Cold War, Hard and Soft A cold war has hard and soft components, like an egg or the SAT. Last night the Oscars were a stark reminder the U.S. is winning the soft-power part of the war. The hard part could be a much different story. “Nomadland,” a very good, very depressing movie about premature retirees living in vans, won best picture. Its director, Chloé Zhao, a Chinese national, won best director. (Frances McDormand, a national treasure, won best actress for her part in the movie. Also, if you didn’t find the movie quite depressing enough, please read Jessica Bruder’s very good book.)