Silent movie "The Artist" crowned its spectacular awards season success by winning five Oscars including the coveted Best Picture prize at the 84th Academy Awards early this morning.
The French-directed black-and-white movie earned Oscars for best director for Michel Hazanavicius and best actor for Jean Dujardin, who played a silent movie era star whose career was torpedoed by the arrival of the "talkies."
Martin Scorsese's 3D adventure "Hugo" -- which had the most nominations, with 11 compared to 10 for "The Artist" also ended the evening with five prizes, but all of them came in technical categories.
MERYL STREEP IS BEST ACTRESS
Meryl Streep won best actress for her powerful turn in "The Iron Lady." It was the third Oscar for the 62-year-old Streep and her first in three decades, underscoring her status as the pre-eminent actress of her generation.
"I love your country," Dujardin told the audience as he accepted his Oscar, the first for a Frenchman in an acting category.
Octavia Spencer took home the prize for best supporting actress for her role as a black maid in the civil rights drama "The Help," receiving a standing ovation for her powerhouse performance.
Veteran Canadian actor Christopher Plummer crowned a six-decade acting career with a long-overdue Oscar, a best supporting actor trophy for his role in "Beginners" as an ailing widower who embraces his homosexuality.
Hollywood's biggest and most glittering night had long been expected to be a battle between "Hugo" and "The Artist," two odes to film-making.
Other winners included the Johnny-Depp voiced "Rango," which won the best animated feature prize, and Woody Allen, who was honored for best original screenplay for "Midnight in Paris."
In the foreign language category, Iran's "A Separation" beat films from Belgium, Canada, Israel and Poland as expected.
Its director Asghar Farhadi dedicated the award to Iranians "who despise hostility and resentment," and referred to current tension between Tehran and the West over the Islamic republic's suspect nuclear program.
Scorsese was not the only legendary director in the mix -- Allen was in the running for best picture honors for his comeback hit "Midnight in Paris," and Steven Spielberg gunned for the top prize with "War Horse."
Buddies George Clooney and Brad Pitt both lost out to Dujardin, who had already won a slew of awards for his turn as suave George Valentin.
Clooney had downplayed his hopes of winning best actor before the show, saying on the red carpet: "I have a feeling in the best actor race you're going to hear someone speaking French."
Streep, who was honoured for her powerful portrayal of former British premier Margaret Thatcher, said "Oh, come on!" as she was given a standing ovation by the star-studded Hollywood audience.
She said that when her name was called out, "I had this feeling I could hear half of America going, 'Oh no ... her, again.' But whatever!"
The show was presented by a galaxy of stars, including last year's best actress and actor Natalie Portman and Colin Firth, Tom Cruise, Penelope Cruz, Tom Hanks and Angelina Jolie.
Highlights included a breathtaking cinema-themed performance by Canadian dance troupe Cirque du Soleil, including rapid-fire acrobatics and tumbling across the stage and ceiling of the auditorium.
"Wow," said veteran host Billy Crystal, presenting the show for the ninth time. "I pulled a hamstring just watching that."
The spectacle had begun even before the curtain went up, with the usual procession of glamour gowns on the red carpet leading into the Oscars, the climax of Hollywood's annual awards season.
British comic Sacha Baron Cohen also pulled a colorful stunt, coming dressed as the star of his latest movie, "The Dictator" -- and pouring the faux ashes of late North Korean leader Jim Kong-Il onto the red carpet.
COMPLETE LIST OF OSCAR WINNERS
The following are the winners in all categories at the 84th Academy Awards:
- Best picture: "The Artist."
- Best director: Michel Hazanavicius for "The Artist."
- Best leading actor: Jean Dujardin in "The Artist."
- Best leading actress: Meryl Streep in "The Iron Lady."
- Best supporting actor: Christopher Plummer in "Beginners."
- Best supporting actress: Octavia Spencer in "The Help."
- Best foreign language film: "A Separation" (Iran).
- Best animated feature: "Rango."
- Best original screenplay: "Midnight in Paris."
- Best adapted screenplay: "The Descendants."
- Best original score: "The Artist."
- Best original song: "Man or Muppet" from "The Muppets."
- Best art direction: "Hugo."
- Best cinematography: "Hugo."
- Best costume design: "The Artist."
- Best documentary feature: "Undefeated."
- Best documentary short: "Saving Face."
- Best film editing: "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo."
- Best makeup: "The Iron Lady."
- Best short animated film: "The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr Morris Lessmore."
- Best short live action film: "The Shore."
- Best sound editing: "Hugo."
- Best sound mixing: "Hugo."
- Best visual effects: "Hugo."
Most Oscars won
"The Artist" - 5
"Hugo" - 5
"The Iron Lady" - 2
"Beginners" - 1
"The Help" - 1
"Midnight in Paris" - 1
"The Descendants" - 1
"A Separation" - 1
"The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo" - 1
"Undefeated" - 1
The following nominated films failed to win any awards:
"Albert Nobbs"
"Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2"
"Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy"
"Transformers: Dark of the Moon"
"The Tree of Life"
"Bridesmaids"
"Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close"
"My Week with Marilyn"