Sinners at the Oscars
- Dr. Eddie & Dr. Rita
- Apr 7
- 2 min read
by Rita Sinorita Fierro, Ph.D
Sinners broke the record at the Oscars by securing 16 nominations. The actual wins were not a record, leaving some disappointed. The Academy has always had its biases and this year, like many others, will ask leave many questions about which bias generated the results it did.
An extraordinary movie that broke the mold across genres by weaving horror, history, musicals, and sci-fi, Sinners earned four oscars: Best Original Screenplay, Best Actor, Best Score, and Best Cinematography.
Spike Lee, reported by The Grio, took on a position that’s even more valid that the polemic against the academy. While he did say, and you can see the video from X here, “My one big, big, big disappointment is my brother Delroy Lindo,” who didn’t win supporting actor role for Delta Slim. Spike Lee also said something that in the context of the history of oversight of exceptional Black actors and movies, plays a core role in how we can continue to build:
“I was telling everybody they won already,” Lee explained. “Regardless of what the outcome was tonight, they won. They won, and this film is going down in cinematic history.”
As Brian Truitt said in his USA Today article said, "One Battle is a very angry movie, very much of the moment. But Sinners is timeless.” But Black movies and Black actors are full of moments of lost recognition from the Academy, this is not the first, and though it’s a cliché, I must say, will most likely not be the last.
Forbes released a fabulous review of Sinners, that takes into account a new book coming out by David F. Walker about the history of Black film. You can read the article here or order the book, Black Film: A History of Black Representation and Participation in the Movies.
Ultimately, this long history reminds us that recognition begins at home with communities, in circles of support, and with audiences who see and honor the work. While Best Picture may have gone to another film, the importance of valuing, celebrating, and amplifying our own stories continues to be up to us.
