Best Actor/Actress Awards Given to Blacks… Breaking the `Racial Partition`

The 21st century’s first Academy was `Black Academy`. Also, rather than giving all the awards to one production, this year’s Academy Awards distributed Oscar trophies evenly to each movie, settling down the usual controversy.

The 74th Academy Awards opened at Los Angeles’ Kodak Theater on the 25th morning (Korean time), and black actress Halle Berry won the best actress’ award for the first time in 74 years since the first Academy Awards in 1927.

Also, Denzel Washington claimed the best actor’s award after 39 years since black actor Sidney Poitier’s first award in 1963. Both of the best actor’s and actress’ awards, therefore, were given out to black performers.

Besides, Poitier won an honorary Oscar, which put an end to `White-dominated Oscars`.

This year’s Academy also broke the tradition of Golden Globe awardees sweeping most of the Oscars, as Golden Globe winners Russell Crowe and Sissy Spacek both failed to win Oscars. Some even say that it is `racial consideration` or `political decision` for blacks.

As if the `Black Blast` was sensed before hand, black actress Whoopi Goldberg presided the event, and made several `meaningful jokes` as she introduced candidates of the best picture awards.

Director Ron Howards’ `Beautiful Mind`, which is said to be the most Academy-like movie, had to be content with 4 awards that included best picture, director, supporting actress, and adapted screenplay.

Although `The Lord Of The Rings` was on the candidacy list for 13 categories, it only won 4 awards to show Academy’s distaste for `fantasy movies` once again.

In this year’s newly established category, Animated Feature, `Shrek` won the first Oscar over Disney’s `Monsters, Inc.`.

Sue-Jean Kang sjkang@donga.com