Once again, lack of diversity bemoaned in Oscar slate

“The Revenant” is definitely the movie everyone is talking about, including the Academy.

“Fury Road” has been nominated for the Oscars under the same ten categories as “The Revenant” except for the Actor in a leading role and Actor in a supporting role.

Also in the mix are Saoirse Ronan for “Brooklyn” and with her first career nomination, veteran actress Charlotte Rampling for “45 Years“. Mad Max has received ten nominations this year, including Best Special Effects, Best Cinematography, Best Editing, Best Production Design, Best Director and even Best Picture.

The nominees for best director are Alejandro González Iñárritu (“The Revenant“), Tom McCarthy (“Spotlight“), George Miller (“Mad Max: Fury Road”), Adam McKay (“The Big Short”) and Lenny Abrahamson (“Room“).

None of the nominated Best Picture films in the major categories feature people of colour.

“In a year with an extraordinary number of great performances by black actors that were embraced by audiences and embraced by critics, for them all to get ignored is tragic”, said Reginald Hudlin, who will produce the February 28 awards ceremony hosted by comedian Chris Rock.

The announcement of the Oscar nominations Thursday morning was as notable for those who were left off the list as for those who were on it.

Among those expected to at least be nominated were Will Smith for “Concussion”, Michael B Jordan for writing and directing “Creed” and Idris Elba, for his role as an African warlord in “Beasts of No Nation”.

“12 Years of Slave won Best Picture a few years ago along with Lupita Nyong’o for Best Supporting Actress“.

When asked why this keeps happening, film executive Franklin Leonard called it “a multi-pronged disease” of which “the Oscars are both a symptom and a cause”.

DiCaprio, who plays lead character fur trapper Hugh Glass, earned his fifth acting Oscar nomination for the movie, in which he spends a large part not talking at all. “Making “The Revenant” was one of the most rewarding and collaborative experiences of my life”, he said in a statement.