Leonardo DiCaprio and the "curse" of the Oscars
Breathtaking in "The Revenant," the actor is the overwhelming Oscar favorite. He hopes to put an end to the curse that seems to haunt him since his film debut.
Always placed, never a winner. The story between Leonardo DiCaprio and the Academy Awards is one of one-sided love. In the role of the rejected suitor: an actor with a bewitching smile, who became an international star with the "Titanic", who has never ceased to fascinate the general public with his films, his humanitarian actions and his sentimental stories.
The "curse" begins early for the Los Angeles native. At the 70th Academy Awards in 1998, James Cameron's feature film featuring the fiery liaison between two passengers aboard the world's largest ocean liner received eleven statuettes: best film, best director, best music, etc.
The triumph is total. Or almost. Because unlike Briton Kate Winslet, with whom he shares the bill, Leonardo DiCaprio is not even nominated in the "best actor" category. A disappointment certainly, but not a drama. The actor is 24 years old and has his future ahead of him.
Risk taking
After the Titanic, Leonardo DiCaprio could have capitalized on his good looks and accepted roles in romantic films. Instead, the one who revealed himself in 1993 in "Gilbert Grape", where he played the mentally retarded, takes risks. A constant in his career. He plays in "The Beach", a puzzling feature film by Danny Boyle, then in Catch Me If You Can, a comedy by Steven Spielberg in which he skilfully plays a famous forger. Not enough to win the Oscar, however.
The history of cinema has taught us that shooting under the orders of the greatest directors maximizes the chances of stocking your wardrobe at a price. Good thing, Martin Scorsese fell in love with Leonardo DiCaprio in the early 2000s. The beginning of a fruitful collaboration.
Only problem, the filmmaker may well be celebrated for his classics - "Taxi Driver", "Raging Bull", "Goodfellas", "Casino" - he has never won the Oscar for best director! Thus, the black series will continue for the two men with "Gangs of New York" and especially "Aviator": a film in which Leonardo DiCaprio bursts the screen by resuscitating Howard Hughes. The Golden Globes were not mistaken and awarded him the award for best actor. But at the Oscars, Jamie Foxx is preferred to him.
Object of jokes
Not discouraged, DiCaprio and Scorsese work together again for "The Inflicted": a masterful work, adapted from a Hong Kong trilogy, in which Leonardo DiCaprio replaces Matt Damon and Jack Nicholson. Logically, Martin Scorsese receives the award for best director at the Oscars. Needless to say which famous actor with blue eyes remained at the dock ...
Leonardo DiCaprio's reputation as a black cat takes root. However, this is not for lack of stringing demanding films. The actor bluffs in "Shutter Island", routs in "Inception", radiates in "The Great Gatsby", amuses in "The Wolf of Wall Street", without ever being an Oscar winner. Consequence: it becomes an almost endless object of jokes and hijackings on the Internet. "I find it funny, it's nice, it shows that people like me," he comments. His lack of bitterness makes him even more sympathetic to the general public.
Finally the Grail?
But accepting a role in "The Revenant", nominated in twelve Oscar categories, everything could change for Leonardo DiCaprio. In this film, drawing on American history, the actor plays a trapper faced with a hostile environment and a strong sense of revenge.
Under the keen gaze of Alejandro González Iñárritu, Leonardo DiCaprio monopolizes attention, despite the film's majestic landscapes. With an almost animal playing, he fills the silences with the only force of his gestures and facial expressions, delivering a high level performance. What earn him an Oscar? After a first nomination in 1994 in the category "best actor in a supporting role" for his performance in "Gilbert Grape", Leonardo DiCaprio, 19, had declared that obtaining such an award could come "too soon" and harm his career. He is now 41 years old and deserves to be recognized for his talent.
