Tencent Entertainment on the 82nd Oscar Academy Award:
When the news of Avatar losing multiple awards to a lesser known movie, The Hurt Locker, was released on March 8, a heated debate started online between supporters of Avatar and fans of The Hurt Locker in China. 60-70% Chinese netizens took the side of Avatar and criticized this year’s Academy Award to be another huge tragedy in Oscar history; while fans of The Hurt Locker ridiculed if Cameron learned directing movie from his ex-wife, Kathryn Bigelow.
With over $2 billion in box office sales and Golden Globe Awards in its pocket, Avatar was expected to be a big winner at this year’s Oscars. However, the movie won only the technical prizes including art direction, cinematography and visual effects. On the other hand, The Hurt Locker got six prestigious prizes including best picture, directing, film editing, sound editing and writing.
Avatar fans: Oscar judges created an annual disaster!
A recent online research in China revealed that Avatar won 65% of support from movie fans, almost doubling the sum of all other nine nominations for best picture. As a result, the failure of Avatar in Oscar received criticism from Chinese Na’vi fans.
One online thread remarked that Oscar Academy was on the opposite side of the movie audience, and showed disinterest in sci-fi movies. Other online criticizers pointed out revolutionary impact of The Hurt Locker on movie industry is far less than that of Avatar; people may forget The Hurt Locker next year, but Avatar will remain in audience’s memory for the next decade or longer. One Na’vi fan posted a thread that said “The Hurt Locker will become one of the most forgettable movies in the Oscar history! Such anti-world result is apparently as ridiculous as Saving Private Ryan losing to Shakespeare in Love.”
Zhang Hongwen (张洪文) from Communication University of China (中国传媒大学) said that Avatar was a great movie with warm humanity. Just as Alfred Hitchcock’s movies never won an Oscar, the lack of an Oscar prize would not make Avatar a less valuable piece of work.
Some other Avatar fans thought The Hurt Locker was not even as good as Inglorious Bastards. The Hurt Locker was probably just more mainstream than the other nominations.
Lu Chuan (陆川), a famous Chinese director shared similar view on Avatar. He said all Chinese film directors admitted defeat by Cameron’s Avatar. He thought the Oscars only represented Americans’ view but should be considered as a global recognition. The Americans voted for the movies that are near and dear to their hearts. The Hurt Locker not only revealed American’s anti-war emotions but also the psychological struggles of American audience. Such emotional resonance was the reason The Hurt Locker won the preference from the judges. Lu Chuan also suggested as Avatar has already gotten great revenue and love from the audience, it might have created negative influence on judges’ decision and led to Avatar’s loss.
The Hurt Locker supporters: 3D is boring; Avatar is plain.
On the other hand, fans of The Hurter Locker said Avatar didn’t stand a chance to win the best picture; Inglorious Basterds would have won had Hurt Locker not been in the race. In terms of the revolutionary 3D effect Avatar brought, singer Zhe Tao (陶喆) thought the 3D was a little boring. For him, the traditional 2D is adequate. What mattered the most should be the story, rather than technologies. It’s just like music: the most important elements were rhythm and its meaning, instead of singing or playing skills.
Film critic Fei Tan (谭飞) interpreted the results with an different angle: it is March 8 (the day of Oscar in China timezone),Women’s day in China; Hollywood was using the Award to celebrate the day for women. Regarding Avatar only won technical awards, Fei thought the emphasis of Avatar was on technology but not other aspects, like story line.. In contrast, The Hurt Locker is more real and convincing.
Last but not least, one netizen claimed it’s karma. Since James Cameron divorced Kathryn Bigelow; he finally got his punishment.
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