On the evening of September 9, local time, the 74th Venice Film Festival ended on Lido Island. Directed by Mexican director Guillermo del Toro and starring Sally Hawkins, Octavia Spencer and Michael Shannon, The Shape of Water won the highest honor, the Golden Lion, from 21 main competition entries.
As the world's oldest film festival, the Venice Film Festival has always advocated the artistic value of the film itself as a measure of the work. However, artistry is inherently controversial, especially in the selection of the Golden Lion Awards, and the unconvincing award-winning film has become the biggest topic of Venice in recent years. For example, last year's "The Woman Who Left", directed by Philippine director Ralph Daz, and "From afar", directed by Venezuelan director Lorenzo Vegas the previous year, are both explosive champions.
Poster of The Shape of Water
However, this year's "The Shape of Water" was almost unanimously identified as the "number one seed player" as soon as it appeared on the second day of the film festival. The film is set in the Cold War in 1963, but in its bones it is still del Toro's favorite dark and strange fairy tale. British actress Sally Hawkins plays a mute woman who works as a cleaner in a government laboratory in Baltimo who changes her peaceful life by accidentally discovering the secrets of the lab.
Although "The Shape of Water" was written by Del Toro, who was very popular in the commercial film market, this time the critics abandoned the "portal view" and gave it a high evaluation. Guy Lodge of Variety wrote: "This is clearly an adult fairy tale about a lonely mute cleaner and a mysterious mermaid trying to save each other's lives in different ways. Del Toro infused Science Madman's B-movie elements, thrilling Cold War wrestling, and swaying music into this stunning classic love story. The silent, heart-wrenching heroine played by Sally Hawkins and the dazzling soundtrack of Alexander Despra add a lot to the film. Arguably, The Shape of Water is del Toro's most acclaimed work after Pan's Labyrinth — or film. ”
Del Toro. Visual China figure
As Guy Lodge puts it, The Shape of Water is the second time del Toro has won at one of Europe's "Big Three" film festivals, following 2006's "Labyrinth of Pan" winning the Grand Jury Prize at Cannes. For del Toro, who can create box office giants like "Pacific Rim" and such acclaimed masterpieces as "The Shape of Water", art and business are not two worlds isolated from each other, but the place where the rivers and seas meet in the boundless waters of film.
It is reported that after Venice, "The Shape of Water" will also go to the Telluride Film Festival and the Toronto Film Festival. Producer Fox Searchlight has locked the film's schedule on December 8, directly to the Oscars of the year.
Foxtrot director Samuel Mautz won the Grand Jury Prize Silver Lion
In addition to the Golden Lion, "Foxtrot," directed by Israeli director Samuel Mautz, won the Grand Jury Prize, the Silver Lion. The film is structured in a three-part structure to show the great pain suffered by a soldier's parents after an accident.
Venice is a blessed land for Mautz, who won the Golden Lion in 2009 for his autobiographical film Lebanon. After winning the prize, "Foxtrot" will most likely represent Israel in next year's Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film.
French director Xavier Legrand won the Silver Lion for Best Director for his feature film debut Jusqu'à la garde. Based on his Oscar-winning short film in 2013, the film shows a woman who has suffered domestic violence who is determined to divorce and confront her husband for custody of her children. In addition to the Best Director Award, Legrand also won the Lion of the Future Award, dedicated to his feature film debut.
Charlotte Ramplin won Best Actress for "Hannah."
In terms of actor awards, The Lebanese actor Kamel El Basha, who played one of the two male protagonists in Lebanese director Zid Dorry's "The Insult", won the film. The famous British actress Charlotte Lampling won the award for best actress for Italian director Andre Palaolo's "Hannah".
Although the 71-year-old Lamplin became famous in Europe very early, he never won the film award, and it was only in recent years that he has become an old tree blooming. "Hannah" is the first time she has crowned the "Big Three" in Europe after winning the Berlin Film Festival in 2015 for "45th Anniversary".
Judging by the feedback from this year's Venice Film Festival, Charlotte Lamplin is likely to meet Sally Hawkins and Francis McDormond again at next year's Oscars and Francis McDormand, who starred in "Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri." Last year's Venetian actress Emma Stone won the Oscars in the end, and now Lampling has taken the lead.
Stills from The Shape of Water
Other awards in the main competition section included "Three Billboards," which won the Best Screenplay Award, written and directed by British director Martin MacDonald, who is still on his black comedy line; Australian director Warwick Thornton's pioneering film Sweet Country, which won the Jury Special Award; and 18-year-old American actor Charlie Planmer, who starred in Lean on Pete, won the Best Newcomer Award.
In this year's first addition of VR units, three asian faces were among the four winners. Best Picture went to Chinese-American director Eugene YK Chung for "Arden's Wake." He is the founder of Penrose Animation Studios and worked for Pixar. The Best VR Experience Award was won by La Camera Isabbiata, a well-known crossover artist, and Huang Xinjian, a taiwanese visual artist. Kim Jin-ah from South Korea won the Best Story Award for "Bloodless."
In the Horizon competition, which encourages innovation and experimentation, the biopic Nico (1988), directed by Italian director Susanna Nicchiarelli, won the Best Picture Award. The film presents Nicole's last tour, a member of the band "Velvet Underground", documenting the final stages of her life.
Full list of winners of the 74th Venice Film Festival:
Main competition unit
Golden Lion for Best Picture: Guillermo del Toro, The Shape of Water
Grand Jury Prize: Samuel Mautz, Foxtrot
Best Director Award: Xavier Legrand, "Give It All"
Best Actor Award: Kamel El Basha, "Humiliation"
Best Actress Award: Charlotte Rampling for Hannah
Best Screenplay: Martin MacDonald, "Three Billboards"
Jury Special Award: Warwick Thornton, Sweet Country
Best Newcomer Actor: Charlie Plummer, "Horse Pitt"
"Lion of the Future" (Best Debut Award): Xavier Legrand, "Give It All"
Horizon unit
Best Film: Susanna Nicchiarelli, "Nicole 1988"
Best Director: Vahid Jalilvand, "No Date, No Handwriting"
Special Jury Prize: "Caniba"
Best Actor: Navid Mohammed Zad, "No Date, No Handwriting"
Best Actress: Lyna Khoudri, "The Lucky Man"
Best Screenplay: Alireza Khatami, "Forgotten Poetry Line"
Best Short Film: "Gros Chagrin"
VR competition unit
Best Picture: Eugene YK Chung, "The Awakening of Alding"
Best Experience: Laurie Anderson, Huang Xinjian, "The Shelved Camera"
Best Story: Kim Jin-ah, "Cold Blood"
Venice Day Unit
Best Film: Candelaria
Special mention: "M", "The Taste of Rice Blossoms"
Audience Choice Award: "Longing"
Classic unit
Best Restoration: "A Generation of Tyrants"
Best Restoration Documentary: The Prince and the Evil Spirit
Lifetime Achievement Award: Robert Redford Jane Fonda