September 5th 2024.
It's become a tradition at film festivals for movies to receive standing ovations, regardless of whether they truly deserve it. This was once again evident at the 2024 Venice Film Festival, where things took an unexpected turn during a near-20-minute incident. Despite the annual complaints from fans and critics about the reductive nature of standing ovations, we can't seem to resist the urge to time and report on the length of these ovations at prestigious festivals.
This year, film fanatics around the world were closely following the duration of standing ovations at Cannes for highly-anticipated films like Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga, The Apprentice, and Horizon: An American Saga. As the Venice Film Festival nears its end, it seems that people's enthusiasm knows no bounds, with reports of 13 minutes for The Brutalist, 17 to 18 minutes and 36 seconds for Pedro Almodovar's The Room Next Door, and even 11 minutes for Joker: Folie à Deux, despite its mixed reviews. It's a well-known fact that standing ovations are often overhyped and exaggerated, but at every major film screening, we can't help but monitor and applaud for the entire duration of the ovation.
Cannes Film Festival has become synonymous with standing ovations, and the generous way in which they are given out at each premiere. The Room Next Door, directed by Pedro Almodovar, received a staggering 20 minutes of applause, solidifying its status as a festival darling. However, for those who have never experienced the atmosphere at the 2,000-plus-seater Grand Théâtre Lumière or the slightly more intimate Sala Grande at Venice, it may seem like an odd and outdated measure of success.
While applause is a traditional way of showing appreciation, it's bizarre to predict a film's success and reception based on one screening alone. Yet, every year, we see publications ranking films by the duration of their standing ovations, almost like a competition for the most applause. But as anyone who has been present during these ovations can attest, it's utterly meaningless.
Jessica Fenton expressed her frustration with the media's obsession with standing ovation times, comparing it to sports scores and emphasizing that they hold no real significance. Producer Cassian Elwes also noted that every film, even notorious flops like The Brown Bunny, receive standing ovations at Cannes because of the enthusiastic French cinephiles present. Director Luca joked on social media about how it takes a truly exceptional film to receive actual boos during a standing ovation, highlighting the absurdity of it all.
At Venice, it's rare to hear of a standing ovation lasting less than five minutes, and it's also quite unusual for all publications to agree on the exact duration of the ovation. This is because they start counting at different moments, whether it's when the credits begin to roll, the lights go up, or when the first person stands. The Hollywood Reporter clarified that they start the clock when people jump to their feet, usually after the house lights come up, and stop when most people begin to sit down or when the director is given the mic. This explains the variety in reported lengths for The Room Next Door's standing ovation, which was further boosted by stars Tilda Swinton and Julianne Moore joining in and encouraging others to keep clapping.
Pedro Almodovar's popularity was evident even before the film's premiere, as he was greeted with chants of "Pedro!" upon his arrival at the festival. This fervor continued during the screening, with the audience erupting into a frenzy of applause and cheers. On the other hand, Kevin Costner's passion project, Horizon: An American Saga, received mixed interpretations of its standing ovation at Cannes, ranging from seven to 11 minutes. Despite the apparent approval and enthusiasm, the film flopped at the box office and was subsequently pulled from its planned release date. However, it has now been invited to the Venice Film Festival, giving Costner another chance to generate buzz and secure financial backing for the project.
Film festivals have become notorious for their standing ovations, a tradition that has been going on for years. Even though many people criticize it as a shallow way to measure a film's impact, it continues to be a prominent event at these festivals. This year, the Venice Film Festival had its fair share of lengthy standing ovations, with the longest one lasting a whopping 13 minutes for the critically acclaimed film The Brutalist. Other films also received extended ovations, such as Pedro Almodovar's The Room Next Door, which received a staggering 20 minutes of applause. Even films with mixed reviews, like Joker: Folie à Deux, received an 11-minute ovation.
Despite the ongoing debate about the relevance of standing ovations, they remain a significant part of every major film's premiere at these festivals. The Cannes Film Festival, in particular, has become known for its generous and often lengthy ovations. The duration of these ovations is closely monitored and reported by various media outlets, with some even ranking them in order of length. However, many argue that these ovations hold no real value and are just a way for audience members to show their appreciation for a film.
One of the reasons why standing ovations are seen as an unreliable measure of a film's success is because they often happen for every movie, regardless of its quality. As producer Cassian Elwes pointed out, even the notoriously controversial film The Brown Bunny received a standing ovation at Cannes. This trend continues at the Venice Film Festival as well, where it is rare for a film to receive an ovation of less than five minutes. Additionally, different publications often report different lengths for the same ovation, depending on when they start counting. Some start when the credits begin to roll, while others wait until the whole auditorium is standing.
At the 2024 Venice Film Festival, one of the most talked-about ovations was for Pedro Almodovar's The Room Next Door. The reported length of this ovation varied, with some outlets estimating it at 17 minutes, while others said it was closer to 20. This ovation was aided by the presence of the film's stars Tilda Swinton and Julianne Moore, who joined in on the applause, along with the overwhelming popularity of Almodovar himself. The excitement for the film was palpable even before its premiere, as fans chanted "Pedro!" as the filmmaker arrived at the festival.
Another film that received a standing ovation at Cannes was Kevin Costner's passion project, Horizon: An American Saga. However, the reported length of this ovation also varied, with some saying it was seven minutes and others estimating it at 11. Despite the apparent enthusiasm for the film at the festival, it failed to perform well at the box office upon its release. Nonetheless, it was invited to the Venice Film Festival, where it will be shown as one of the closing films. This gives Costner, who has invested millions into the project and is currently filming the third installment, another chance to generate buzz and financial support for his series.
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