LOS ANGELES (JTA) — Christoph Waltz won a Golden Globe award for best supporting actor for his role as a suave and sadistic Nazi colonel in “Inglourious Basterds.”
The Austrian actor was favored to win in Sunday’s ceremony for a character who glories in the sobriquet of “Jew hunter.”
In the film, a revenge fantasy directed by Quentin Tarantino, several American Jewish GIs wipe out the entire Nazi leadership.
Also taking a Golden Globe was Jason Reitman, who co-wrote “Up in the Air” with Sheldon Turner and directed the film, for best screenplay.
Reitman is Jewish; Waltz is not.
The German entry “The White Ribbon,” which depicts life in a seemingly placid pre-World War I village as the seedbed for the Nazi era to come, was picked as the top foreign-language film. The Israeli entry, “Ajami,” had not qualified among the five finalists.
The Golden Globes, whose winners are selected by the relatively few members of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, are generally considered indicators as likely choices for the more prestigious Academy Awards. Oscar nominations will be announced Feb. 2, with the award ceremony set for March 7.
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