Paul Thomas Anderson's 'One Battle After Another' triumphed at the 98th Academy Awards, winning best picture and best director, among other honours. The film, a rambunctious counter-culture thriller set in a proto-fascist California, was seen as a perfect reflection of the current political climate in the United States.
Anderson, 55, had previously endured 11 nominations without a win, despite being hailed as one of the finest American film-makers of his generation. His earlier works, including 'Boogie Nights', 'Magnolia' and 'There Will Be Blood', were considered too unconventional for mainstream Oscar tastes. This year, he finally received the recognition many felt he deserved.
The writer-director went home with three Oscars: best picture (shared with producers Sara Murphy and the late Adam Somner), best director and best adapted screenplay. Accepting the screenplay award, Anderson said he wrote the film for his children as a 'generational mea-culpa', apologising for the state of the world they are inheriting.
The ceremony's final minutes saw a dramatic showdown between 'One Battle After Another' and 'Sinners', Ryan Coogler's Delta blues vampire story. 'Sinners' had entered with a record 16 nominations but lost momentum, while Anderson's film finished with six Oscars to its rival's four. The night's acting awards saw surprises, with Michael B Jordan winning best actor for 'Sinners' and Jessie Buckley taking best actress for 'Hamnet'. Sean Penn and Amy Madigan won supporting actor honours.
Warner Bros, which backed both frontrunners, emerged as the night's biggest behind-the-scenes winner with 11 Oscars. The studio's triumph came just before its planned takeover by Trump-friendly Paramount Skydance, adding a sense of rebellion to the proceedings.
