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Controversy surrounding palms

Constantin Xenakis
News: Constantin Xenakis

The film press has expressed its criticism of the jury, headed by Chinese director Zhang Yimou, and the winners of this year's Venice Film Festival.

Controversy surrounding palms

To general surprise and quite a few boos, Ang Lee won the Golden Lion for «Lust, Caution», his second in Venice after winning for «Brokeback Mountain» in 2005. Lee's erotic historical drama about Japan's war against China in the 1940's had received criticisms from its first showing at the Mostra.

Italian journalist Natalia Aspesi, writing for La Repubblica, summed up the controversy this way: «In all of the pre-award speculation, nobody had thought about Ang Lee's film, not even for one of the lesser awards.»

The press was also shocked at the choice of Brad Pitt for Best Actor for his work «The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford», given the fact that it was generally agreed Casey Affleck had stolen the movie from everyone else.

The only award choices considered popular by the press were Brian De Palma for directing «Redacted» and actress Cate Blanchett – who played Bob Dylan (!) in «I'm Not There».

10. September 2007

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