Praised by many as the best film of 2007, the acclaimed crime drama had to admit defeat from a Brazilian corruption and violence drama 'The Elite Squad' at the 58th Berlinale Awards.
- Feb 18, 2008
AceShowbiz - Though loved and praised by many film critics, "There Will Be Blood" didn't manage to bring home the prestigious Golden Bear Award from the 58th Annual Berlin International Film Festival on Sunday, February 17. The crime drama lost the top prize from another crime drama from Brazil entitled "The Elite Squad" about police corruption and gang violence.
Despite losing the prestigious kudo, "Blood" still managed to bring home two Silver Bear prizes. The film about a cold-blooded oil man landed Best Director prize for helmer Paul Thomas Anderson. On the occasion, the director whose film "Magnolia" got the 2000's Golden Bear humbly commented on his win, "Daniel is an actor who makes any director look like a good director." The film which nominated for 8 Oscars also nailed the Outstanding Artistic Contribution in Music for Radiohead's guitarist Jonny Greenwood.
Aside from honoring the two films, the event also gave away the Jury Grand Prix's prize to a controversial film by Errol Morris, "Standard Operating Procedure". It also recognized Sally Hawkins as Best Actress for her performance in "Happy-Go-Lucky" and Reza Najie as Best Actor for "The Song of the Sparrows". The full list of winners can be seen at Berlinale.de, whereas the list for the Golden and Silver Bears' winners can be read below.
The list of Golden and Silver Bear Awards at the 58th Berlin International Film Festival:
Golden Bear: "The Elite Squad" (Brazil)
Silver Bears:
- The Jury Grand Prix: "Standard Operating Procedure" (Errol Morris, U.S.)
- Best Actress: Sally Hawkins ("Happy-Go-Lucky", U.K.)
- Best Actor: Reza Najie ("The Song of the Sparrows", Iran)
- Best Director: Paul Thomas Anderson ("There Will Be Blood", U.S.)
- Best Script: Wang Xiaoshuai ("In Love We Trust", Chinese)
- Outstanding Artistic Contribution (Music): Jonny Greenwood ("There Will Be Blood", U.S.)
- Affred Bauer Prize: "Lake Tahoe" (Fernando Eimbcke, Mexico)
