The French cinema has been a dominant force in the world and its subtle and nuanced filmmaking attributes have earned the nation’s films global attention. However, in recent years, this appreciation has not translated well when it comes to the Academy Awards. Justine Triet’s Anatomy of a Fall seemed destined to end that trend. However, with the nominations for the 96th Academy Awards being announced, it seems France’s wait for Oscar recognition in the Best International Feature Film category will continue.
At this year’s Academy Awards, the French Oscars committee decided to back another film over the more acclaimed Anatomy of a Fall. While Anatomy of a Fall managed to score five nominations, France’s official entry in the Best International Feature Film category failed to make the final shortlist. Here is everything you need to know about the debacle surrounding Anatomy of a Fall‘s snub by the French Oscars committee and its impact on the potential outcome at the awards.
The French Oscars Committee Submitted The Taste of Things as Its Official Entry
France has yet to win an Academy Award for Best International Feature Film in the last three decades since Indochine won in 1993. This year, the nation had the best chance to win the category compared to the last few years because of Justine Triet’s feminist legal drama Anatomy of a Fall. The film had already won the Palme d’Or when the French Oscar committee announced its official entry for this year’s Oscars.
In September 2023, it was announced that the culinary romance film The Taste of Things would be sent to the Academy as France’s official entry in the Best International Feature Film. At the time, it was widely speculated that director Justine Triet’s criticism of French President Emmanuel Macron’s policies during her acceptance speech at the Cannes Film Festival was the primary reason for Anatomy of a Fall being snubbed by the committee.
On January 23, 2024, the Academy announced the final list of nominations for the 96th Academy Awards. The nominations proved the French Oscars Committee had made a glaring error by backing The Taste of Things over Anatomy of a Fall. While The Taste of Things failed to make it into the final shortlist for Best International Feature Film, Anatomy of a Fall secured itself five nominations, including Best Picture.
Anatomy of a Fall Had a Better Chance of Winning Best International Feature Film
Anatomy of a Fall received five nominations at the 96th Academy Awards but wasn’t nominated in the Best International Feature Film category. The film won the Golden Globe Award for Best Picture – Non-English Language while it was also nominated for Best Motion Picture – Drama.
It also won the Critics’ Choice Award for Best Foreign Language Film but failed to land a Best Picture nomination. Thus, the film’s track record suggests it had a better chance of winning an Oscar for Best International Feature Film.
At the 96th Academy Awards, the film will face heavy competition from the likes of Barbie, Killers of the Flower Moon, and Oppenheimer, among others in the Best Picture and Best Director categories. While it might still win an Oscar for Best Editing and Best Original Screenplay, Anatomy of a Fall‘s best bet was to compete in the Best International Feature Film category. Thus, the French Oscars committee shot itself in the foot by not backing Anatomy of a Fall for reasons political or not.
