[Zoom In] "Decision to Leave," Finally, Off to the Oscars

Director Park Chan-wook's Oscar Race After Cannes Film Festival
Showing a Similar Trajectory to 'Parasite'

Director Park Chan-wook Photo by Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Isul] A world has come where Korean directors and actors receive Oscars at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, and singers perform on stage. It is no longer unfamiliar for Koreans to hold trophies on prestigious international stages such as Cannes and the Academy Awards, which were once considered "their own party." Following Bong Joon-ho and Youn Yuh-jung, Park Chan-wook is expected to be next. Finally, "Decision to Leave" is aiming for the Oscars.

On the 13th, the Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA) announced the five nominees for the 80th Golden Globe Awards' "Best Motion Picture, Non English Language" category, to be held on February 10 (local time). Among the nominees is director Park Chan-wook's "Decision to Leave." It will compete against "All Quiet on the Western Front" (Germany), "Argentina, 1985" (Argentina), "Close" (Belgium), and "RRR: Rise Roar Revolt" (India).

The Golden Globes, hosted by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association and held annually in Los Angeles, USA, are considered one of the representative award ceremonies held in the United States alongside the Academy Awards. It is regarded as a precursor that serves as a barometer for the direction of the upcoming Academy Awards (Oscars).

The Best Motion Picture, Non English Language category is a renamed version of the previous Best Foreign Language Film category. Bong Joon-ho's "Parasite" was the first Korean film to win in this category at the 2020 ceremony. In 2021, "Minari," directed by Korean-American Lee Isaac Chung and starring Youn Yuh-jung, was nominated.

Both "Parasite" and "Minari" went on to win Oscars at the subsequent Academy Awards. "Parasite" won four awards including Best Picture, Best Director (Bong Joon-ho), Best Screenplay (Bong Joon-ho and Han Jin-won), and Best International Feature Film (formerly Best Foreign Language Film), while "Minari" received the Best Supporting Actress award (Youn Yuh-jung).

Movie still from "Decision to Leave." Photo by CJ ENM

"Decision to Leave" won the Best Director award (Park Chan-wook) at the 75th Cannes Film Festival held last May. Although Park is known as "Cannes Park," this is his first time receiving the highest honor for a director. Usually calm, Park could not hide his joy when met on site.

Someone at Cannes asked if an Oscar win was possible. In fact, Park is the Korean filmmaker who has come closest to the Oscars first. His 2016 film "The Handmaiden" was recognized by English-speaking critics' associations that year. It received the Best Foreign Language Film award at the British Academy Film Awards (BAFTA), considered a barometer for the Oscars, lighting a green signal, but it was not even included among domestic candidates, so it did not get a chance to challenge.

This time, the atmosphere is different. The Korean Film Council selected "Decision to Leave" as Korea's submission for the Best International Feature Film category at the 95th Academy Awards next year. Not only has it qualified to compete, but the film has received favorable evaluations. "Decision to Leave" was listed among the top 10 films of the year by The New York Times. "Parasite" was also introduced in this section in 2019, which can be seen as a factor that raises local experts' interest. Additionally, influential local entertainment media such as The Hollywood Reporter and IndieWire continue to show interest.

"Decision to Leave" is effectively running the Oscar race. It has been invited to numerous film festivals including the Toronto International Film Festival, London Film Festival, Hawaii Film Festival, New York Film Festival, and Fantastic Fest in the U.S. This can be seen as a preliminary round for the Oscars combined with promotional activities for its North American release.

Is a win possible? A film industry insider said, "The Oscars tend to maintain their selection principles or tendencies for at least three years. Recently, interest in K-culture has increased, and the influence of the Korean film market has grown from an industrial perspective." He added, "Park Chan-wook has steadily entered the Oscar race since the Cannes Film Festival. It is similar to the trajectory of 'Parasite.' The expectations of CJ ENM, which distributed both 'Parasite' and 'Decision to Leave,' also seem high," emphasizing the likelihood of an invitation.

Attention is focused on whether director Park will overcome the regrets of "The Handmaiden" and achieve meaningful results on the Academy Awards stage.