Oppenheimer, a three-hour epic about the making of the atomic bomb during World War 2, was the big winner at the Bafta Film Awards on Sunday, winning top honours for best film and best director as well as five other awards.
One of the highest-grossing movies of 2023, it also won awards for leading actor Cillian Murphy, who portrays the American theoretical physicist J Robert Oppenheimer, supporting actor Robert Downey Jnr, editing, cinematography and original score.
Christopher Nolan, who won his first Bafta for directing, thanked the cast and crew in his acceptance speech.
“In the real world there are all kinds of individuals and organisations who have fought long and hard to reduce the number of nuclear weapons in the world. In accepting this I do want to acknowledge their efforts,” he said.
Like Nolan, Murphy had been favourite to win his category, and in his acceptance speech he referred to the man known as “the father of the atomic bomb”.
“Oppenheimer was this colossally naughty, complex character and he meant different things to different people,” Murphy said.
“One man's monster is another's man hero. That's why I love movies because we have a space to celebrate, interrogate and investigate that complexity.”
Emma Stone picked up the leading actress award for the sex-charged Gothic comedy Poor Things, which won five awards.
‘Oppenheimer’ triumphs at Bafta Film Awards with most wins
Image: John Phillips/Getty Images
Oppenheimer, a three-hour epic about the making of the atomic bomb during World War 2, was the big winner at the Bafta Film Awards on Sunday, winning top honours for best film and best director as well as five other awards.
One of the highest-grossing movies of 2023, it also won awards for leading actor Cillian Murphy, who portrays the American theoretical physicist J Robert Oppenheimer, supporting actor Robert Downey Jnr, editing, cinematography and original score.
Christopher Nolan, who won his first Bafta for directing, thanked the cast and crew in his acceptance speech.
“In the real world there are all kinds of individuals and organisations who have fought long and hard to reduce the number of nuclear weapons in the world. In accepting this I do want to acknowledge their efforts,” he said.
Like Nolan, Murphy had been favourite to win his category, and in his acceptance speech he referred to the man known as “the father of the atomic bomb”.
“Oppenheimer was this colossally naughty, complex character and he meant different things to different people,” Murphy said.
“One man's monster is another's man hero. That's why I love movies because we have a space to celebrate, interrogate and investigate that complexity.”
Emma Stone picked up the leading actress award for the sex-charged Gothic comedy Poor Things, which won five awards.
Da'Vine Joy Randolph won the supporting actress prize for her role in The Holdovers, a comedy set in a boys' boarding school.
The Zone of Interest, about the commandant of Auschwitz and his family living next to the Nazi death camp, won awards for outstanding British film, film not in the English language and sound.
The courtroom drama won the award for original screenplay. The award for adapted screenplay went to the comedy-drama American Fiction, which is based on 2001 novel Erasure by Percival Everett.
Best documentary went to 20 Days in Mariupol, journalist Mstyslav Chernov's personal account of the siege of the Ukrainian city in 2022.
“This is not about us. This is about Ukraine, about people of Mariupol. The day before yesterday another Ukrainian city has fallen, many cities before that,” Chernov said in his acceptance speech.
“The story of Mariupol is a symbol of everything that happened, a symbol of struggle.”
The guest list of those who attended the ceremony at the Royal Festival Hall in central London included Bafta president Prince William.
Known as the Baftas (British Academy of Film and Television Arts), the ceremony was hosted by actor David Tennant.
Image: Jordan Pettitt/Pool via REUTERS
Below is a list of the winners in the main categories.
BEST FILM: Oppenheimer
OUTSTANDING BRITISH FILM: The Zone of Interest
DIRECTOR: Christopher Nolan, Oppenheimer
LEADING ACTRESS: Emma Stone, Poor Things
LEADING ACTOR: Cillian Murphy, Oppenheimer
SUPPORTING ACTRESS: Da'Vine Joy Randolph, The Holdovers
SUPPORTING ACTOR: Robert Downey Jnr, Oppenheimer
ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY : Anatomy of a Fall
ADAPTED SCREENPLAY: American Fiction
FILM NOT IN THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE: The Zone of Interest
DOCUMENTARY: 20 Days In Mariupol
ANIMATED FILM: The Boy And The Heron
ORIGINAL SCORE : Oppenheimer
EE RISING STAR: Mia McKenna-Bruce
Reuters
YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE:
Joburg-born composer Peter Raeburn wins Sundance 2024 World Cinema Award
Atomic bomb blockbuster ‘Oppenheimer’ leads Oscar nominations
Jimmy Kimmel to host Oscars for fourth time
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.
Most read
Latest Videos