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Even before the final five are announced, Zhang Yimou's hopes of finally achieving Oscar glory have been dashed. Of the nine potential finalists for the Best Foreign Language Film, Flowers of War is noticeably absent.
Zhang's take on the Japanese invasion of Nanjing was obviously not as compelling to the Academy Award voters as the John Woo-produced Taiwan entry, Warriors of the Rainbow: Seediq Bale, which is the only East Asian film left in the running.
Only one film nominated for a Golden Globe also appears in the Oscar shortlist: Iranian drama A Separation, which went on to clinch the grand prize at the HFPA event last week. Since its release it has been widely touted as a frontrunner, enthralling critics with its depiction of Iranian marital relations, which is used as a metaphor for the country's repressive, restrictive regime as a whole. If it wins, it will be only the third Asian film ever to claim the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film, a field largely dominated by Europe.
Amongst the other finalists is Pina, an homage to German Tanztheater's most influential choreographer, and In Darkness, a Holocaust film set in Poland.
For a full list of the Oscar shortlist, click here.
