Every May, the world’s cinephiles turn their eyes to the French Riviera, where the Cannes Film Festival unspools its red carpet for a parade of filmmakers, stars, and industry insiders. Over the past week, a certain ritual seems to have captured the essence of nearly every headline tying into the storied event once again: the standing ovation.
The significance of a standing ovation at Cannes transcends the immediate reaction to a film. It has evolved into a cultural barometer, a signal to the world about a film’s impact, and an unofficial competition for the longest, loudest tribute. In 2024, this time-honored tradition continues to provoke fascination and debate, with each film’s reception measured in minutes of applause, much like a competitive sport. But what does it really mean? Is it a genuine measure of a film’s merit? Or does it simply reflect festival dynamics and the art of networking?
The origins of this practice are murky, but the phenomenon gained notoriety in the early 2000s with iconic moments like the 22-minute ovation for Guillermo del Toro’s “Pan’s Labyrinth” in 2006 and the 20-minute applause for Michael Moore’s “Fahrenheit 9/11” in 2004. These marathon clapping sessions became the stuff of festival lore, significantly influencing the films’ trajectories far beyond the Croisette.
Examining the ovation records for recent Palme d’Or winners reveals an intriguing, if somewhat unpredictable, metric of audience enthusiasm. Justine Triet’s “Anatomy of a Fall” (2023) was met with a respectable seven-minute standing ovation. Ruben Östlund’s “Triangle of Sadness” (2022) garnered eight minutes of applause. Julia Ducournau’s audacious “Titane” (2021) pushed the ovation clock to a full ten minutes, while Bong Joon-ho’s masterful “Parasite” (2019) received a more restrained five-minute ovation.
Fast forward to the present, and the tradition remains deeply ingrained. Cannes audiences have become as adept at timing their applause as they are at identifying auteur cinema. The standing ovation has morphed into a rite of passage, embedded in the festival’s DNA. Critics argue that the length of an ovation is about as reliable as a weather forecast in Cannes, suggesting that the thunderous applause echoing through the Palais des Festivals stems from a collective fear of being left out of the zeitgeist. Yet, the ovation does provide a visceral, immediate gauge of the audience’s collective mood.
Timing an ovation is more art than science. Different outlets use various methods, which explains the discrepancies in counts: some start the clock when the credits roll, others wait until the house lights come up. Some even time the applause from the moment attendees rise to their feet, stopping when the applause subsides or the filmmaker begins to speak. Discrepancies are inevitable, yet the pursuit of precision continues.
Beyond the timing, the composition of the audience influences the ovation. Cannes premieres are attended by a mix of critics, industry insiders, high-profile guests, and most recently, a horde of social media influencers.
. Often, their applause may be more about celebrating the event or the celebrities in the room rather than the film’s artistic merit, with big names and legendary directors frequently enjoying longer ovations.
Last year, Martin Scorsese’s “Killers of the Flower Moon” set a high bar with its nine-minute standing ovation. Considering the film’s hefty runtime of 206 minutes, this applause was as much about endurance as it was appreciation. Similarly, Francis Ford Coppola’s much-talked-about “Megalopolis,” in competition this year, garnered a seven-minute ovation, which felt more like a tribute to the octogenarian’s veteran status than an ode to his new passion project. The Coppola clout even extended to the flamboyant Nic Cage, who ended up leading the audience in a chant at the midnight screening of “The Surfer,” prolonging the ovation.
While the standing ovation’s validity as a tool to gauge a film’s merit should probably be taken with a grain of salt, its marketing value is undeniable. The length of the applause can become a powerful promotional tool, signaling to potential viewers and distributors that the film made a resounding impact.
However, historical data shows mixed results. Films like “The Beaver” (2011) and “The Paperboy” (2012) received lengthy ovations but failed critically and commercially. Conversely, record-holder del Toro’s “Pan’s Labyrinth,” with its 22-minute ovation, currently boasts a 95% Tomatometer score and a substantial worldwide box office of $83.9 million on a $19 million budget. Similarly, “Fahrenheit 9/11,” with its tremendous 20-minute ovation, achieved an 82% Tomatometer rating and an impressive global box office of $222.4 million against a modest $6 million budget.
In all, the standing ovation is a curious phenomenon. Whether it boosts a film’s chances to bag the top prize at Cannes, strengthens its awards season run, or amplifies its box-office gains, the tradition endures. Perhaps it encapsulates the festival’s spirit—a blend of art, spectacle, and the fear of missing out that grips each member of the audience.
Here’s a comprehensive list of every single film that has received a standing ovation at Cannes 2024 thus far, ranked in order of their standing ‘O’ duration:
– Beating Hearts (IN COMPETITION) – 15 Minutes
– The Count of Monte-Cristo (OUT OF COMPETITION) – 12 Minutes
– The Substance (IN COMPETITION) – 11 Minutes
– Emilia Pérez (IN COMPETITION) – 10 Minutes
– Anora (IN COMPETITION) – 10 Minutes
– Horizon: An American Saga (OUT OF COMPETITION) – 10 Minutes
– Veteran 2 (I, The Executioner) (OUT OF COMPETITION) – 10 Minutes
– Parthenope (IN COMPETITION) – 9.5 Minutes
– Marcello Mio (IN COMPETITION) – 8.5 Minutes
– Bird (IN COMPETITION) – 8 Minutes
– The Apprentice (IN COMPETITION) – 8 Minutes
– Megalopolis (IN COMPETITION) – 7 Minutes
– Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga (OUT OF COMPETITION) – 7 Minutes
– The Surfer (OUT OF COMPETITION) – 6 Minutes
– The Girl With The Needle (IN COMPETITION) – 6 Minutes
– Kinds of Kindness (IN COMPETITION) – 5 Minutes
– Rumours (OUT OF COMPETITION) – 5 Minutes
– Oh, Canada (IN COMPETITION) – 4 Minutes
– The Shrouds (IN COMPETITION) – 3.5 Minutes
– The Second Act (OUT OF COMPETITION) – 3.5 Minutes
This list will be updated live as new films screen at Cannes 2024.
