It is well known that Sinners has been making waves across the world since its release last year, winning multiple accolades at various stages—And filmmaker Ryan Coogler been keen on honouring Black history and its musical legacy at every awards ceremony featuring his vampire drama.
At the Oscars ceremony held on Sunday at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles, filmmaker Ryan Coogler’s film Sinners won four awards—Best Actor for Michael B Jordan, Best Cinematography for Autumn Durald Arkapaw, Best Original Screenplay for Coogler, and Best Original Score for Ludwig Göransson.
However, the wins were not the only reason Coogler became the centre of attention. The director was seen carrying two symbolic elements from Sinners: a blues guitar and a treble clef braided into his hair. The gesture quickly went viral, earning widespread praise from social media users who shared photos and applauded the thoughtful tribute.
Coogler's first original film since 2013's Fruitvale Station, Sinners tells the story of identical twins Smoke and Stack (Michael B Jordan in dual roles) who return to their hometown in Mississippi to start a juke joint. They are faced with a sinister supernatural evil and must strive to stay alive through the night along with their pals. Also starring Miles Caton, Hailee Steinfeld, Jack O'Connell, Omar Benson Miller, and Delroy Lindo, among others, Sinners grossed over $360 million from theatres worldwide.
Goransson's score was inspired from American blues music which provided the musical depth to the film. His father was also a blues aficionado with their childhood mostly consisting of listening to music from the genre. Coogler and Goransson developed the music for Sinners with the former playing the guitar during scriptwriting sessions while also being trained by Göransson on mastering the instruments. The genre, which has deep roots in African traditions, reportedly goes back to the transatlantic slave trade which happened during the 16th and 19th centuries. Coogler wanted to capture the energy of the time and sent the composer records from early 1900s to serve as base points for the score. They also included other genres of music including Irish folk, gospel, jazz and soul music into the film.
To each one, the Oscar win came with massive recognition. While Ryan Coogler won his first award in his first nomination in the category of Best Original Screenplay, DP Autumn Durald Arkapaw became the first woman in the Academy history to win the best-cinematography Oscar for Sinners. She was also the first woman of colour to achieve the feat. Michael B Jordan won Best Actor in his first nomination.