War film '1917' stuns Golden Globes

War epic "1917" shocked the Golden Globes on Jan. 5 by claiming the top prize for best drama film, while Quentin Tarantino's "Once Upon a Time... in Hollywood" won comedy honors, boosting their prospects for next month's Oscars.

"Once Upon a Time..." -- an homage to 1960s Tinseltown -- won the most awards on the night with three prizes, while Martin Scorsese's much-vaunted Netflix crime saga "The Irishman" went home empty-handed.

The Globes are the first major awards gala of the year, in a packed season that ends with the Academy Awards in just over a month's time, so Sunday's winners will hope to capitalize on some much-needed momentum.

"1917" follows two British soldiers through the trenches in World War I, and is filmed to look like one continuous, two-hour-long shot.

"Goodness me, that is a big surprise," said stunned filmmaker Sam Mendes, who bested Scorsese and Tarantino in the crowded best director category.

"Can I just say there's not one director in this room, not one director in the world that is not in the shadow of Martin Scorsese? I just have to say that," he added to loud applause.

Tarantino won the best screenplay award, and Brad Pitt took home best supporting actor honors for his role as a loyal stuntman to Leonardo DiCaprio's character in the film.

"I also have to thank my partner in crime, LDC," said Pitt.

"I wouldn't be here without you, man... I would have shared the raft, though," he added, referring to the closing scene of "Titanic."

"Once Upon a Time..." clearly resonated with the 90-odd members of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA), which doles out the prizes, but other films made their mark.

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