Oscar shuns globalism as Americans take top honors

LOS ANGELES, Feb 26 (Reuters) They were dubbed the most international Oscars ever, but in the end it was a group of US films and actors who pushed other filmmakers aside to grab the world's top film honors.

Mexico's ''Pan's Labyrinth'' won three awards and multicultural ''Babel'' earning one while Britain's Helen Mirren won the best actress award for her portrayal of ''The Queen.'' But it was American films and actors such as crime thriller ''The Departed,'' and Forest Whitaker, Jennifer Hudson and Alan Arkin who took the top prizes.

With dozens of nominees from nations including Japan, Mexico, Spain, Australia and Britain, Ellen DeGeneres, who hosted the awards show, opened the night by joking that the only Americans in the audience were seat-fillers.

Indeed, the night began with wins for the fantasy ''Pan's Labyrinth,'' in categories such as art direction, makeup and cinematography.

By the end of the nearly 4-hour show however, ''The Departed'' by top director Martin Scorsese, emerged as the night's big winner with four top awards, including best picture and best director. Whitaker, Hudson and Alan Arkin snagged three of the four acting awards.

CORRUPT COPS ''The Departed,'' a film about corrupt cops and gang members battling in the streets of Boston, trumped ''Babel,'' a sweeping cultural drama by Mexican director Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu, in both of the night's top categories, best film and best director. It also beat out Britain's royal saga ''The Queen'' and ''Letters from Iwo Jima,'' an American film told in Japanese, for best picture.

''Babel,'' which follows characters in Japan, Morocco and the along the US-Mexican border, won only for original score -- after receiving seven nominations, including best picture and best director.

''Babel'' actresses Adriana Barraza of Mexico and Rinko Kikuchi of Japan both lost the supporting actress award to Hudson for her role as the spurned leader of a female singing trio in ''Dreamgirls''.

Whitaker, who won for his role as Ugandan dictator Idi Amin in ''The Last King of Scotland,'' beat out legendary British actor Peter O'Toole with his role as an elderly man in love with a younger woman in ''Venus.'' O'Toole was widely considered to be Whitaker's biggest rival for the award, and the loss was his eighth for best actor, which proved to be a record for best actor losses.

Britain's Helen Mirren was the sole non-American to win an acting award -- for best actress.

When asked whether she was disappointed to be the only Brit to take home a golden statuette, Mirren said the recognition of Spanish, Mexican and other international films was most important.

''Whoever walks away with this, it's wonderful but it's not the most important thing,'' Mirren said backstage after winning her award. ''The recognition of film is getting more global and that's an amazing thing.'' REUTERS SHB DS1236