The Horse Thief (Director: Tian Zhuangzhuang)
Nominees: Mona Lisa, The Green Ray, Hannah and Her Sisters, Jean de Florette/Manon of the Spring, Blue Velvet, Platoon, Castle in the Sky, The Fly
Oscars pick: Platoon
Nominees Children of a Lesser God, Hannah and Her Sisters, The Mission, A Room with a View
What to choose, what to choose? I had a difficult time finding that “certain something” I needed for my best picture. Looking around I saw other alt Oscar writers split in half between Hannah and Her Sisters and Platoon. I even checked out Siskel and Ebert: Gene took Hannah, while Roger took Platoon. Funny, no one selected Blue Velvet.
Rural tragedy and heartbreaking plot twists are had in Jean de Florette and Manon of the Spring. There was deadpan romance in Shadows in Paradise from Finland's Aki Kaurismäki. I could have gone with Cronenberg, the Fly is creepy, with a strong human story. And A Room with a View was top drawer Merchant/Ivory. The Terrorizers, When the Wind Blows, Genesis, Ginger and Fred, 'night, Mother, The Beekeeper, Peking Opera Blues... hmm.
But at the top of the mountain, I found Mona Lisa and winner, The Horse Thief. A visually striking piece about Tibetan life, Buddhism, cultural identity, morality, loss. The rituals, the color, movement, costumes, and chants, lend the picture a mystical, hypnotic quality - these are coupled to a story of a man whose past as a thief leads to the downfall of himself and his family, and in desperation, when he steals again it sinks them even further into tragedy.
Scorsese named it the best film of the 90s (that's when he saw it), calling the story “as simple and elemental as the lives of the people it depicts.” In an interview with Far Out Magazine in 2023, he elaborated...
“I have a great interest in anthropology, and Zhuangzhuang takes you inside a culture that initially felt as distant to me as the surface of the moon,”, he continued, “Because he stays so simple and so specific, the point of view becomes universal. This is what life is all about. Struggling to keep your family alive.”
There's not much dialogue; the story is relayed more through imagery than words. The stylistic flourishes, seen in transitional dissolves, long take visuals (paper being pushed by the wind), and wide shot-birds eye views that show just how small humans are amid the vast landscapes, and how vulnerable, especially when isolated (lightning sets a home ablaze) — each and every part of this was monumental and thought provoking.
Best Actress: Marie Rivière, Le Rayon vert (The Green Ray)
Honorable Mentions:
Martha Henry, Dancing in the Dark * Kathleen Turner, Peggy Sue Got Married * Melanie Griffith, Something Wild * Marie Tifo, Blind Trust * Juliette Binoche, Mauvais Sang * Sigourney Weaver, Aliens * Sissy Spacek, 'night Mother * Julie Andrews, Duet for One
Honorable Mentions:
Martha Henry, Dancing in the Dark * Kathleen Turner, Peggy Sue Got Married * Melanie Griffith, Something Wild * Marie Tifo, Blind Trust * Juliette Binoche, Mauvais Sang * Sigourney Weaver, Aliens * Sissy Spacek, 'night Mother * Julie Andrews, Duet for One
Honorable Mentions:
Jeff Goldblum, The Fly * James Woods, Salvador * Gary Oldman, Sid and Nancy * Gérard Depardieu, Jean de Florette * Jeremy Irons, The Mission * Christopher Walken, At Close Range * Eiji Okuda, The Sea and Poison * Gordon Pinsent, John and the Missus
Supporting Actor: Dennis Hopper, Blue Velvet
Supporting Actress: Cathy Tyson, Mona Lisa
* While some say it's an '87 release, Wiki shows John and the Missus with a Canadian release date of Dec 10, 1986, it was also included in the Genie Awards for '86 releases.
