Chad’s Grade: A
In the history of the Academy Awards, only two foreign films have won the best picture Oscar: The French import “The Artist” in 2011 and South Korea’s “Parasite” in 2020. Although “The Artist” has an asterisk to its wins, it was never submitted as a foreign film from its native France and is technically a silent film. This has led to a debate that “Parasite” is the sole, true foreign Best Picture winner.
Foreign films rarely resonate with American audiences. And even when they do, it’s usually with the smaller indie movie crowd. Only the still-stunning “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon” was the last import that was both a commercial and critical smash. When “Parasite” took home the Golden Globe for Best Foreign Picture, director Bong Joon Ho’s gracious speech nicely summed up the complicated relationship Americans have to its foreign filmmakers: “Once you overcome the one-inch-tall barrier of subtitles, you will be introduced to so many more amazing films.”
Yes, Americans hate to “read” their films which makes the breakthrough success of “Parasite” even more remarkable. It’s a supremely confident film that translates beautifully from South Korea to the United States. And its pointed criticism of the excess of capitalism packs quite a punch for both audiences. Director Bon Joon Ho has been steadily rising through the ranks of great filmmakers with such hits as “The Host,” “Snowpiercer” (his only English language film), and “Okja” (available on Netflix).
“Parasite” follows the poor, destitute Kim family desperately trying to make ends meet. A break comes when their teenage son Ki Woo takes over tutoring the daughter of the wealthy Park family after passing himself off as a Harvard graduate. Ki Woo schemes to eventually get his sister Ki Jung hired as an art therapist for the Park’s young, American Indian obsessed son. Their con continues when the Kim siblings sabotage the Park’s driver and housekeeper, opening positions for the Kim’s parents to conveniently fill.
The Kims think they have it made, living from the wealthy Parks, who have no idea their new servants are all part of the same scheming family. This parasitic relationship is disrupted when the former, fired housekeeper Chung Sook arrives and reveals that she’s been hiding her husband in a secret underground bunker beneath the house. Soon a battle of wits between these downtrodden families convenes, all wanting to feed on the naïve Park family. All this builds to a tense and twist-filled climax with a gut-punch of an ending.
One of the chief pleasures of “Parasite” is the way it seamlessly moves between genres. The movie starts as a class comedy as we follow the downtrodden Kim family trying to survive. Then a heist film worthy of Ocean’s Eleven as the Kim siblings’ scheme to infiltrate the upper-class Parks. The movie takes a dark turn into the horror genre once the underground bunker is revelated in the latter half of the film. Director Bong Joon Ho spins these different tones perfectly, with each element never feeling out of place. All the while keeping the film anchored in the class warfare between these very different families.
I loved all the visual flourishes that fill Joon Ho’s frames. Whether it’s the many staircases and window shots reminiscent of Hitchcock’s “Psycho” (look for the Hitch cameo!) or the quick cuts of the Kim family hiding under the Park’s large coffee table like cockroaches. We get the precise geography of the Park’s large estate, which enhances the screwball antics of the film’s climax. All this contrasts nicely with the Kim’s destitute basement encampment, where they suffer from literally being pissed on by passing city dwellers.
But what makes “Parasite” really click with both Korean and American audiences is the well-defined characters. Yes, the Kims are dishonest and manipulative, but you can’t really blame them once you see their living conditions. And the rich Park family could’ve been painted with broad villain brushstrokes but are instead shown as kind but mostly naïve in their wealth, unaware of what it’s like to survive outside their upscale estate. There is a sharp commentary on capitalism and the need for a social safety net for those few (or many) that fall through the cracks. And Joon Ho doesn’t leave the United States out of the conversation. The young Park son’s obsession with America’s “cowboy & Indians” references the west’s imperial and colonial past.
There’s so much more I’m leaving out as this movie is packed with visual metaphors like the “scholar” stone the Kim’s teenage son cradles around. Or the excellent performances from the main cast, especially Kang-ho Song as the Kim patriarch and So-dam Park as the cunning and feisty Ki Jung. And director Bong Joon Ho operating at the height of his powers. Seriously, don’t let those tiny subtitles keep you from watching this exciting and highly entertaining film.
THE 2020 BEST PICTURE NOMINEES:
Parasite
Ford vs. Ferrari
The Irishman
JoJo Rabbit
The Joker
Little Women
Marriage Story
1917
Once Upon A Time in Hollywood
The 92nd Oscar Best Picture group boasted a very strong group of nominees. There’s not an out-of-place film in the bunch. I’m one of the few defenders of “Joker,” as it was a huge stylish hit and started many varied conversations on mental health. I adored Greta Gerwig’s “Little Women,” which was both a deconstruction and a faithful adaption of the classic novel. I think “Once Upon A Time in Hollywood” is one of Tarantino’s best films, and its recreation of 1960s Hollywood was absolutely sublime. “JoJo Rabbit” managed to blend whimsical humor into a dark story centered around Nazis and the Holocaust, proving that Taika Waititi is a director to watch. And “1917” was both an engrossing World War I picture and a technical marvel with its single tracking shot with no edits.
DID IT DESERVE TO WIN?
An absolute Yes. With such a solid group of nominees, there was much debate on who was going to win. Some thought Joker might take the top prize because of its massive box office gross. Many top critics zeroed in on “Once Upon A Time in Hollywood” versus “1917,” with Sam Mendes possibly taking the directing Oscar. Not many figured the South Korean entry stood a chance. Of course, it was quite a surprise when “Parasite” won Best Foreign Picture, Best Picture, and Best Directing Oscars (the first film to do so). The movie also took home the Best Original Screenplay award for a total of four wins.