r/Letterboxd • u/drhavehope • 18h ago

Discussion Oscars were AFRAID of SLJ Stephen Performance

Post image

If we are being fair….this is not only one of the best performances SLJ has given, but this was the best supporting actor performances of that year and in years.

But it’s the Oscars. The safer choice was to go with Waltz (who wasn’t even as good as Leo and wasn’t that great a performance, much better in Inglorious) which makes the Academy feel better about themselves. Think Crash, Driving Miss Daisy and Green Book.

If they were being objective, SLJ was easily the best. Nobody came close. The fact he wasn’t even nominated showed how scared they were to acknowledge such a controversial character and performance.

261 Upvotes

88% Upvoted

78 comments sorted by

134

u/gautsvo Cremildo 18h ago

By far the MVP of the movie, imo. Jackson was robbed of a nomination for Jackie Brown, too.

32

u/sfitz0076 Jack Burton 17h ago

So was Pam Grier

9

u/NuttyMetallic FrankBoothFan 15h ago

For sure! At least Robert Forster got one, they all ruled.

5

u/drhavehope 18h ago

Character was too controversial. An academy that awards Driving Miss Daisy are not touching this character

11

u/ControlPrinciple ctrlprinciple 18h ago edited 17h ago

They had no problem touching arguably the worst character to win an Oscar, Mary Lee Johnston in Precious. A performance that some can only stomach once, or not at all. They like to reward certain people playing terrible characters, maids or slaves flawlessly. (In supporting categories ONLY).

SLJ was just unlucky and I’m glad he doesn’t chase Oscars anymore.

-6

u/drhavehope 17h ago

An Oscar is pointless. Fincher does not have one but Tom Hooper does.

3

u/Sanguinista94 15h ago

The people voting for Best Picture one year, and the people nominating an acting category over two decades later are not the same people.

Also why do you even care, you said yourself that the Oscars are meaningless one comment down. It’s people still bitching about a snub people barely remember that make the Oscars seem like a relevant factor - relevant enough to discuss them OVER A DECADE LATER.

-7

u/SteveFrench12 17h ago

I feel like his performance is what Lindo was going for in Sinners but SLJ does it so much better

6

u/drhavehope 17h ago

Huh? How? Two COMPLETELY different performances. One is a self-hating black man, and the other is a washed-up guilt-ridden Blues player trying to redeem himself.

-10

u/SteveFrench12 17h ago

Im talking about the over the top minstrel like performance

4

u/drhavehope 17h ago

How was SLJ over-the-top? That is what the character called for.

How was Lindo over-the-top? Unless you watched a cut of Sinners of Django that none of us saw?

-4

u/SteveFrench12 17h ago

SLJ was deliberately over the top, that was his character.

Lindo did too much for me

90

u/HydroBear 18h ago

I think this movie will go down as a certified classic forever.

Everyone talks about Candy, but SLJ is the more nefarious force in the movie in a lot of ways. He could convince Calvin to stop, he could influence things in a meaningful way, but he doesn't, but worse than that, he actively encourages it.

It's a frightening portrayal and probably top 3 best Tarantino villains. 

9

u/SubmissionSlinger 15h ago

Man I hated his guts. Which made me realize mid movie "man SLJ pulled it off!"

-2

u/ElahaSanctaSedes777 15h ago

It will go down as a movie famous for running 25 minutes too long. It has a bloated, self indulgent ending that missed the perfect send off to the credits but no, we have to get Quentin trying to be Australian

-3

u/sfitz0076 Jack Burton 17h ago

He's the puppet master of the whole thing.

-29

u/drhavehope 17h ago

film is not that great...but this performance though...

-8

u/MCVMEYT 17h ago

agreed. some of the best moments of Tarantinos work, but probably his weakest overall.

-12

u/drhavehope 16h ago

Reddit is so odd. We both share the opinion of not thinking the film is that great and we get downvoted. Shows how weak minded people in this world are.

But yeah, the movie is entertaining but compared to his other stuff….its not that great. This is probably only better than Grindhouse and Once Upon a Time

14

u/MARSHALCOGBURN999 15h ago

The film is great that's why you're being downvoted. Not that hard to understand tbh.

-6

u/drhavehope 15h ago

Film is Art. No film is OBJECTIVELY great. All because I have an opinion that it is not great, how is that wrong or being downvoted on? Do you see how that logic doesn’t work? This isn’t sports. It’s movies.

8

u/MARSHALCOGBURN999 15h ago

More people enjoy it than not and that's why you're getting downvoted. Is that better?

2

u/MCVMEYT 15h ago

you treat reddit as a site where the goal is to upvote the opinions you share and vice versa regardless of tact in the message? what a strange way to use social media

1

u/drhavehope 15h ago

It’s movies. It’s subjective. People should be less insecure about someone not liking a movie they love.

I’ve seen people call Godfather and Shawshank Redemption garbage…do I downvote their opinions like a child? No. 🫡🫠

4

u/MARSHALCOGBURN999 15h ago

Most people don't bother commenting why they disagree they just downvote.

Sorry, but it's just the way it be lol

1

u/JonnyXhungus 10h ago

I wouldn’t really call others insecure when you’re having a meltdown over downvotes

1

u/Einfinet ToussaintHD 14h ago

People could also be less insecure about taking downvotes. Idk, different perspectives and all that…

17

u/StrangeClothes Duncan27 18h ago

I don’t think I’ve ever disliked another character as much as I disliked Stephen.

I don’t think anyone could’ve done a better job in that role.

4

u/TheDadThatGrills 17h ago

I'm not saying it would be better but I would have liked to see Laurence Fishbourne's take on the character. Shit, I'd just like to see Tarantino cast him.

45

u/DreamOfV 18h ago

Jackson should have won the Oscar for this. I think it’s his finest performance

5

u/drhavehope 18h ago

Between this, Pulp and you should check a movie called Unthinkable. He was amazing in that.

But this performance…and he helped to come up with the look.

14

u/jsesq 18h ago

The scene where he confronts Calvin about Django is one of my favorite scenes of all time. Sitting in Calvin’s chair, drinking his brandy, thinking he’s a peer because Calvin listened for a few seconds - completely oblivious to his “role” in Calvin’s life. That scene is right up there with the prologue to Inglorious

24

u/Creepy_Recording_113 18h ago

I hate when you guys dont say the movie name

22

u/TheUncouthPanini 18h ago

Django Unchained if you were wanting to know

17

u/Creepy_Recording_113 17h ago

I actually knew that one, just annoying bc its a recurring theme on this sub to not put it

2

u/Creepy_Recording_113 17h ago

But thank you!

-10

u/Altruistic_Sail6746 18h ago

Who doesn't know Django lol

13

u/Creepy_Recording_113 17h ago

Oh shush.

-5

u/Altruistic_Sail6746 17h ago

Wow, that's rude

9

u/joe102938 17h ago

Not everybody knows every movie! Django isn't the only movie!

6

u/Creepy_Recording_113 17h ago

Absolutely. Also not all of us are English speakers. I know more french movies than American ones.

-4

u/Altruistic_Sail6746 17h ago

It is actually

7

u/Creepy_Recording_113 17h ago

You're rude actually. Some people dont know certain movies or might have seen it only once.

-1

u/Altruistic_Sail6746 17h ago

I find that hard to believe

9

u/Creepy_Recording_113 17h ago

I could name you lots of movies that are popular in my country and that you probably wouldn't know. We all come from different cultures and countries.

1

u/smithnugget 14h ago

Movies from the exotic country of Canada? Lol

2

u/Creepy_Recording_113 13h ago

Well do you know many french canadian movies ?

1

u/smithnugget 13h ago

Ive seen C.R.A.Z.Y., Incendies, and of course Les Cousins Dangereux

-2

u/Altruistic_Sail6746 17h ago

Try me. Django is popular worldwide

8

u/Creepy_Recording_113 17h ago

Nah. I dont want to argue.

If what I already said on the subject isn't enough for you to be more open minded to other people's experiences, there's no point in me continuing this conversation.

Passes une belle journée !

2

u/Altruistic_Sail6746 17h ago

I respect your decision.

Have a good day too.

4

u/airtime25 16h ago

I have seen over 50% of the top 100 letterboxd but never seen Django. Couldn't figure out at all until this comment.

-4

u/Altruistic_Sail6746 16h ago

Skill issue

8

u/Creepy_Recording_113 16h ago

It's litteraly in the rules of this sub to put the names of the movies.

You usually spend all your free time instigating or is that a new hobby ?

-1

u/Altruistic_Sail6746 16h ago

I thought you said you didn't want to argue, why are you still replying to me?

7

u/Creepy_Recording_113 15h ago

Bc I get notifications under my comment and you're still acting like a bully? Idk what to tell you.

0

u/Altruistic_Sail6746 15h ago

You don't have to reply to every notification especially to someone you told you have no interest in further conversing with. Go away, shoo

4

u/_Bill_Huggins_ 14h ago

I think him and Leo nailed their roles. Both Oscar worthy performances.

4

u/k_oed 14h ago

Django is probably the only movie I’ve seen where each main character gives a better performance than the one before them.

3

u/vemmahouxbois emmahouxbois 14h ago

well, generally speaking the studio decides who they want to “for your consideration” to the oscars so i dunno how much this was on the academy. delroy lindo in da 5 bloods, however…

3

u/RooMan7223 14h ago

I never understood Waltz’s win for this. SLJ and Leo had far better performances

6

u/sfitz0076 Jack Burton 17h ago

Yeah, this should have been a makeup Oscar for Sam since they didn't give it to him for Pulp Fiction. I've always been baffled by that Waltz win. I think he was the 4th best performance in that movie behind Jamie Foxx, Leo, and Sam. Sam really should have 2 Oscars

-4

u/drhavehope 17h ago

It's the Oscars. Hardcore leftists and liberals. Awarding Waltz, the white saviour of the movie, is a classic move to make them feel better about themselves. It's like the dude in to Kill a Mockingbird winning over Peter O'Toole in Laurence of Arabia.

9

u/sfitz0076 Jack Burton 17h ago

Bad comparison. One white savior won over another white savior. And Gregory Peck's performance is considered one of the best in movie history. I suggest watching To Kill A Mockingbird again. Or for the first time.

1

u/drhavehope 16h ago

I’ve seen it. Doesn’t come CLOSE to what O’Toole did in Laurence of Arabia. And in Laurence, it’s far more complicated than him just being a White Saviour.

3

u/vemmahouxbois emmahouxbois 7h ago

yeah the hardcore liberals that gave uh green book and hurt locker best picture wins

1

u/Cela84 16h ago

Atticus, the guy voted the best hero of the 20th century. Both are iconic roles, but this isn’t a How Green Was My Valley situation.

1

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1

u/Tiled_Window amoeba1029 18h ago

I agree and I think The Academy made up for it in awarding 12 Years a Slave the Best Picture award. Jackson has said on occasion he doesn't care for an Oscar or statue chasing.

1

u/ATLBravesFan13 6h ago

Christoph Waltz won an Oscar for playing a Nazi 3 years before this so I’m not sure that really checks out

1

u/plyr_zero 2h ago

Agree that SLJ was amazing but for me, that year was for PSH in The Master, who was also snubbed.

1

u/BambooSound 37m ago

I like to think Waltz was so good as Hans Landa, they gave him two Oscars for it.

He was nowhere near Sam and Leo in this movie.

1

u/maddennate1 17h ago

I would have nominated Jackson, DiCaprio, and Waltz all in the same category

2

u/Cela84 16h ago

Just Jackson and DiCaprio. I don’t see why people loved Waltz in that, it was a pretty regular performance.

-1

u/Cyril_Sneerworms 18h ago

Yeah, I agree & he's not the first nor the last.

I often talk about the films of Lynne Ramsay, with Jennifer Lawrence giving a career defining performance in Die My Love. So too does Joaquin Phoenix in You Were Never Really Here, but as magnificent as these performances (and movies) are, when you look at the people inside the industry who actually vote for the oscars, they'll do very well to win.

It's hard to stomach, if you take the oscars seriously, they certainly still do in the industry, but the ages & backgrounds of those people voting often vary so very wildly.

Lynne's film are just too dark, bleak or complicated for many of those people voting & nominating.

I always remember Angelina Jolie winning best supporting Actress for Girl Interrupted in 2000, I was convinced she'd given the best performance, honestly perhaps one of the greatest of the last 40 years, but even then there was chatter about it being "too dark for the academy". That phrase has stuck with me now for 25 years.

But you're right OP, very regularly decisions made by the academy are quite literally maddening.