16 Biggest Oscar Upsets Of The 21st Century

The Rightful Winner: Darren Aronofsky, Black Swan

There seems to be something about quintessential British posh types that make people lose their collective minds. The King's Speech is by no means anything short of a great movie, mainly due to the superb casting choices, however, as far as winning the award for Best Director... not so much.

It was a particularly tough category in 2011 with David O'Russell nominated for his emotionally charged family drama The Fighter, David Fincher for his tech parable The Social Network and even the Coen Brothers for their adaptation of True Grit.

While this is undoubtedly one of the most deserving lists of nominees you could hope to find on an awards roster, there was a clear winner who was quite frankly cheated by the Academy, Darren Aronofsky.

Black Swan is a hard-hitting, emotionally draining character study into obsession and fame which marries stunning visuals with expertly choreographed sequences both on and off the stage. Aronofsky's masterful direction and singular vision are evident throughout and he succeeds in creating a piece of work unlike anything else entered into the 83rd Oscars ceremony.

While many people only remember Black Swan for its steamy scene with Natalie Portman and Mila Kunis (and fair play to them) they should give it another watch to appreciate just how much Aronofsky deserved the Best Director award.