During a bleep-filled, irreverent ceremony on Sunday night in Beverly Hills, California, caustic British comic Ricky Gervais presided over a Golden Globes event that seemed at risk of unravelling before the Hollywood Foreign Press Association organised event coalesced its support for a pair of star-led movie tales of frontier survival.
Alejandro Inárritu's brutal frontier thriller The Revenant swept three of the top honours, while Ridley Scott's tale of a stranded astronaut battling to survive The Martian – bizarrely nominated in the comedy category – lifted a pair of its own.
The success of the films was a bit of an upset, as they triumphed over other two hotly tipped critical picks, the investigative journalism drama Spotlight and Todd Haynes' provocative Carol, both of which were snubbed.
The triumph of The Revenant — made with the same seamless cinematography that impressed in Inárritu's previous film, Birdman – came at the end of a weekend in which it nearly toppled box-office juggernaut Star Wars: Episode VII – The Force Awakens from the top of the box-office chart, with a US$37 million (Dh135.8m) opening.
The Revenant slays the competition
The endurance drama won the best film drama award, as well as best director for Inárritu and best actor for Leonardo DiCaprio. Though Inárritu had a similar run with Birdman, he won only a share of best screenplay — as a co-writer — at last year's Globes.
Referring to the film’s arduous shoot in the Canadian Rockies, Inárritu said: “Pain is temporary. A film is forever.”
DiCaprio, who appears headed for his first Oscar, dedicated his award to Native Americans.
“I want to share this award with all the First Nations people represented in this film and all the indigenous peoples around the world,” he said. “It is time that we recognise your history and that we protect your indigenous lands from corporate interests and people out there to exploit them.”
The Martian’s win is no laughing matter
Questionably nominated in the comedy categories (a theoretically easier route to victory), The Martian took best film comedy and best actor in a comedy for Matt Damon. Taking the podium, Scott said, "Comedy?" and answered with a sceptical wave of his hand.
Damon had to suffer being introduced by Gervais as "the only person who Ben Affleck hasn't been unfaithful to". The actor later said the success of The Martian was an unexpected pleasure: "I have made a lot of movies that people just didn't go see."
Jennifer Lawrence finds Joy, while Jobs falls short
Best actress went to Brie Larson, the breakout star of the captive mother-son drama Room. A gleeful Larson said: "I'm sorry for anyone I forgot. I'll write you a thank-you card."
Lawrence, who spent much of the night with her new friend and collaborator Amy Schumer (herself a nominee for Trainwreck), scored her third Globe for a David O Russell-directed film. After winning for Silver Linings Playbook and American Hustle, she made it three for Joy.
Though Steve Jobs was tipped for a big night, Danny Boyle's drama about the Apple co-founder earned only a best screenplay award for Aaron Sorkin and best supporting actress for Kate Winslet, her fourth Globe in 11 nominations. Citing the crowded categories, Winslet remarked: "What an incredible year for women in film."
Veteran actors honoured
Nominated for the same character that earned him his only other Golden Globe nod, Sylvester Stallone took best supporting actor for the Rocky spin-off Creed. The crowd greeted him with a standing ovation.
“I want to thank my imaginary friend Rocky Balboa for being the best friend I ever had,” he said.
The Cecil B DeMille lifetime achievement award was given to Denzel Washington. Often an emotional high point in the awards, Washington’s usually cool demeanour eluded him as he fumbled with his speech, while his wife, Pauletta, prodded him. As he wound down, Washington finally admitted: “Yeah, I do need my glasses.”
Small screen awards
Mr Robot won the best TV drama award for its first season, besting more established favourites such as HBO's Game of Thrones and Fox's Empire. Best comedy series was a similar upset, with Amazon's Mozart in the Jungle, defeating HBO heavyweight Veep.
Jon Hamm won his second Globe, for his role as Don Draper in the final season of Mad Men. Gael Garcia Bernal took the best actor award for Mozart in the Jungle.
Taraji Henson's fierce portrayal of the artist manager Cookie in Empire won her a best actress award in a TV drama. Christian Slater's comeback in Mr Robot was also sealed with a win for best supporting actor, while Maura Tierney won female counterpart for her role The Affair.
It never gets old
In one of the rowdy ceremony's funniest moments, Quentin Tarantino accepted the award for Ennio Morricone's score for his film The Hateful Eight — a winner that presenter Jamie Foxx initially read as Straight Outta Compton in a parody of the Miss Universe winner-announcement debacle.
Second World War drama in line for Oscar gold
László Nemes' Son of Saul strengthened its Oscar-worthy pedigree by winning the best foreign film award. The Hungarian production provides a harrowing view of life inside the Auschwitz concentration camp. "The Holocaust over the years has become an abstraction," Nemes said in his acceptance speech. "For me, it is more of a face. Let us not forget this face."
Thanking the sponsors
Before wrapping things up, Gervais had some time to lay into the broadcaster screening the ceremony, American network NBC, which he noted had no nominations. He mocked the whole enterprise, assuring losing actors that “no one cares about awards as much as you do”.
• For more details on the ceremony, go to www.goldenglobes.com