5 Reasons Why “Triangle of Sadness” Should Win Best Picture Oscar: Movies are magical as they give us an experience we would like to treasure forever. A movie that received an eight-minute-long standing ovation at the Cannes Film Festival 2022 and won Palme d’Or must have definitely been made of special moments. Lupita Nyong’o, in her Academy award acceptance speech, said, “No matter where you come from, your dreams are valid.” Likewise, a director like Ruben Ostlund is sure to have dreamt a legit dream which he brought to life in his satirical black comedy, ‘Triangle of Sadness.’ A movie made genuinely and with conviction, for certain, strikes a chord.
Here are five major reasons why Triangle of Sadness should win the Oscar for Best Picture at the Oscars 2023.
1.) Palme d’Or winner to Best Picture at the Oscars
Triangle of Sadness is Ruben Ostlund’s second Palme d’Or victory. However, there’s an inconsistent history of Palme d’Or winners achieving success at the Oscars. But we believe that ‘Triangle of Sadness’ – the seventeenth Palme d’Or winner to be nominated for Best Picture Academy Award – will become the third film to win both heralded awards.
A minimum of one Academy Award nomination has previously been received by 37 of the 69 Palme d’Or winners. Sixteen films have received Best Picture nominations, and two have won, i.e., “Marty” in 1955 and the most recent one being “Parasite” in 2019. The fact that Triangle of Sadness has garnered critical acclaim and gained big laughs, there is ample chance for the movie to win the award.
Another fact about the Best Picture award category is that it is the only category where the academy members use the preferential ballot system. Here, members will be given the option of rating each nominee. To win the Best Picture, the movie should receive 50% plus one vote out of the total votes cast. Thus, since the movie has won hearts, elevating the movie experiences of audience and jury members alike, and already won a few awards, it’s reason enough to anticipate its position as the Oscar winner.
2.) It’s a win-win for its comedic slices and a razor-sharp satirical edge
The modern world makes it complex to craft satire. But Ruben Ostlund, with his abled team of actors – Harris Dickinson, who was nominated for Best Male Lead at Independent Spirit Awards, Charlbi Dean, known for her stunning roles in Spud films, Dolly de Leon, who is talked about and critically acclaimed Filipino actress, Zlatko Burić a Croatian actor, Henrik Dorsin a well-known comedian, Vicki Berlin a Danish actress, and Woody Harrelson an award-winning American actor and playwright – presents to us one of the hilarious and best eat-the-rich lampooning movie.
While watching the satire, the viewers are sure to toss and turn in their chairs, terrified of becoming the next victim or embarrassed by the recognizability of the boldly expressed idiosyncrasies. Sean Baker, an award-winning filmmaker, said that this movie is his favorite of the last 20 years. Triangle of Sadness sure does batter the male ego while skewering the fashion industry and the uber-rich.
Undoubtedly the director has purposefully attempted to leave the audience uncomfortable. The narrative challenges oneself. And this happens to be a collective feeling. In fact, when everyone feels the same, it also means that there is a social situation that one ought to deal with.
3.) The Film is political yet not polemic
There is a lot of dichotomy in the world. Obviously, there are the rich, powerful, and the poor, who are deprived and made to slog for their living. The film presents to us both sides of the coin. It doesn’t make a judgment but leaves it to us to decide for ourselves.
The art of presenting both viewpoints without making them forced and deliberate is cinema. Human beings are great collaborators. We pity the poor beggar and would love to empower them with whatever we can. At the same time, we would not want to give up the luxury we enjoy, the money, or the property we possess.
The differences that exist make us unique. The ideologies discussed against each other in the movie represent the existing spectrum of political ideas making rounds around the world. Above all, there is no end to the many political outbreaks that are happening in the world that are marked by social media. Triangle of Sadness allows us to entertain these ideas and gauge the real situation.
The academy members are sure to be at odds as to accept a view. However, they will collectively realize that the director purposefully makes them uncomfortable.
4.) The Film Has Travelled to Prominent Film Festivals
The film, which deals with hypocrisy, greed, and the desire for power, has been shown at major film festivals and has been nominated for numerous awards. Of course, some of which the film has won as well. The greatest of all is its featuring at Cannes Film Festival 2022 and winning Palme d’Or and AFCAE Art House Cinema Award. Furthermore, the film is an official selection at the 2022 Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF), another prominent deciding film festival.
The film also featured and opened in festivals like Sarajevo Film Festival, Sydney Film Festival, Jerusalem Film Festival, and New Zealand Film Festival. Göteborg Film Festival featured the film recently in January. Moreover, the director interacted with the audience there in a one-of-its-kind interaction titled, ‘This is cinema,’ adding to the already created buzz around and about the film.
Triangle of Sadness has now pervaded into cultural discourse through these festivals and has become a cinematic equivalent of political cartoons on anti-establishments.
5.) Award-Worthy Because of its Accessibility
Not being overly serious, the film has an authentic three-act structure. Beginning with the solid examination of the trendy influencer lifestyle taking a very unexpected turn. Firstly, the dynamics of the characters in the film are in constant flux. When one couple seems to come together, another is breaking up. Enemies are turning into friends. The commentary on capitalism by the director isn’t deep but yet impressive. Despite the absurdity, the film portrays an impressive level of realism.
The narrative is overwhelming for an audience member. However, it contains a rare combination of high craft and pure entertainment that makes you want to watch it again and again irresistibly.
Whatever Ruben Ostlund tries to tackle and present to us through his meticulous construction of the scenes, the blocking of the scenes and the execution of the scenes undoubtedly leave the audience to think.
For the current day and time, Triangle of Sadness is a unique dark comedy that deserves recognition like an Oscar. Whether it is the Shape of Water (2018 Winner), Green Book (2019 Winner), Nomadland (2020 Winner), Parasite (2021 Winner), or CODA (2022 Winner), the winners of the last five Best Picture Oscar Awards, the common thread that runs through these films is that they are thematically speaking of everyday sociopolitical issues. And despite the presence of other wonderful movies in the Oscar nominations, which more or less harbor the same thought, Triangle of Sadness presents ideologies not placing its judgment nor forcing you to judge yourself but make you reflect without missing a bit.
Related Read: Where to Watch and Stream Ruben Ostlund’s Plame d’Or winner ‘Triangle of Sadness’ online?
Triangle of Sadness (2022) Links: IMDb, Rotten Tomatoes
Where to watch Triangle of Sadness
