No German film has received as many Oscar nominations as Nothing New in the West. Last week the war film received 9 nominations for the most important American film award, including the Grand Prize for Best Film. But does the Netflix production actually stand a chance against the strong competition?
If the film wins, it would not only be the first German, but the first Netflix film ever to receive the Best Picture Oscar.
First the facts: What is the Netflix film about?
Many factors influence the popularity of films at the Oscars, with their theme at the forefront. Nothing new in the West is the first German film adaptation of Erich Maria Remarque’s novel of the same name. The film tells the story of Paul Bäumer (Felix Kammerer), who 1917 volunteered for service in the First World War and experienced firsthand the horrors of the Western Front.
Netflix/Rein Bajo
The story has already been filmed twice and is relatively well known in the USA. Lewis Milestone’s first film version from 1930 is considered a classic of war films and was awarded two Oscars. That should benefit the remake in the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS), which decides on the Oscar nominations.
Nothing New in the West was nominated for these Oscars
The film team can count on chances at the following Academy Awards:
In the technical categories, it is quite conceivable that Edward Berger’s war film will snatch an Oscar from the nominated US competition. But the most prestigious are the prizes for the best international film and the best film of the year. What are the chances of Nothing New in the West?
The chances at the Oscar for the best international film
Large parts of the Academy have apparently seen and liked the Netflix film, otherwise it would not have been nominated by so many different professional groups in nine categories. None of the competitors for the foreign Oscar can say that about themselves.
In addition, the factual drama Argentina, 1985, the teenage drama Close, the Irish girl drama The Quiet Girl and the Polish donkey drama Eo all seem comparatively unremarkable next to the elaborate recreation of the First World War.
Netflix/Rein Bajo
In the history of the Academy Awards, only one film has won both the Foreign Languages Oscar and Best Picture. That was the South Korean thriller Parasite (2019). But Tiger & Dragon, Drive My Car and Roma, who missed out in the main category, were at least consoled with the foreign Oscars.
So the prognosis is: Nothing New in the West is almost certain to win the Oscar for Best International Film. It would be the first German film since 2006’s The Lives of Others to receive this award.
The main prize: The chances of nothing new in the West for Best Film
The Academy doesn’t like anything new in the west, but does it like the movie enough? The current impression says: no.
the Favorite for the award for the best film of the year Everything Everywhere All at Once is a genre-bending family adventure starring Michelle Yeoh. EEAaO received 11 Oscar nominations, including in the major acting categories. Actors make up the most numerous professions at the Academy, but they’ve been cold-shouldered on Nothing New in the West. Behind Everything Everywhere are other films with better chances, above all the tragic comedy The Banshees of Inisherin.
For the German Netflix film could speak its anti-war message, but it would be a surprise to see the Academy award such a dismal entry.
War films are now a difficult genre in the Oscar business. You have to go back to 2009 to find the last grand prize winner in Deadly Commando – The Hurt Locker. Before that, the last pure war film to win a Best Picture Oscar was Oliver Stone’s 1986 Vietnam War story Platoon. Even Steven Spielberg’s Saving Private Ryan failed to win in this category.
So the prognosis is: A victory for Nothing New in the West is rather unlikely, after all, in over 90 years only one foreign-language film has managed to do so, namely Parasite. But a lot can change in Oscar season.
Podcast Tip: Why Is Netflix Canceling My Favorite Shows?
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In the podcast, we look for explanations for the wave of cancellations at Netflix that has hit shows like Warrior Nun, 1899 and First Kill. Are they really not successful enough? And could Netflix do anything to lessen fan anger and sadness?