Cannes is synonymous with controversy. This year, lack of US films in
competition, numerous violent outbursts, dearth of stars, and finally, the
cherry on the cake, BJORK WINS BEST ACTRESS??
Sunday night's awards
ceremony at Cannes was a typically bizarre occasion. The one film which
had split everybody right down the middle, 'Dancer in the Dark' by Danish
director Lars Von Trier, quite unexpectedly won the Palme d'Or. At the
first screening of the film last week, there were near riot scenes outside
the cinema as the huge crowd which had assembled, with tickets in hand,
were informed that only media would be allowed to enter the screening.
Distressed and disgruntled, many of those who had queued for hours
expressed their frustration by hurling security barriers and anything else
they could lay their hands on.
For the crowd which actually made it into the screening, 50% of them were
utterly astonished by the ineptitude and high melodrama of the film, and
50% were in floods of tears, overcome by the powerful emotions the film
brought to the fore. The film, starring Bjork and Catherine Deneuve, is a
big budget musical which Von Trier hoped would echo, in part, 'The Sound of
Music'. Even those who loved the film admitted that Bjork's performance was
far from satisfactory, and she has admitted herself "I'm not an actress".
For the film to take home the Palme d'Or was bizarre enough, but for Bjork
to win Best Actress was simply ludicrous. The jury was typically mixed
bunch, and one can only assume that these two awards were hotly debated
amongst them. Luc Besson, as President of the jury, would most certainly
have had a major input into these decisions.
Much more well deserved were the awards for Best Screenplay (which went to
the acclaimed 'Nurse Betty' by Neil LaBute, director of 'In the Company of
Men') and Best Actor which was won by Tony Leung for his performance in the
new Wong Kar-Wai film, 'In the Mood for Love'.
- Glenn Hogarty
Visit the Cannes website at www.festival-cannes.org