14 Times The Oscar Buzz Eclipsed The Movies

Although the film has been critically praised – it currently boasts a not-unimpressive 82% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes – Alejandro González Iñárritu’s The Revenant is being discussed more frequently for its troubled production than it is for its dramatic or aesthetic or cultural impact. The Revenant experienced a troubled shoot, often filming in freezing weather in remote locations. Leonardo DiCaprio almost caught hypothermia, and many crew members either quit or were fired when they complained about the conditions.

The Revenant has been nominated for 12 Academy Awards, and seems to be the front-runner for the Big Win. When faced with the knowledge of the film’s production, it’s tempting to be cynical; one could perhaps declare that The Revenant is being lauded less for its status as a great film, and is instead garnering recognition for how much hard work went into it.

Check Out: #OscarsSoWhite | Academy Award-Worthy Actors of Color from 2015

Of course, this is not the first time a film would be fetching attention from the Academy due to its interesting or troubled production history. Looking over the history of the Awards, one finds that Academy voters often nominate – and just as often actually award – films and actors whose exterior struggles make for more interesting tales than the ones depicted in the films they eventually made. Publicity can be an insidious machine, and when it comes to the following films, the publicity managed to become far more potent a public narrative than any sort of critical analysis.

Slideshow | When Oscar Buzz Eclipses the Movies

Top Photo: 20th Century Fox

Witney Seibold is a contributor to the CraveOnline Film Channel, and co-host of The B-Movies Podcast. He also contributes to Legion of Leia, and Blumhouse. You can follow him on “Twitter” at @WitneySeibold, where he is slowly losing his mind.

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