The Reader

“I don’t think we need another film about the Holocaust, do we?”: A Beautiful Irony #3

In a 2005 edition of the BBC comedy ‘Extras‘ (Series One), Ricky Gervais’ character commends the actress Kate Winslet – playing herself – for doing a Holocaust movie. Dismissing his praise, she tells him it has nothing to do with spreading the message. She is doing it solely to win an Oscar:

“I don’t think we need another film about the Holocaust, do we? It’s like, how many have there been? We get it. It was grim. Move on. No, I’m doing it because I’ve noticed that if you do a film about the Holocaust, guaranteed an Oscar. I’ve been nominated four times—never won. The whole world is going, ‘Why hasn’t Winslet won one?’ That’s it. That’s why I’m doing it. Schindler’s bloody List. The Pianist. Oscars coming out of their ass!”

Following Winslet’s success at the Oscars last night for her role in the Holocaust movie ‘The Reader’, her words now ring a little too close to the bone.

As everyone from Chaucer through to Doris Lessing have committed to print: ‘Many a true word is spoken in jest’

This work by Chris Allen is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial 2.0 UK: England & Wales License. Based on a work at www.chris-allen.co.uk.