Los Angeles: Spike Lee may have ended his own long enduring wait for Oscar glory with his Best Adapted Screenplay win for “BlacKkKlansman” but the director made it clear that he was not happy with “Green Book” winning Best Picture honour.
At the 91st Academy Awards, the Peter Farrelly-directed film, featuring Viggo Mortensen and Mahershala Ali in the lead, edged out the likes of “Roma”, “Vice”, “The Favourite” and “Vice” to bag the top honour of the night.
According to Deadline, Lee, whose film “BlacKkKlansman” was also nominated in the category, attempted to storm out of the Dolby Theatre after it was announced that “Green Book” has won the award.
The director “walked towards the back of the auditorium in a huff.” During the winners’ speech, Lee had turned his back to the stage.
He was later seen engaged in an “intense conversation with Jordan Peele, who was behind him.”
Backstage, Lee referenced to his 1989 film “Do the Right Thing”, which was denied a nomination in the Best Picture award, which ultimately went to “Driving Miss Daisy”.
“I’m snakebitten. I mean, every time somebody is driving somebody, I lose. But, they changed the seating arrangement. But, in ’89 I didn’t get nominated, so this one we did,” he said.
When asked for his reaction to “Green Book” win, Lee said “the ref made a bad call”.
PTI
