Oscars, Covid-19 and movie magic: Are the golden days of cinema lost forever?
Streaming is a mainstay now but cinema is not ordinary in the way that streaming has become — nor should it ever be
There is a singular moment, for me, which epitomises glamour on screen: Elizabeth Taylor in her now iconic Edith Head designed gown in . The pale yellow strapless gown with fitted boned bodice of ruched ivory tulle over yellow taffeta, and a skirt made of several layers of cream tulle, is still considered one of the most iconic dresses of the Golden Age of Hollywood — almost outshining the tragic love story that ensues between Taylor and the impossibly handsome Montgomery Clift. A more modern example would be Kiera Knightly’s striking green dress designed by Jacqueline Durran. It all ultimately acts as a draw; the costumes, the impossibly beautiful men and women on screen — the promise of another world. In this way, glamour is intrinsically linked to the films we know and hold so dear.
As my film obsession grew, so did my longing for more in that universe; the red carpets, the film festivals, the award shows, from Cannes, Venice to The Golden Globes. In fact, they go hand-in-hand for the majority of cinephiles. Many may say it's about the movie up for nomination but we know so much also depends on the award season 'circuit' actors must do — rarely do we see an Oscar won, for example, by an actor we haven't seen at all the award shows prior — it’s part of the politics of Tinseltown. And for so many, this is the movies, what makes them stand out in memory as much as any plot point is the whole package — as well as what we see after the reel ends. The Hollywood name on the red carpet always intensifies a critically acclaimed Oscars frontrunner and enhances overall appeal and popularity. I’m almost certain Brad Pitt won his long-overdue Academy Award in 2020 because he was one of the darlings of last year’s season; his acceptance speeches lauded, his attire formal, yet his always-relaxed demeanour approachable in every interview, even while the cameras never stopped flashing. You bought into him, as much as his performance, you wanted him to win.
