front’, one of the best films of 2022, is the favorite to win a clearer statuette of the entire gala, as was the Bong Joon-ho film, but we could assure that has no choice in Best Picture. ‘Parasites’ had just won the Palme d’Or at Cannes, while ‘No news…’ did not even win the Golden Globe for Best Foreign Film, snatched by ‘Argentina, 1985‘. ‘Parasites’ was also nominated for an Oscar in the most important sections to influence the jackpot, such as Best Director and Best Editing, while most of the nominations for ‘Quiet news…’ are for technical awards.
In addition, ‘Parasites’ was an original idea (script written by four hands between Bong Joon-ho and Jin Won Han) while ‘All Quiet Front’ is a new adaptation of a film directed by Lewis Milestone that won an Oscar almost 100 years agobased on the novel by Erich Maria Remarque.
What it does have in its favor ‘All quiet on the front’ is the great publicity machine of being one of the best movies on Netflix in 2022 behind, and the power of its diffusion and its immediate worldwide availability. The German film would surely have received the same number of (deserved) nominations if it had followed a “classic” theatrical release, but the launch on the streaming platform has caused its audience to be exponentially much largerr than the one that would have gone to theaters in a commercial release.
That popular pull is what the aspirations of the movie of Edward Berger beyond Best International Film… And not a bad trick. Not much less.
Source: Fotogramas
Rose James is a Gossipify movie and series reviewer known for her in-depth analysis and unique perspective on the latest releases. With a background in film studies, she provides engaging and informative reviews, and keeps readers up to date with industry trends and emerging talents.
