Well, reposting this from the old server...

There was already a small-sized upset back in 2003 when Martin Scorcese lost the Best Director Oscar to Roman Polanski. Most people have pegged Scorcese as the winner up unti, the actual show. That was his fourth nomination as well as the fourth movie he directed that was nominated for Best Picture.

When Scorcese was nominated for Best Director this year, most considered him a lock to win until Million Dollar Baby really picked up and even then, many still believed in his win just on the merits of his past achievements like Taxi Driver, Goodfellas and Raging Bull. Scorcese as well as The Aviator lost again, though.

Scorcese has been nominated for Best Director for five times already and the same goes for his movies. However, no wins could be scored so far. After Scorcese had lost once again, there was a small outrage that he didn't win again and how it's a shame that he hasn't won so far despite five nominations. This was the second time that he has been considered close to a lock for Best Director because of his past achievements and him being overdue.

Now after having read many displeased Scorcese fans, I start to wonder why there is never so many complaints when Robert Altman and Peter Weir miss out on a Best Director win. They are both great directors and haven't been awarded for any of their works yet.

Peter Weir has received the Best Director nomination four times already, for Master and Commander, The Truman Show, Witness and Dead Poets Society and hasn't won yet. Three of these movies were also nominated for Best Picture without having been recognized. You might say that Martin Scorcese has his age going for him, but then again, Peter Weir is only two years younger.

And what about Robert Altman? He turned 80 this year and is not getting any older. He created some very impressive and memorable movies in his life and has been nominated for Best Director for five times, just as often as Scorcese and he has always lost. He was nominated for The Player, Short Cuts, Gosford Park, MASH and Nashville. Additionally, MASH; Nashville and Gosford Park were nominated for Best Picture and lost as well. Yet, I don't really see him being pegged as being nearly as overdue as Scorcese for instance.

Just something to think about...

The difference is that Taxi Driver, Raging Bull and Goodfellas are considered to be the best films of their respective years, all of them are classics and most critics and filmfans regard them as far superior to the movies that beat them at the Oscars (Rocky, Ordinary People and, at least to a certain extent, Dances with Wolves).

Now as for Altman, he definitely deserves an Oscar, no question. But, unlike Scorsese's works, none of his films were frontrunners in their specific years. The Player lost against Unforgiven, and most people are ok with that, since Unforgiven is still generally considered to be the better film. The same applies to Short Cuts, which lost against Schindler's List, Mash, which was beaten by Patton and Nashville, which was nominated when One Flew over the Cuckoo's Nest swept the Oscars.

So, Altman has made some great films, but none of them were or are regarded as THE top films of the year they were nominated in, while Scorsese has had a few films that were expected to be the clear winners, since they were head and shoulders above the movies they were up against. However, none of them actually got the award, and therefore it's an understandable reaction that Scorsese fans feel "cheated" once again.

It's not about the number of times a director has been nominated, but about the way he has lost each time.

Scorsese is in a different league than Altman and Weir. He's been called the greatest living American director and I'd agree with that.

Like you mentioned before, Weir did deserve a win for The Truman Show but unfortunately Shakespeare stoled BP that year, which then put Spielberg in the position to "settle" for BD over BP.

Altman will be in the running this year and next year with films slated for release. I'm not sure what's next for Weir.

Overall, I agree with you, guys, Marty is probably in a higher league than Weir and Altman. He wasn't nominated for Taxi Driver as Best Director, though. He was nominated for Best Director for Raging Bull, Gangs of New York, The Aviator, The Last Temptation of Christ and Goodfellas. Now I personally have seen Goodfellas a bit too long ago to say how deserving or nnot deserving of an Oscar he would be for it, but as far as the other four movies go, I agree with him not having won it. Roman Polanski was more deserving of Best Director than Scorcese when Scorcese lost for Gangs of New York. I haven't seen Million Dollar Baby yet, but I'd say that Scorcese's direction in The Aviator wasn't the best of the year. I consider Michael Gondry's direction of Eternal Sunshine, Payne's of Sideways and Jean-Pierre Jeunet's of A Very Long Engagement better.

The Last Temptation of Christ wasn't deserving of Best Director either against Mississippi Burning and Rain Man. Now here comes the one where probably most will disagree with me. I don't think Raging Bull deserved the Best Director Oscar either, as I consider Lynch's direction of The Elephant Man to be better. Now I need to see Goodfellas again, obviously, so I won't judge that, but I have to say that Kevon Costner did a really good job in that year on Dances with Wolves.

Certainly, now that I see what movies/directors Altman lost against, I agree that he hasn't been a frontrunner in the years he was nominated in. Overall, though, I think he deserves to be rewarded at one point.

Peter Weir deserved to win for The Truman Show, definitely. Actually, I'd even prefer Spielberg winning Best Director (for his flawless achievement in Saving Private Ryan) back in 1998 and The Truman Show to win Best Picture (it wasn't even nominated). Shakespeare in Love's win was a shame considering Elizabeth, Life is Beautiful, Saving Private Ryan and The Thin Red Line were all better.

I complained about Weir not winning for Witness, Master and Commander and Truman Show many times (though I might admit, that I don't represent the majority :wink: )

I agree, there are a bunch of good overlooked directors. I am not one who worries if Scorsese wins one soon or not. The effect of Oscars on people reputations and history is over rated. Chinatown for example is considered one of the best movies ever made (by me as well) yet I haven't the foggiest idea if it won anything, nor do I care. Scorcese's reputation is cemented with his early acclaimed movies, regardless of what he does or doesn't win in coming years.

And also, everytime Scorcese loses, just keep in mind that Kubrick and Hitchcock has never won a Best Director award either despite having been nominated four an five times respectively.

What complaints? Whose complaining other than a couple of cry-babies on this site. Names please?

Seems the rest of the world is fine with Eastwood's win. Except maybe Lecter as the thread starter and the cry baby Loyal with his Scrocese giving the finger.

On the top 6 awards, the best picture/man/woman won.

Can we please stop with the nonsensical assumptions and the consistent "disses"?

Actually, a lot of people voiced their complaints on both the Internet (you should check OscarWatch forum) and the real world. So get real, and stop trying to find anything against a valid discussion.

The day Altman wins a best director oscar is the day I stop watching the oscars. If there was ever a mroe over rated director than him, i haven't been introduced to his work yet. Mash was good and the rest was prety much tripe. Gosford Park made me angry. I'm going to stop there. Mary should have won by now.

You're totally wrong.

Good to see you around, Dan. :wink:

Oh, and I totally agree with your statements about Altman. One of the most overrated directors of all time, bar none.

Also, i'm personally glad that Scorsese didin't win for directing a film like The Aviator. He will direct another great film at some point, and award him them.

Anti-Altman club members

Baumer
Makeshift
Roidrage

:wink:

And the worst thing about Gosford Park was there were no subtitle option to chose for the DVD and I cant understand what any of the characters were saying. It was intentional too since I heard people complain about the samething about no subtitle menu and one person said that Altman didnt believe in subtitles for movies because it gives out too much information that he wants you to carefully listen to the characters. The arrogance of that director!

Okay, thread is clean.

Now, back on topic guys.

Nice to see you to makeshift. :wink: Back on topic. I don't necessarily think that Marty is as great as his rep is. I personally thought that Taxi Driver and Raging Bull, while great films, were not the masterpieces that many said they were. Now, as for Goodfellas, if it would have won, I would have been very happy and thought that it deserved it just as much, but not more than Dances With Wolves. Marty is iconic, and he will win someday, buit M$B should not have won this year either.

You haven't been around much, so I have no idea where you stand on the Oscar-nominated films...

...Which one do you think should have won?

I agree with just about everything you said, baumer. Most of Scorsese's films are great, but the only one i've truly loved and would declare a masterwork is Goodfellas. Marty will get his eventually, and he deserves it - but i'm glad he didin't get it for dreck like The Aviator. I say award him when it's warranted.

I haven't seen many filsm this year, work has been keeping me very busy, but Sideways floored me this year and so did Church and Giammatti with their performances. I am very sad that they did not win or in Paul's case get nominated.

The Aviator is far from Marty's finest work. But neither was M$B Freeman's finest work, yet he got what is widely considered to be a lifetime achievement Oscar.

Compounding the argument is Eastwood's win for an inferior film, it wasn't as if he directed a equal follow up to his first BP winner Unforgiven (little guild support, good but not incredible critical response for M$B when it first opened).

The AMPAS was painted into a corner, either deny Scorsese his lifetime achievement Oscar or snub Eastwood for the second year in the row. Difficult call, I just happen to think it was wrong.

I agree with you, loyal.

It was a rather weak year for Oscar type films in my opinion, so the AMPAS was essentially left with the task of picking one mediocre film over the other as a form of lifetime achievement award.

You've gotta think about it, though. I think Marty knew that he had a shot at the award with The Aviator He couldn't win it with controversy, he couldn't win it with thought-provoking films, and he definitely couldn't win it if it delt with Jesus. If they keep on giving him the finger when he gives them work that'll be remembered forever and happens to be better than typical Hollywood shlock, it makes sense (if he's THAT eager for the award) that he would stoop to the level of most in Hollywood and go with the easy, uncontroversial rise and fall tale...Then again, I dont think Scorsese's the type to do that kind of film just for the award. I think he probably had an interest in it, and ultimately, he's disappointed...He ain't no sell-out...yet.

There's one thing Marty's gotta feel bad about...and that's that all of us are calling him Marty. What is he? 70!?

You guys'll probably laugh at this, but I think that next to Goodfellas, Cape Fear is his best film. I think I have seen that flick about 20 times and lvoe it every time.

Wait...best? or most enjoyable/favorite?

I think Taxi Driver is his best film. But, Cape Fear is certaintly one of the more enjoyable ones, along with After Hours and GoodFellas...

I like adding y's to the end of names.

Warren Beatty tried to get The Aviator made for years and Mann almost made it (hence the producing credit). Marty was handed The Aviator, which when you know the history of M$B, is really the same thing that happened to Eastwood.

2004 was not the year of nurtured projects, which when you look back at the recent BP winners that are most remembered (Schindler's List, Forrest Gump, Braveheart, ROTK), you can see a clear difference.