Kevin Costner’s Horizon premiere tears: Why are Cannes standing ovations so weirdly long?
Kevin Costner had tears in his eyes during the seven-minute standing ovation at the premiere of his latest Western, Horizon: An American Saga, at the Cannes Film Festival. The chances are that he was overwhelmed by the enthusiastic reception: Horizon is, after all, a passion project that Costner starred in, directed, co-wrote, produced and financed himself. But it’s possible that he was just bored to tears. Can you imagine how exhausting it must be to nod and smile and listen to people clapping for seven whole minutes?
But it could have been a lot worse – or, depending on your perspective, a lot better, because weirdly long standing ovations are one of Cannes’ defining traditions. Along with parties in beach bars, warm rosé wine, and long queues of sunburnt critics, these marathon lovefests are one of the elements that give the venerable festival its je ne sais quoi. In 2021, the opening film was Leo Carax’s Annette, starring Adam Driver and Marion Cotillard. Five minutes into the standing ovation, Driver lit up a cigarette to pass the time. This year, the applause received by David Cronenberg’s The Shrouds was described in the press as “subdued” and “lackluster” – but it still went on for more than three minutes.
There does seem to be a connection, however tenuous, between the length of the ovations and the quality of the films
Standing ovations aren’t unknown at other film festivals, of course, but they have never had the same cachet elsewhere. At Cannes, the premieres – or “Official Screenings” – are held in the Grand Théatre Lumiere, which seats more than 2,000 people. The rule is that everyone has to be in evening dress, and there is a red carpet flanked by rows of photographers to add to the buzz. Another key factor is that as soon as the closing credits roll, a cameraperson dashes into the Lumiere and points a camera at the main members of the cast and crew; close-up footage of them looking proud / tearful / embarrassed / all of the above is then shown on the big screen. This has the dual effect of encouraging the audience to keep clapping, and making the ordeal even more awkward for the grimacing directors and stars. This footage is also the source of many a bored superstar meme on social media. It’s small wonder that when Andrea Arnold’s Bird had its inevitable ovation last week, Arnold said: “Thank you, this is really lovely, but I really want to go and party right now.”
