‘Hurt Locker’ outsweeps ‘Avatar’ at BAFTA
The 2010 British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) awards unfolded as expected today, with top honors going to Kathryn Bigelow’s Iraq War drama ‘The Hurt Locker.’
The film swept the ceremony, winning six awards, including Best Picture, Best Director (Bigelow), Best Editing and Best Original Screenplay.
‘Avatar’–which is viewed as ‘The Hurt Locker’’s biggest threat for the Best Picture Oscar–won two awards, for Best Production Design and Best Visual Effects.
Movie director Kathryn Bigelow made history and added to her awards season haul Sunday as ‘The Hurt Locker’ soundly trounced ‘Avatar‘ at the UK’s top movie prize giving.
Meanwhile, the Best Actor race saw its first surprise of the season, as Colin Firth upset Oscar frontrunner Jeff Bridges for his performance in the Tom Ford drama ‘A Single Man.’
With the Oscars less than two weeks away, the Iraq war drama came away with six gongs — including best film and best original screenplay. ‘Avatar,’ directed by Bigelow’s ex-husband James Cameron, had to settle for two prizes: special effects and production design.
Bigelow did not realize she had made history — and become the first female to win the directing award–until after she had picked up her gong.
“It’s a true, true, true honor,” said Bigelow after her win. ” … I didn’t realize that this was a first. So, hopefully, I can only say that it’s the first of many.”
All eyes were on the rivalry between Cameron’s record-breaking 3D epic ‘Avatar’ and Bigelow’s ‘The Hurt Locker,’ to see who would come out on top in what has been dubbed the “the battle of the exes.” ‘Avatar,’ which is the highest-grossing film in cinematic history, and ‘The Hurt Locker’ both had eight nominations going into the awards.
‘The Hurt Locker’s’ BAFTA success adds further momentum to Bigelow’s chances of making history by picking up a best director Oscar–although BAFTA voters often go their own way and choose different winners to their American counterparts.
