[2020 Academy] 'Gisaengchung' Wins Two Awards for International Feature Film and Screenplay (Comprehensive)

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Jong-gil] Director Bong Joon-ho's film Parasite became the first Korean movie to win two Academy (Oscar) trophies. On the 9th (local time), at the 92nd Academy Awards held at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles, California, USA, Parasite won the Academy Award for Best International Feature Film, beating out The Painted Bird (Poland), Pain and Glory (Spain), Les Mis?rables (France), and Honeyland (North Macedonia). It was selected as the best feature film made outside the United States.

Parasite is the first Korean film to be nominated for and win the Oscar for Best International Feature Film. Including special and honorary awards given between 1947 and 1955, it is the eighth Asian film to win. Previous winners include Akira Kurosawa’s Rashomon (1951, Japan), Daisuke Kinugasa’s Gate of Hell (1954, Japan), Hiroshi Inagaki’s Miyamoto Musashi (1955, Japan), Ang Lee’s Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2001, Taiwan), Yojiro Takita’s Departures (2009, Japan), and Asghar Farhadi’s A Separation (2012) and The Salesman (2017), both from Iran.

Director Bong and writer Han Jin-won also won the Best Original Screenplay award, beating directors such as Rian Johnson for Knives Out, Noah Baumbach for Marriage Story, Sam Mendes for 1917, and Quentin Tarantino for Once Upon a Time... in Hollywood. This marks the first time an East Asian has won this award. It is the first time in 17 years since Pedro Almod?var’s Talk to Her (2002) that a foreign-language film has won this prize.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

This year, 8,469 Academy members participated in the voting. These include members of film organizations such as actors, directors, cinematographers, and writers, as well as filmmakers specially recommended under certain conditions. There is a tendency to focus on Asian films that reinterpret Western cultural texts from an Asian perspective or highlight regional identities of each country.

Parasite is a work far removed from such mannerism or orientalism. It highlights the universal issue of wealth disparity through a free-spirited narrative rhythm and mise-en-sc?ne that blurs the boundaries between reality and fantasy. It delivers fresh entertainment by exploring deepening alienation between social classes and blind worship of growth through variations of multiple genres and meticulous composition. Supported by many filmmakers, it has already won 56 trophies at 58 international film festivals. It also received the highest honor, the Palme d’Or, at the Cannes International Film Festival.

Parasite succeeded in appealing to the public to the extent that it cracked the dichotomy between Hollywood and non-Hollywood films. According to Box Office Mojo, as of the 7th, it earned $34,372,282 from 1,060 theaters. This is the highest box office revenue among Korean films released in North America. It ranks sixth among all foreign-language films released in North America. Films that earned more include Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon ($128,078,872), Life is Beautiful (Italy, 1997, $57,563,264), Hero (China, 2002, $53,710,019), Instructions Not Included (Mexico, 2013, $44,467,206), and Pan’s Labyrinth (Mexico, 2006, $37,634,615). Among films that have also won the Academy Award for Best International Feature Film, only Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon and Life is Beautiful have achieved this.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

Parasite is a black comedy that deals with human dignity and respect. Director Bong explained the plot by saying, “Depending on how much respect for human beings is maintained, it can be divided into parasitism or symbiosis in a good sense, just like the movie title.” He never sacrifices accessibility in storytelling. He borrows various genres to create tension and inserts cinematic fun throughout.

Parasite also stood out for its calculated expressions combining metaphor and ideas. Instead of provocative violent scenes, it placed unexpected elements to convey humor and pathos. Director Bong said, “I respect films that seriously discuss heavy and political themes for two hours, but I can’t do that. I like it when humor and comedy are mixed in. I like the feeling that sharp blades are hidden within the laughter of the audience.” This is the secret that captivated filmmakers worldwide.