Nowadays, the lead up to the Oscars, with the rush of other televised awards ceremonies, often turns the actual event itself into a damp squib. And with so many of the gongs considered a shoo-in, the major excitement often lies in seeing whether the presenter/s hit any highs or bomb dramatically.
Historically, Mexico has played only a bit part at the Oscars, although this is changing thanks to a breakthrough by several innovative filmmakers in recent years.
Mexico’s first Oscar winner was the Mexican-born production designer Emile Kuri, for “The Heiress” in 1942 (He won another in 1954 for “10,000 Leagues Under the Sea”). Meanwhile, Mexican-American Anthony Quinn won Best Supporting Actor awards in 1952 and 1960 for “Viva Zapata” and “Lust for Life.”
Over the years Mexico has churned out a succession of fine cinematographers. Master craftsman Gabriel Figueroa’s evocative work in the 1964 “Night of the Iguana” earned him a nomination, but it wasn’t until 2006 that Guillermo Navarro became Mexico’s first director of photography to win an Oscar for his work on Guillermo del Toro’s terror tale “Pan’s Labyrinth.” Mexico’s most successful cinematographer of recent times is undoubtedly Emmanuel Lubezki, who was nominated five times (“A Little Princess,” “Sleepy Hollow,” “A New World,” “Children of Men” and “The Tree of Life”) before picking up an Oscar in 2014 for Alfonso Cuaron’s space epic “Gravity.” He is nominated again this year for his astonishing work on “Birdman,” Alejandro Gonzalez Iñarritu’s hit black comedy set in New York’s theaterland.
Gonzalez Iñarritu, previously nominated for the 2005 “Babel,” is looking to follow in the footsteps of Cuaron, who deservedly won the Best Director award last year for “Gravity” – the first Mexican to achieve this honor.
While some homegrown filmmakers criticize Mexico’s “big three” directors – de Toro, Curaon and Gonzalez Iñarritu – for eschewing local cinema and following the money trail to Hollywood, their success has sharply focused the international cinematic spotlight on this country
The 87th Academy Awards ceremony will take place Sunday, February 22 at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, Los Angeles beginning at 7:30 p.m. CST.