Cold Mountains and Sore Losers

Harvey Weinstein is apparently unaccustomed to "Oscar" snubs or, at least, doesn't appear to take them very lightly. When his latest baby Cold Mountain got ignored by Academy it had to do with some kind of conspiracy. According to Weinstein, Cold Mountain was punished for the unforgivable sin of being American Civil War movie shot outside sacred American soil.

This is interesting theory that would undoubtedly get Weinstein some sympathy outside USA, among people who view evil Hollywood as the tool of American imperialism and chauvinism. I, of course, don't think that there was any kind of conspiracy. I don't know if anyone, for example, complained about Sergio Leone's The Good, the Bad and the Ugly, one of the best movies about American Civil War, being shot on Spanish locations.

More likely explanation could be found in Weinstein's past successes. Cold Mountain simply fell victim to the backlash created by years of Weinstein's PR machine becoming increasingly ruthless in its attempts to win "Oscars". Many in Hollywood began to feel uncomfortable with the campaigns that resembled dirtiest political contests and got even more uncomfortable with movies like English Patient or Shakespeare in Love perhaps getting not particularly deserved "Oscars".