The U.K. film industry showered Valentine’s Day love on “The Revenant” on the weekend, awarding the endurance epic five prizes, including best picture and best actor, at the British Academy Film Awards.
Leonardo DiCaprio cemented his Oscar-favorite status by taking the best-actor trophy for playing a bear-battling fur trapper in a brutally wild American West. Alejandro G. Inarritu was named best director for what he called a “human and tender story,” and “The Revenant” also won prizes for cinematography and sound.
DiCaprio, who has been nominated three times before at the British awards without winning, said in his acceptance speech that he was “absolutely humbled” to beat “The Martian” star Matt Damon, “Trumbo’’’s Bryan Cranston, Michael Fassbender for “Steve Jobs,” and Eddie Redmayne for “The Danish Girl.”
He cited the influence on his work of British actors including Tom Courtney, Peter O’Toole, Daniel Day Lewis and his “Revenant” co-star Tom Hardy, and sent thanks and greetings to his mother, whose birthday fell on Sunday.
The British awards, known as BAFTAs, are considered a portent of success at Hollywood’s Feb. 28 Academy Awards. “The Revenant” has earned DiCaprio his sixth Oscar nomination —
and, many believe, his best shot at finally winning.
DiCaprio said it was out of his hands, but expressed pride in what he called “not just a film, but an epic journey we all went on.”
“We put our heart and soul into this movie … It’s up to the world now and voters to decide,” he said at a post-ceremony news conference.
The best-actress trophy went to Brie Larson as a mother trying to shield her son from a terrible reality in “Room.” She won out over Alicia Vikander for “The Danish Girl,” Cate Blanchett for “Carol,” Maggie Smith for “The Lady in the Van” and Saoirse Ronan for “Brooklyn.”
Supporting performer prizes went to Mark Rylance, a soft-spoken Soviet agent in “Bridge of Spies,” and Kate Winslet, an Apple executive in “Steve Jobs.”
Winslet dedicated the prize to “all those young women who doubt themselves,” recalling that she once had been told to go for “the fat-girl parts.”
“Look at me now!” Winslet said.
“The Revenant” beat several hotly tipped awards contenders, including Steven Spielberg’s Cold War thriller “Bridge of Spies” and Todd Haynes’ lesbian romance “Carol.” Each had nine BAFTA nominations, but “Bridge of Spies” won only for Rylance’s performance, while “Carol” was shut out.
Irish emigrant saga “Brooklyn” was named best British film, a distinct category, while the documentary prize went to “Amy,” a powerful portrait of the rise and fall of singer Amy Winehouse.
George Miller’s dystopian thrill ride “Mad Max: Fury Road” took four prizes: editing, production design, costume design, and hair and makeup.
The movie awards season has been dominated by debate about why the film industry remains dominated by white men. All the acting nominees for the Oscars both this year and last have been white.
The BAFTAs are slightly more diverse, with two black actors nominated — Boyega and Idris Elba, a supporting-actor contender for “Beasts of No Nation.” Pioneering black American actor Sidney Poitier — the first black best-actor Oscar winner, in 1963 —
received a lifetime achievement award, the BAFTA fellowship.
A group called Creatives of Colour Network organized a protest beside the red carpet against a lack of racial diversity in show business. Demonstrators rallied under the hashtag #baftablackout, and distributed leaflets declaring the awards “male, pale and stale.” Jill Lawless, London , AP
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