The opening musical number of the Oscars on Sunday had all the glitz and glam associated with the biggest night in Hollywood: the singer-songwriter Janelle Monáe in a tuxedo top, a large cast of backup dancers and sparks flying from the back of the stage.
It was also unusually self-aware. Some dancers’ costumes referenced films that had been snubbed in the Academy Award nominations, and there were clear references to the lack of diversity among the contenders.
Monáe made a pointed comment about female filmmakers, who were noticeably absent from the best director category. “We celebrate all the women who directed phenomenal films,” said the performer, draped in a shawl fashioned from a bright assortment of flowers and wearing a flower crown, a reference to the horror film “Midsommar,” which wasn’t nominated.
She then touched on the lack of people of color in the running for prizes.
“I’m so proud to stand here as a black, queer artist telling stories,” Monáe said. “Happy Black History Month.”
The cast of performers onstage, which included Billy Porter, was noticeably more diverse than the acting nominees. Only one actor of color — Cynthia Erivo of “Harriet” — was nominated.
At one point, Monáe seemed to throw into the lyrics a reference to #OscarsSoWhite, the viral hashtag that spurred a cultural reckoning in the film industry five years ago.
The dancers behind Monáe were dressed as characters from notable 2019 films, some of which were otherwise overlooked at the ceremony. Dancers were dressed in the red jumpsuits from the horror film “Us,” slick suits and period dresses reminiscent of the looks in the Eddie Murphy biopic “Dolemite Is My Name” and outfits from “Queen & Slim” — three films that did not receive any nominations.
Other costumes nodded to films that were not short on Oscars recognition. Performers dressed in the suit and face paint in “Joker” and others wore militaristic attire that looked like the British World War I-era uniforms seen in “1917.” (Some viewers wondered online if those costumes were actually Nazi uniforms seen in “Jojo Rabbit.”)
Source: Movies - nytimes.com
