Golden Globes: ‘Elle’ Wins Best Foreign-Language Film

Elle (France) took home the Golden Globe for best foreign-language film on Sunday night.

The film beat out Divines (France), Neruda (Chile), The Salesman (Iran/France) and Toni Erdmann (Germany).

“I really thank the Hollywood Foreign Press for being so open-minded,” said director Paul Verhoeven about the film, which stars Isabelle Huppert as a rape victim who plots revenge.

“We didn’t talk about her character because it wasn’t necessary,” Verhoeven recently told The Hollywood Reporter. “There was an intuitive connection we felt, and during the shoot, we discussed many other things — staging, costume — but never the character.” As to the nudity and violence in the picture, “She didn’t care. If she believes in the character, she will do whatever is necessary.”

Verhoeven became known for directing Basic Instinct, RoboCop and Total Recall, but saw his career take a beating with Showgirls and Starship Troopers.

“They applaud comebacks here,” he recently told THR. “You can fall as deep as you want. But if you come back, you’re OK.”

In THR‘s review of the film, critic Jordan Mintzer wrote: “It’s as if Michael Haneke woke up one morning, took his funny pills and decided to make a sadistic French farce, and the result is a movie that will finally bring Verhoeven back into the spotlight after a decade-long absence.”

Although it won the best foreign-language film award at the Globes, Elle was left off of the Oscars’ best foreign-language contenders shortlist, a controversial omission.

Jimmy Fallon hosted the 74th annual Golden Globe Awards, which took place at the Beverly Hilton on Jan. 8.