LOS ANGELES — The statuettes had been handed out for 91 years before this happened: on Sunday night, a film not in the English language won the Academy Award for Best Picture. Bong Joon-ho’s “Parasite”, a black comedy about a poor family conning its way into a rich household, took four Oscars, including Best Director and Best International Feature, and left Hollywood applauding its own surprise.
The victory was not a fluke of the night. “Parasite” had won the Palme d’Or at Cannes last May, the first Korean film to do so, and swept through the season collecting prizes from critics’ groups and guilds. Still, the Academy had never before given its top award to a subtitled film, and most forecasters expected the safer war epic “1917”.
Bong, accepting his directing award, paid tribute to his fellow nominee Martin Scorsese — a gesture that brought the room to its feet — and joked that he would drink until morning. The film’s win for Best Original Screenplay had already signalled that the night might bend towards history.
The result will be read as a verdict on the Academy’s effort to internationalise its membership after years of criticism over homogeneity. It is also, more simply, a win for a film that crossed language and class lines to become a genuine popular success, grossing more than any subtitled film in the United States in years.
“Once you overcome the one-inch-tall barrier of subtitles,” Bong said at the Golden Globes last month, “you will be introduced to so many more amazing films.” On Sunday, the Academy crossed the inch.
Media-Society.com is a press network association based in Spain, founded in 2020. More at www.media-society.com.
