‘Parasite’ a welcome shake-up for Oscars
- Korean drama becomes first non-English language entry to win best picture award in refreshing change from formulaic filmmaking and should pave way for more offerings from different cultural perspectives
Korean films are no stranger to online movie fans. Now one has rewritten the 92-year history of Hollywood’s Academy Awards: the comedy thriller Parasite, the first foreign-language film to win an Oscar for best picture. This completed a triumphant night for Bong Joon-ho, who won the award for best director.
Parasite also won Oscars for best international feature and best original screenplay, defeating the favourite 1917 and seeing off the challenge of streaming giant Netflix, which left with only two trophies from 24 nominations, including Martin Scorsese’s The Irishman.
This was after spending a fortune to campaign for votes and largely bypassing theatres with its films.
While Parasite’s victory represented a break with the past, it had honoured the tradition of a conventional cinema release.
The win also reflects the efforts of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences in recent years to internationalise its membership, following an outcry in 2015 and 2016 over its failure to nominate any coloured actors for Oscars, which was seen as a reflection of Hollywood’s white, male image.
The academy’s overseas membership has expanded dramatically. Last year, it invited 842 film industry professionals from about 60 countries to become members. Their voting power may have played a part in Parasite doing so well.
While the academy may be making a big effort to appear more inclusive, it still has a long way to go. Even though several women filmmakers made well-regarded pictures, none were nominated for best director this year.
Parasite makes history and South Korean fans join Bong Joon-ho in celebrating
That said, to anyone watching the telecast the awards night may have looked inclusive, with a lot of women presenters, much comment about gender equality and people of colour on stage. But all this can appear cosmetic in an industry that remains generally male and white.
No film from South Korea had previously been nominated for Hollywood’s top prize. Not only that but Parasite was a refreshing change from formulaic filmmaking.
Hopefully it will pave the way for more diversification from white male filmmaking to embrace women and stories from different cultural perspectives.
