In the "Green Book" victory, Oscar critics see an old Hollywood tale



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After the three men had accepted the award, Mr. Jackson and Ms. Larson walked to the microphone to open the scripted envelope. Mr. Jackson, euphoric, shouted Mr. Lee's name as "Blackkklansman," and the director jumped into his friend's arms when he went on stage.

It was Lee's first victory at the Oscars. He shared the award with his fellow writers Kevin Willmott, who is black, and Charlie Wachtel and David Rabinowitz, both of whom are white.

Addressing reporters behind the scenes after the ceremony, Mr. Lee initially declined to comment on the loss of his film's best picture in the face of "Green Book." He then compared "Green Book" to "Driving Miss Daisy," the fantasy of racial reconciliation that won the best picture. in 1990, when Lee's revolutionary film "Do the Right Thing" was not even named.

"I'm snakebit," he says. "I mean, whenever someone leads someone, I lose."

Lee also compared the best performance of "Green Book" to the victory of his beloved New York Knicks.

"I thought I was at the edge of the garden and that the referee made a bad call," he said.

Mr. Lee, however, added that the academy was changing, noting the aggressive efforts by the organization to diversify its membership following the #OscarsSoWhite reviews of 2015 and 2016. At least, "BlacKkKKlansman" has been nominated, he said. a complete example of the story that repeats itself.

"They opened the academy so that it looks more like America," Lee said. "So that's why three black women, if I calculated well, won the Oscars." He was right: Regina King took the supporting role of the secondary actress of "If Beale Street Could Talk", while two members of the "Black Panther" team, Hannah Beachler (design) and Ruth E. Carter (costumes) became the first African-Americans to receive Oscars in their categories.

Mr. Willmott, who made his Hollywood debut two decades ago, summed up both euphoria and disappointment.

"Tonight, it's a huge step forward, I think, in many ways," he said. "It's always frustrating at times."

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