The Academy Award Animated Film Travesty: Why Persepolis lost to Ratatouille

I have only one thing to say about the travesty that was the Oscars. It was a disgusting display of idiocy that Persepolis lost the Oscar for best animated film to Ratatouille.

Persepolis is a thoughtful, insightful exploration into a child’s experience with war and tyrannical oppression that rings so true these days, and it is so relevant for Americans, especially when it comes to the prevalence of Iran in our national headlines and the war that continues to fester in Iraq. I feel a movie could not have come at a better time, but the Academy really dropped the ball by not recognizing it for what it was. Watching the oppressed but still rebellious teenager rock out to Iron Maiden after shedding her public shawl is a beautiful cinematic moment.

Persepolis channels the unique style of the graphic novel whose autobiographical story it was based off of, and was the only traditionally animated movie to be nominated in the category. Apparently Iran’s government pressured people to drop the film from the Bangkok International Film Festival too, further exemplifying the free speech undertones of this magical story.

Yes, Ratatouille was really great and fun and an amazingly well done, but its impact and meaning are so far below Persepolis it is disgusting.

Ratatouille is a great movie, and the character of Remy the rat is incredibly cute and lovable, but it can’t step up to the magnitude, passion and depth of Persepolis. Persepolis is a movie that enriches the soul and gives a true rendition of life and overcoming tyranny to find ones true self.

This furthers my theory that we don’t award movies that push our minds and make us think. What matters is the movies that are flashy and follow our same comfortable stereotypes, and the Academy reinforced this with Ratatouille’s win, and they missed an amazing chance to bring our country’s focus onto a truly universal issue by not nominating Perespolis.

Denzel Washington and the Power of seeing Power on Film

I saw American Gangster for the first time last night. I know I am way behind when discussing the film and I really can’t excuse myself for being so late with my viewing. The movie was quite enjoyable, I think it plays upon the classic organized crime drama motif extremely well, and Denzel Washington’s acting is outstanding. It is mesmerizing to see his power and passion play out among the scenes, but it poses a unique question.

Denzel has become an icon of American film, and he has done it mostly by playing the exact same type of characters. We always see Denzel as a strong and confident man, he is usually seen as a man who exudes a certain swagger, charm, and sheer will of character that is seemingly unattainable by normal people. By playing this somewhat one dimensional style of character in most of his films (and by no way am I saying that is all he plays, his character in Philadelphia was brilliant) Denzel has solidified himself a top actor. Do you think there will ever be an actor who reaches the prominence of Denzel who plays characters that are weird, weak, and not heroic? Even when playing a villain, Denzel is viewed in a certain heroic light by the film he sits within.

There are many actors who have been honored for their portrayals of strange or off-kilter characters, but will one ever reach the iconic level of those like Denzel? I think our modern view of success and heroism would not be as responsive to an actor who played a variety of strange and unique roles, I think our popular culture is better equipped to accommodate those men like Denzel, who are seen as pillars of stability and can stick to their specific types of roles, even when they are playing antagonist, the movie still follows them like a warped protagonist. This is not necessarily a bad thing, but I do think it deters actors from experimentation and innovation and keeps them in line towards specifically designed and safe acting roles, we make it easier for actors to focus on perfecting classic acting styles over and over again, so that’s what we get in modern film.