South Korean film “Parasite” becomes Oscar legend

The film “Parasite” by South Korean director Bong Joon-ho entered the Oscar legend on Sunday. It became the first foreign language feature to win the “best film” award, Hollywood’s flagship award.

“It looks like a very important moment in history is playing out,” exclaimed on stage the film producer, Kwak Sin-ae, applauded by the gratin of the cinema industry.

“Parasite” dramatically thwarted predictions that saw a crowning for “1917”, by Briton Sam Mendes. A sign of the enthusiasm of professionals, the film also received the Oscar for best original script, while Bong Joon-ho was crowned “best director”.

A mixture of thriller, crazy family comedy and satire on social inequalities, it was also awarded in the category of “best international film”, previously called “best foreign language film”.

Already awarded in Cannes

“I am very happy to be the first winner under this new name. I applaud and support the new direction that this change of name symbolizes,” said the director, who spoke in Korean through an interpreter.

By receiving his Golden Globe last month, Bong Joon-ho had humorously launched to the professionals gathered for the occasion: “When you have overcome the barrier of two centimeters of subtitles, you will discover amazing films”.

The Academy of Oscars, strongly criticized for the lack of diversity in its choices, obviously heard the South Korean director, who had already received the Palme d’Or at the Cannes film festival last year.

No big night for “1917”

Given as the big favorite of this 92nd edition, “1917”, a film about the crew of two young soldiers in the trenches of the First World War, constructed as a two-hour long shot, must be content with three prizes: l ‘Oscar for best photography for Roger Deakins, and two others in technical categories (sound and special effects).

Vivid disappointment also for the highly respected Martin Scorsese whose political-mafia thriller produced by Netflix, “The Irishman”, leaves empty-handed despite ten nominations, including Al Pacino and Joe Pesci, without forgetting the director himself. Martin Scorsese still received a strong and moving tribute from Bong Joon-ho, recalling how he had “studied his films at school”.

Finally a meager harvest for Quentin Tarantino, who nevertheless played at home with “Once Upon a Time … in Hollywood”, an ode to his childhood in Los Angeles and in the cinema. The film leaves with only two Oscars in total, including one to Brad Pitt as a supporting role alongside Leonardi DiCaprio.

Phoenix and Zellweger

If “Parasite” created the surprise, the Academy privileged the big favorites on the side of the actors. Joaquin Phoenix was named best actor for his shocking role of “Joker” sinking into madness and murder, while Renée Zellweger received as expected the golden statuette in the best actress category for her incarnation of Judy Garland in “Judy”.

Very moved, Joaquin Phoenix, vegetarian and long-time environmental activist, once again devoted part of his speech to regretting a “self-centered vision of the world” which leads to the destruction of the environment.

More prosaic but just as tearful, Renée Zellweger dedicated her statuette to Judy Garland who “never received this honor in her lifetime”.

The American Laura Dern was finally awarded for her role as a ruthless lawyer in the tumultuous divorce staged by “Marriage Story”, the gift dreamed on the eve of her 53rd birthday.

Diversity in question

The triumph of “Parasite” will perhaps make us forget the sharp criticisms addressed to the Academy of the Oscars for the lack of ethnic and cultural diversity in its selection, a recurring reproach.

The ceremony opened with a number led by black singer Janelle Monae, iconoclastic assumed who highlighted the glaring absences of the 2020 vintage: apart from the British Cynthia Erivo (“Harriet”), all the actors and actresses vying this year were white and no women were selected from the directors.

To protest in his own way, Oscar star Natalie Portman had the name of half a dozen directors embroidered on her cape, who she said were unjustly snubbed this year.

In the category of best animated film, it is the fourth and last episode of “Toy Story”, favorite of the forecasts, which prevailed, winning in particular against the French candidate “I lost my body” .

The Oscar ceremony was also the occasion for the Hollywood gratin the opportunity to salute the memory of Kirk Douglas, one of the last sacred monsters of the golden age of cinema, who died Wednesday at the age of 103 years old, and basketball legend Kobe Bryant, who died in late January with his daughter and seven others in a helicopter crash near Los Angeles.