Silent film The Artist and 3D film Hugo dominate on Oscar night

The 84th Annual Academy Awards ceremony was presented Sunday night, hosted by comedian and actor Billy Crystal. After last year’s rather disappointing ceremony with hosts Anne Hathaway and James Franco, in an attempt to reach a younger demographic, Crystal returned to host the ceremony for the ninth time.

Crystal delivered a classy and traditional monologue, presenting some of the night’s nominees through his sense of musicality. Prior to the monologue was a skit of Crystal debuting in some of the year’s popular films, including The Descendants, in which he shared a memorable and comedic kiss with actor George Clooney.

The awards received this year were in some ways predictable, but also exciting to witness. In regards to many of the artistic categories, Martin Scorsese’s Hugo took the cake, winning Best Cinematography, Sound Editing, Sound Mixing, and Art Direction. Scorsese was a popular name throughout the night as many of the winners showed great appreciation for the opportunity to work on the film.

Of course, the other important winner for the night was The Artist, not only winning Best Picture, but also Director, Actor, Original Score, and Costume Design. This marked the first silent film to win the Best Picture category since the late 1920s, when sound started to first appear in motion pictures.

The correlation between Hugo and The Artist is striking, as both celebrate the history and advancement of cinema. While one reflects on the history of cinema, the other reenacts early movie-making. With these two films as leaders for the night, the Academy clearly valued the opportunity to celebrate the history of film, and the importance of cinema across the globe.