It’s not a groundbreaking statement to say that the Academy Awards has never been about excellence in film.

In fact, it’s about everything but the films. Hollywood brainwashing is real, and it’s attempting to make you care about Leonardo DiCaprio’s chances for Best Actor. The Oscars are at their core a marketing vehicle for Hollywood, a useful tool for staking out positions in an industry that relies so heavily on abstract cultural power.

Respected festival awards like the Palme d’Or at Cannes or the Golden Lion at Venice Film Festival are selected by a jury, chaired by filmmakers and performers that command regard for their craft. How are the top honours at the Academy Awards decided then? Well, if you’re one of their 10,000-plus members, just log on to their website and run down the list of votes. Haven’t seen every film nominated? That’s okay, nothing is stopping you from choosing your winner.

This check-in with what the industry considers its winners is noble in theory, giving a widespread consensus on what deserves that year’s gongs, but completely falls apart in practice. The Academy is too susceptible to external influence and dazzling, expensive award-season campaigns. Every year the campaigns ramp up and studios throw more and more money behind them in the hopes of catching voter attention. It creates a situation where the winner is often the loudest voice in the room.

Derek McArthur: Madame Web and........

© Herald Scotland