海角大神

鈥淥ppenheimer,鈥� a solemn three-hour biopic that became an unlikely billion-dollar box-office sensation, was聽crowned best picture at a 96th Academy Awards聽that doubled as a coronation for Christopher Nolan.

After passing over arguably Hollywood鈥檚 foremost big-screen auteur for years, the Oscars made up for lost time by heaping seven awards on Mr. Nolan鈥檚 blockbuster biopic, including best actor for聽Cillian Murphy, best supporting actor for聽Robert Downey Jr., and聽best director for Mr. Nolan.

In anointing 鈥淥ppenheimer,鈥� the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences did something it hasn鈥檛 done for more than a decade:聽hand its top prize to a widely seen, big-budget studio film. 鈥淥ppenheimer鈥� brought droves of moviegoers to theaters with a complex, fission-filled drama about J. Robert Oppenheimer and the creation of the atomic bomb.

As a film heavy with unease for human capacity for mass destruction, 鈥淥ppenheimer鈥� also emerged 鈥� even over its聽partner in cultural phenomenon, 鈥淏arbie鈥澛犫�� as a fittingly foreboding film for times rife with cataclysm, man-made or not.

The March 10 Oscars at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles unfolded against the backdrop of聽wars in Gaza聽and聽Ukraine, and with a potentially momentous U.S. election on the horizon. Awards for the聽documentary winner, 鈥�20 Days in Mariupol,鈥澛燼nd best聽international film, 鈥淭he Zone of Interest,鈥澛燽rought geopolitics into the Oscar spotlight.

The most closely watched contest went to Emma Stone, who won best best actress for her performance as Bella Baxter in 鈥淧oor Things.鈥� In what was seen as the night鈥檚 most nail-biting category, Ms. Stone won over聽Lily Gladstone聽of 鈥淜illers of the Flower Moon.鈥� Ms. Gladstone would have become the first Native American to win an Academy Award.

Instead, Oscar voters couldn鈥檛 resist the full-bodied extremes of Ms. Stone鈥檚 鈥淧oor Things鈥� performance. The win for Ms. Stone, her second best actress Oscar following her 2017 win for 鈥淟a La Land,鈥� confirmed her as arguably the preeminent big-screen actress of her generation. The list of women to win best actress two or more times is illustrious, including Katharine Hepburn, Frances McDormand, Ingrid Bergman, and Bette Davis.

The March 10 broadcast had razzle dazzle, including a sprawling song-and-dance rendition of the聽鈥淏arbie鈥� hit 鈥淚鈥檓 Just Ken鈥澛燽y Ryan Gosling, with an assist on guitar by Slash and a sea of Kens who swarmed the stage.

But protest and politics intruded on an election-year聽Academy Awards. Late during the show, host Jimmy Kimmel read a critical social media post from former President Donald Trump.

鈥淭hank you for watching,鈥� said Mr. Kimmel. 鈥淚sn鈥檛 it past your jail time?鈥�

Mr. Nolan has had many movies in the Oscar mix before, including 鈥淚nception,鈥� 鈥淒unkirk,鈥� and 鈥淭he Dark Knight.鈥� But his win March 10 for direction is the聽first Academy Award for the filmmaker.聽

Mr. Downey, nominated twice before (for 鈥淐haplin鈥� and 鈥淭ropic Thunder鈥�), also notched his first Oscar, crowning the illustrious second act of his up-and-down career.

鈥淏arbie,鈥� last year鈥檚 biggest box-office hit with more than $1.4 billion in ticket sales, ultimately won just one award: best song for Billie Eilish and Finneas鈥� 鈥淲hat Was I Made For?鈥� It鈥檚 their second Oscar, two years after winning for their James Bond theme, 鈥淣o Time to Die.鈥�

Protests over Israel鈥檚 war in Gaza snarled traffic around the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles, slowing stars鈥� arrival on the red carpet and turning the Oscars鈥� attention toward the聽ongoing conflict. Some protesters shouted 鈥淪hame!鈥� at those trying to reach the awards.

Jonathan Glazer, the British filmmaker whose聽chilling Auschwitz drama 鈥淭he Zone of Interest鈥澛爓on best international film, drew connections between the dehumanization depicted in his film and today.

Mstyslav Chernov鈥檚聽鈥�20 Days in Mariupol,鈥澛燼 harrowing chronicle of the early days of Russia鈥檚 invasion of Ukraine, won best documentary. The win, a first for The Associated Press and PBS鈥� 鈥淔rontline,鈥� came as the war in Ukraine passed the two-year mark with no signs of abating.

Mr. Chernov, the Ukrainian filmmaker and AP journalist聽whose hometown was bombed the day he learned of his Oscar nomination, spoke forcefully about Russia鈥檚 invasion.

鈥淭his is the first Oscar in Ukrainian history, and I鈥檓 honored,鈥� said Mr. Chernov. 鈥淧robably I will be the first director on this stage to say I wish I鈥檇 never made this film. I wish to be able to exchange this [for] Russia never attacking Ukraine.鈥�

In the early going, Yorgos Lanthimos鈥� Frankenstein-riff 鈥淧oor Things鈥� ran away with three prizes,聽including awards for production design, makeup and hairstyling, and costume design. 鈥淧oor Things鈥� fared second best to 鈥淥ppenheimer,鈥� with a total of four awards.

Mr. Kimmel, hosting the ABC telecast for the fourth time,聽drew a standing ovation for bringing out teamsters and behind-the-scenes workers 鈥� who are now entering their own labor negotiations.

The night鈥檚 first award was one of its most predictable:聽Da鈥橵ine Joy Randolph for best supporting actress, for her performance in Alexander Payne鈥檚 鈥淭he Holdovers.鈥澛�

Though Ms. Randolph鈥檚 win was widely expected, an upset quickly followed. Hayao Miyazaki鈥檚 鈥淭he Boy and the Heron鈥澛爓on for best animated feature, a surprise over the slightly favored 鈥淪pider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse.鈥� Mr. Miyazaki, the 83-year-old Japanese anime master who came out of retirement to make聽鈥淭he Boy and the Heron,鈥澛燿idn鈥檛 attend the ceremony.聽

Best original screenplay went to 鈥淎natomy of a Fall,鈥� which, like 鈥淏arbie,鈥� was penned by a couple: director Justine Triet and Arthur Harari.聽

In adapted screenplay, where 鈥淏arbie鈥� was nominated 鈥� and where some suspected Greta Gerwig would win after being overlooked for director 鈥� the Oscar went to聽Cord Jefferson, who wrote and directed his feature film debut 鈥淎merican Fiction.鈥澛�

The Oscars belonged largely to theatrical-first films. Though it came into the awards with 19 nominations, Netflix was a bit player. Its lone win came for live action short: Wes Anderson鈥檚 鈥淭he Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar,鈥� based on the story by Roald Dahl.

The win for 鈥淥ppenheimer鈥� offered Hollywood a chance to celebrate despite swirling storm clouds in the film industry. Mr. Nolan鈥檚 film debuted last year just as actors joined screenwriters in a prolonged strike over streaming economics and artificial intelligence. The actors鈥� strike ended in November, but little of Hollywood鈥檚 unease subsided. Streaming has proved less lucrative for most studios not named Netflix.

But 鈥淏arbenheimer鈥� was the kind of unplanned phenomenon Hollywood needs more of. The two films could also give a lift to the Oscar telecast, which has historically benefitted from having big movies in contention. The Academy Awards鈥� largest audience ever came when James Cameron鈥檚 鈥淭itanic鈥� swept the 1998 Oscars.

This story was reported by The Associated Press. AP reporters Ryan Pearson and Krysta Fauria contributed to this report.