The “Best Picture” nominations for 92nd Academy Awards seem to encompass almost everything: love stories, brutal wars, gangs, an unexpected comedic twist to Adolf Hitler, and perhaps most surprisingly, a foreign film. Here is the importance of the nomination and why I believe Bong Joon-Ho’s, Parasite, should leave with the most coveted golden statuette.
Bong Joon-Ho has been a renowned name in Hollywood over the last few years for directing some of the most visually striking films, including Snowpiercer (2013) and Okja (2017). However, the director’s most recent movie, Parasite, is arguably his best work yet. The movie tells the story of a humble South Korean family who infiltrates a wealthy household by working for them. Unbeknownst to the rich family, their new employees are all related, slowly conning their way into their house by pretending to be professionals in specific areas. The decision to insert themselves into the wealthy family’s home comes out of the humble family’s desperate need for money and better living conditions. Without giving too much away, the story of the two families, seemingly simple at first, unfolds in twists that leave the audience in absolute shock.
The movie is heavily packed with social commentary about the contrast between the rich and the poor in South Korea, an idea that applies to many other countries around the world. Additionally, though not as explicit, the movie touches on the subject of climate change and its direct effects on people and the environment, especially in terms of the contrast between the rich and the poor. Environmental causes are a recurring motif in Joon-Ho’s movies as he previously explored the meat industry’s unfair treatment of animals in Okja. In his 2013 feature, Snowpiercer, the majority of life on earth is killed by a failed attempt at a global-warming experiment. It’s almost as though Bong Joon-Ho wanted to be an environmental scientist growing up, but, upon realizing his artistic gifts were too precious to waste, he decided to become a climate activist through film.
Although the film has incredible directing, photography, and social commentary, its most important feature is its representation. The film, directed by a South Korean man, is comprised of an entirely Korean cast. Not only that, the dialogue is completely in their native language, Korean—unlike other recent films that feature an all-Asian cast, such as Crazy Rich Asians and The Farewell. The use of a language other than English in the film would have typically rendered it a “Best International Feature” nomination at the Oscars; however, Parasite accomplished what few international movies have in the past: scoring a nomination for Best Picture. In the last few years, only two other foreign films overcame the language barrier to land Best Picture nominations: Roma, a Mexican film, and Amour, a French film. Although both movies were nominated, neither took the statuette home. In fact, no foreign-language film has ever won the award.
It is time for the Academy to recognize international productions as equal to Western ones. Nominations are no longer enough. Awarding only the directors of these films is not enough. The candidates for Best Picture this year are mostly made up of entirely white (and male!) casts, which should come as a surprise to no one. In a time of extreme hate and prejudice towards immigrants in the country, awarding a foreign language film the most important prize of the night would be a step forward in the fight to end xenophobia. Asians make up a huge portion of the population and deserve to be recognized. The Academy has the opportunity to make history this year. It has the opportunity to stop snubbing subtitled work. After all, contrary to popular belief, reading subtitles is not that hard. In the words of Bong Joon-Ho himself, “Once you overcome the once inch tall barrier of subtitles, you will be introduced to so many more amazing films.”
I would like to end this article by doing exactly what Bong Joon-Ho would have wanted to do: introducing amazing foreign language films to you. The following is a list of some of my favorite international films of all time:
-
“City Of God” (2002)
-
“Pan’s Labyrinth” (2006)
-
“The Intouchables” (2011)
-
“Cinema Paradiso” (1988)
-
“Life Is Beautiful” (1997)
-
“Amélie” (2001)
-
“Tokyo Story” (1953)
-
“The Motorcycle Diaries” (2004)
-
“Good Bye, Lenin!” (2003)
-
“The Way He Looks” (2014)
-
“Elite Squad” (2007)
-
“My Mom Is A Character” (2013)
-
“The Skin I Live In” (2011)
-
“All About My Mother” (1999)
-
“Y Tu Mamá También” (2001)
-
“Pierrot Le Fou” (1965)
-
“Contempt” (1963)