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The Coen Brothers graced the stage at the Kodak Theatre last night a total of three times.  Ethan did his "Thank You"-watered-down bit and Joel, the unofficial spokesperson for the two, tried harking to some relatable banter via mentioning an old childhood movie project.  The night ended on a whimper.

As expected, the pair won the Best Picture Oscar for their overall exceptional adaptation: "No Country For Old Men."  There's nothing wrong with awarding a well-made picture, but here "No Country" found itself in the same ranks and category of the far-superior "There Will Be Blood"--which, no matter which way you look at it, should have won.  The film is the offspring of five-time Oscar nominee Paul Thomas Anderson, this generation's best and most influential filmmaker.  Usually, on Oscar night, there's an inexplicable excitement in the air, as the night comes to a close and the possibility of the Academy actually picking the real Best Picture as the winner, comes within grasp.  The chance to surprise.  The chance to inspire.

But last night found the Academy pulling the "Crash" card and picking the current critic-fave babe of "No Country" for it most coveted prize.  The Academy played it safe and a good movie won.  Ho-hum.

Though, as the Coens walked on the stage, without any excitement, I was met with the image of "Ordinary People"--the 1980s critical favorite--beating Scorsese's "Raging Bull" on that Oscar night.  Shit, now that I think about it, "Ordinary" and "No Country" each won 4 Oscars, all in the same categories: Picture, Director, Adapted Screenplay and Supporting Actor.  That's funny.

In retrospect, as the years went on and countless critics groups gathered and analyzed past cinema, "Ordinary People's" importance somehow dwindled, and "Raging Bull" came into the spotlight.  The visceral, lyrical prose of its narrative, the off-putting maniac anti-hero DeNiro had created and the overall difficult initial viewing experience audiences had with it, all suddenly sank in.  "Raging" was great, and important.  So important, it stood the test of time.

I guarantee, as time will show, "There Will Be Blood" will find its path following a parallel journey to that of "Raging Bull's."  "Raging," like "Blood," was mildly awarded on Oscar night (each with a Best Actor award, and one technical prize win) but found its audience reinvented in each decade to follow.  "Blood" will only get better with each viewing, and will resonate more profoundly and deeply with viewers in the years to come.

 "It's too dark for the Academy..." "That ending!"  "It's not perfect!" --all common soundbites heard from the people back in the 80s.  The same kind of arguments were built against "Blood" these last few weeks.

Now, let me ask you film wizards, scholars and students this: Was it "Raging Bull" or "Ordinary People" that was a more influential film in your undergraduate studies?

That's what I thought.