Rings films deserve Oscars says Lee

Veteran star Christopher Lee criticised Oscars chiefs today for having failed to give the first film in the Lord Of The Rings trilogy a major trophy this year.

It would bring “shame” on the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences - which organises the top film awards ceremony – if the second film in the series was to be similarly snubbed, he said.

It was “absolutely disgraceful” the the first film, The Fellowship of the Ring, had missed out on the big gongs, Lee told BBC Radio 5 Live.

The film was nominated for 13 awards at the ceremony in March, including best director and best film.

But it took just four awards, for technical categories – cinematography, visual effects, make-up, and original score.

Lee, who plays Saruman the White in the Rings trilogy, said: “It’s outrageous that the first film and indeed the director were not both given Oscars because the film and the direction were so superior to anything that came up for an Oscar that I thought it was quite disgraceful.”

A Beautiful Mind and its director Ron Howard took the prizes for best picture and director this year.

Oscars chiefs have often been criticised in the past for ignoring sci-fi and fantasy films – the groundbreaking Star Wars series has only ever won technical prizes at the Oscars.

Lee said from Paris, where he was preparing for tonight’s European premiere for second Rings film, The Two Towers: “I’m a member of the academy and we vote.

“I’m not saying the other films weren’t any good, that’s not my point.

“My point is that you hear this story about the Academy never awarding any kind of Oscar to anything connected with fantasy – there’s always been this story that they never do well.

“It’s about time they did because you take these two (Lord Of The Rings) films and the third one – they are going to make cinema history.

“They will be unique in the history of motion pictures and it will be a total and absolute disgrace and a shame on the academy if they don’t give one, two or three Oscars for the films and certainly for the director and certainly for the dress designer.”