Oscar Nominations: 4

 

Supporting Actor: Sean Connery

Art Direction-Set Decoration: Patrizia Von Brandenstein and William A. Elliott; Hal Gausman

Original Score: Ennio Morricone

Costume design: Marilyn Vance-Straker

 

Oscar Awards: 1

 

Supporting Actor

 

Oscar Context

 

In 1987, Bertolucci's historical epic “The Last Emperor” swept most of the Oscars, including Best Picture, Art Direction, Scoring (by Ryuichi Sakamoto, David Byrne, and Cong Fu), Costumes (James Acheson), and Editing (by Jerry Greenberg and Bill Pankow).

 

This was Sean Connery's first and only nomination, and though he no doubt deserved it, the feeling was that he also won it for years of playing the cool 007 in the James Bond film series.

 

Connery won over competition from Albert Brooks in “Broadcast News,” Morgan Freeman in “Street Smart,” Vincent Gardenia in “Moonstruck,” and Denzel Washington in “Cry Freedom.”