He won best writing with Roger Avary (who shouldn't be underestimated, the boxer and gold watch storyline really tied together the film structure), which was a surprise, considering the violence, swearing, irreverence, and pop culture references. I think he has good chances of getting in future. He was looked as this wild, eccentric movie freak, L'enfant terrible. But slowly, the geriatrics at the academy realize the technique and are welcoming, even embracing him. He is no longer seen as this "outsider". :)
I understand for Qt to win best director needs a bunch of cinephiles who know a bit of film history, nuances and lineage of Tarantino filmmaking. QT's mise-en-scene incl. the number of farm cows, the calabash, 35 mm nitrate films, to rope-burn are scripted already. But requires equally great direction to produce the image that would evoke senses, and produce a magical effect. A fruition of this witchcraft is dependent on recepient's mind and sense, ultimately a memory, that Martin Scorsese captures perfectly in closing comments of a documentary,Yet I don't think the academy seem to have "got it", and controlled consciousness, in absolute sense. There is an aspect of academy's purview incapable of picking on the nuances and witchery of direction. Their criteria is really short-sighted and very instinctive. Sometimes a detailed discussion and brainstorming is needed *Quote:
It's as if movies answer an ancient quest for the common unconscious. They fulfill a spiritual need that people have to share a common memory.
In some respects, Qt is no different from Martin Scorsese. who also shares his encyclopedic knowledge and has a sense of auteurism. And for a New york non-Jew ( :P ), Scorsese wasn't going to get many favors among the majority of voters. He was ignored to extent of nonchalant preference, of inferior works and mediocre direction. For example, in year-of-whores (as it were memorably nicked by its host, whoopie Goldberg), Academy ignored Scorsese (Casino) for Babe(Noonan). Direction is a diff ballpark, well outside their purview.
But one thing that Tarantino has got over Scorsese, along with other modern auteurs like Coens and PT Anderson, is to write their own scripts. Of course, Scorsese picks his favorite scripts and rewrites it, according to his vision. But there's a big difference.
(* like with a handpicked jury and have them discuss, before casting the vote, so in many ways Cannes and Palm d'or is the ultimate award to hope for, and also the universal concept of it)