Power dressing at the Baftas
Florence Pugh, the British actress, joined other stars on the red carpet at the Baftas last night to wear all-black in solidarity with the Time’s Up movement and victims of sexual assault and harassment
On one side, there were the biggest stars of the film industry, turning the Bafta red carpet black in their most visible support of the Time’s Up movement yet. On the other, Royal traditionalists insisting the Duchess of Cambridge could not be drawn into a worldwide protest about sexual harassment and gender equality.
Last night, the Duchess attempted to walk a diplomatic line, eschewing an unofficial all-black dress code to see the cream of British cinema honoured at the Royal Albert Hall. Her choice, of a dark green Jenny Packham dress with a black ribbon, appeared to please and offend observers in equal measure, apparently designed to avoid the scandal of a future Queen making an overt statement which could be perceived as political.
The movement did not, however go unnoticed: instead of sending a message through clothes, the Duke acknowledged it with substance.
Writing a foreword to the ceremony programme, he appeared to acknowledge steps taken to protect those in the industry, saying: “As President, I am proud of the leadership Bafta have shown on this; in a year which rocked the industry as many brave people spoke up about bullying, harassment and abuse despite the risk to their professional careers and reputations.”
Neither the Duke, president of Bafta, nor the Duchess appeared to be wearing the Time’s Up lapel pin, which many others had donned to walk the red carpet.
A spokesman for Kensington Palace did not comment on the choice.
The Duchess’ private secretary, Catherine
Quinn, also attending the awards in her official capacity, chose to blend in discreetly in black.
Members of the Royal Family are supposed to avoid all political statements, leaving the Duchess with a stark choice between being accused of overstepping her position or being the only woman wearing colour. Some critics proclaimed themselves “disappointed” in the choice, arguing that objecting to sexual harassment was not a political standpoint.
The debate set the tone for an evening dominated by discussion of women in the film industry.
Campaigners, wearing Time’s Up t-shirts and chanting about the sisterhood, lay on the red carpet, while stars gushed about the aims of the campaign in interviews.
After the Duke and Duchess walked into the hall to polite applause to take their front row seats, Jane Lush, chair of Bafta, opened proceedings with a summary of the “revelation after revelation” leading up to the protest, telling an audience: “This is a moment in history. It should be a watershed.”
Joanna Lumley, the first woman to host the awards solo in more than 20 years, acknowledged the “powerful protest” in her introduction.
Despite the enthusiastic words, gender equality did not entirely find its way into the awards ceremony: heavily male-dominated, it saw 40 statues being taken home by men and eight by women.
The British held their own, with four awards for Film 4’s Three Billboards Outside Ebbing , Missouri, and nods for Daniel Kaluuya, Gary Oldman, Dunkirk and Darkest Hour. The first award, presented by Oscar-winner Jennifer Lawrence and for Outstanding British film, went to Three Billboards Outside Ebbing , Missouri. Its producer Graham Broadbent delivered a speech referencing the “tectonic shift” in the industry, and the “meaningful change that can happen quickly”.
Sam Rockwell, winner of best supporting actor for the same film, used his moment in the spotlight to admit he “stands in the shoulders of strong, intelligent, righteous women who have made my life complete”. Allison Janney, picking up the prize for best supporting actress for I, Tonya, avoided all things serious, joking that she wanted to use her speech to clear up a falsehood that she had graduated from RADA, when she in fact attended a two-week summer programme. Asked about the Duchess wearing green backstage, Janney told members of the press: “I would never judge anyone’s choice on what they wear.” Salma Hayek, attending to present the
‘We need equality now… now it’s a question of moving it from conversation to action’
award for best actor, introduced the major award category with a knowing smile, saying: “In this very important and historic year for women, I’m here to celebrate...men.”
She joked the award would go to Frances Mcdormand, one of the best actress nomineees, before announcing the true winner: Gary Oldman.
Oldman, who was transformed into Sir Winston Churchill for Darkest Hour, used his speech to honour the late prime minister, who held the line for “honour, integrity and freedom for his nation and the world”.
Darkest Hour also won the award for best make-up and hair, thanks to its extraordinary prosthetics.
Mcdormand, who did win best actress for Three Billboards, accepted the award wearing a red, pink and black dress, joking she “had a problem with compliance” but “I stand in full solidarity with my sisters in black”.
Kaluuya, the British actor, won the public vote for Bafta’s Rising Star award, thanking the arts funding schemes which allowed him to train as an actor and his mother.
The Shape of Water took home prizes for original music, production design and best director for Guillermo del Toro, while Call Me By Your Name won best adapted screen play, and Phantom Thread was awarded best costume design.
The stand-out production of the evening was Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri, which won best film and best supporting actor for Rockwell.
The women attending Bafta made no secret of their aims for the evening. Kristin Scott Thomas, nominated for her portrayal of Clementine Churchill in Darkest Hour, said of Time’s Up: “We need equality now – I think their slogan is absolutely right. I haven’t stopped talking about this since it all started.
“Now it’s a question of moving it from conversation to action.”