Jump to content

Did Munich rob John Williams of his last chance for an Oscar?


  

19 members have voted

  1. 1. Did Munich rob John Williams of his last chance for an Oscar?



Recommended Posts

Memoirs Of A Geisha was the last time that Williams had a serious shot at his 6th Oscar. And it's the only one in living memory where the composer was actually actively going out and promoting it during the Oscar season.

Sadly two Williams scores were nominated that year and it was generally believed that the double nom ruined Memoir's chances.

Should Spielberg or the studio have withdrawn the Munich score from consideration? Since the composer was clearly hedging his bets towards MOTG?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Getting a double nomination doesn't automatically translate into ruling each other out. Williams still won in 1978 for Star Wars while being nominated for CE3K at the same time.

It's still the film's popularity among voters that first and foremost translates into victory. So, in the case you mentioned, Brokeback Mountain was the year's top favorite among voters (which are, for the most part, actors), hence it won the statuette.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

That's exactly my point--Williams didn't win that year because Geisha nor Munich weren't among the favorites between voters. Brokeback Mountain was, and it won the statuette. It would have very likely happened the same even if Williams got a single nomination.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

TownerFan is right, I think. It seems as if the most popular film of the time gets best original score... of course, there are exceptions. In some cases, the most popular is arguably the best. I think some voters also take into consideration how many Oscars a person has previously won. Didn't someone once say on a ballet last year that they thought Williams had won enough already or something along those lines? If that's the case, then I think the only way Williams will win another Oscar if he writes a groundbreaking score that is undeniable the best (or most popular) of the year, such as Star Wars.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Yea. The only non-franchise, non-Spielberg movies he's done in the past 15 years (2001-2015) are

2013 - The Book Thief

2005 - Memoirs of a Geisha

Just two!

Compare that to the 15 years prior to that (1986-2000):

2000 - The Patriot

1999 - Angela's Ashes

1998 - Stepmom

1997 - Seven Years In Tibet

1997 - Rosewood

1996 - Sleepers

1995 - Nixon

1995 - Sabrina

1992 - Far and Away

1991 - JFK

1990 - Presumed Innocent

1990 - Stanley and Iris

1989 - Born on the Fourth Of July

1988 - The Accidental Tourist

1987 - The Witches of Eastwick

1986 - SpaceCamp

What a huge difference!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

And most of those are wonderful scores. I wouldn't want to put a stopper on potential greatness by encouraging JW not to do those sorts of films just because of the Oscar implications (which, after five, aren't worth worrying about, are they?).

Link to comment
Share on other sites

It's something of a minor miracle these were both nominated. It may have been Oscar bait, but Geisha was exotic, cultured and technically brilliant. Munich was anything but. Williams at his most Zimmer-like!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Indeed! Both were very fine scores, Memoirs is just the clear superior :)

I agree for the most part but I still think that Munich has more emotional appeal.

Anyway, I voted no because Lincoln had a decent shot at winning in 2012.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Memoirs Of A Geisha won a Grammy, a Golden Globe and a BAFTA for best soundtrack. So this whole "Memoirs Of A Geisha robbed him from an Oscar" makes very little sense.

Cheers!

Alex

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I think Munich robbed him of the Oscar, but I'm not sure if that's his last shot. Although if he couldn't win with Lincoln, I think his prospects are fairly grim...that year had most of the ingredients for a JW win

Link to comment
Share on other sites

It did. Well liked score attached to a well liked film during a highly political time period. John Williams probably won't receive another Oscar unless it's some kind of achievement award.

Not because he won't deserve it but because politics.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

If Williams only used a piano or a classical guitar for Lincoln people would have talk about and his chances for winning the Oscar would've been greater. Spielberg and Williams shouldn't always do what people expect them to do.

Alex

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Memoirs is a great score, but I listened to the full Munich soundtrack yesterday for the first time in years. I had forgotten all of it so it kinda feels like a new JW score for me :)

There is so much great material in Munich especially Avner's theme. It is much more entertaining than I remembered. There are about 4 or 5 tracks that I'll be adding to my regular playlists.

WOTW is still the JW score from 2000+ that has very little to keep my interest. The Intersection Scene is pretty good though.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Spielberg and Williams shouldn't always do what people expect them to do.

Somebody has to maintain that style while no one else will.

Be predictable? That's what kills an artist, IMO.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I do think Memoirs of a Geisha was by far Williams' last best shot at an Oscar, especially after winning the Golden Globe for it.

If only the film had been better received...

Link to comment
Share on other sites

IMHO a more upsetting lose (for what these things are worth of, of course) was in 1999 for Saving Private Ryan--I very much remember he was the No.1 favorite and the film was surely the year's darling among voters alongside Shakespeare in Love.

Anyway in the end it's no big deal he lost for Ryan or Geisha, even though it would have been deserved in both cases. Williams has been already very much incensed with Oscars and awards in general. He surely still likes to be appreciated by his peers and the various academies, but he doesn't write music to win trophies. He never did, and never will.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Well, Oscar rules precluded Revenge of the Sith from getting a nomination (that business about tracked music), and in my opinion that was a better score than Memoirs of a Geisha or Munich, but it's a travesty that Brokeback Mountain won over either Williams score. Anyway, he should have won in 2012 for Lincoln, too, so, it is what it is.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Williams has been already very much incensed with Oscars and awards in general.

He has? What's making him furious toward the Academy? Losing so many times?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Brokeback Mountain was extremely popular that year, so they just gave it as many of the small meaningless* Oscars to boost its prestige. Look, this awe inspiring and motivational movie won all these awards, it must have been very successful and important. So the bona-fide artists suffer just because their superior work tried to compete against an immovable force.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hold him down so I can kick him in the face!

Gnomy fuck!

That's not saying anything against Memoirs of a Geisha, a score I absolutely love and one of the highlights of JW's career, just saying Revenge of the Sith is quite possibly my all-time favorite film score.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

There's nothing in Memoirs of a Geisha even remotely close to being on the level of Lament, Moving Things Along, Anakin's Dark Deeds, It Can't Be or The Boys Continue. Revenge of the Sith didn't even get a nomination...

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

By using this site, you agree to our Guidelines.