Look, ‘Parasite’ was a good movie. It was a great movie. Did it deserve best picture? Compared to every other movie that was nominated, I think I enjoyed it most. At least it got me thinking more and appreciating it for its artistry.
The thing about ‘Parasite’ winning is that it opened people’s eyes to the world of foreign films. There are tons of wonderful foreign films out there that people don’t even bother watching simply because they involve reading subtitles. One of my favorite films last year was ‘Climax’ by experimental filmmaker Gaspar Noe. Aside from the very odd nature of his films, there’s no way his films would ever be widely known in the United States simply by virtue of being film in Spanish. I suspect this hurts films which are less controversial than Gaspar Noe’s works.
I also welcome ‘Parasite’ winning Best Picture especially since many of the former winners appear to be more flash-in-the-pan in their popularity and I imagine they don’t really connect with the audience a few years later. I don’t think many people would enjoy watching ‘Crash’ or ‘The Hurt Locker’ these days. Some, at least in my opinion, are simply just Oscar baits. 2018 didn’t really have a great list of nominees, but the fact that the fraudulent ‘The Green Book’ won Best Picture is a tad annoying. It was a story built on lies, but it hits all the right spots as a proper white savior narrative.
What’s very telling about the complaints against ‘Parasite’ is the fact that it highlights white exceptionalism. Even Donald Trump was complaining about it in a rally recently. The people complaining about ‘Parasite’ being foreign seem to forget that the Academy was not intended to cater strictly to Americans, and that ‘Parasite’ wasn’t the only foreign film that was nominated for Best Picture. ‘1917’ is a British war epic. But then again, it has white people on screen. Trump in his rally lamented about the awards and asked for ‘Gone with the Wind’ to be brought back, whatever that means. Aside from ‘Gone with the Wind’ probably being the only Best Picture Donald Trump could mention off the top of his head, it is worth nothing that the film traffics in very racist ideas and promotes the notion of “happy slaves.”
So yeah, people who complain loudly about ‘Parasite’ are most likely racist ass hats or simply lazy audiences. Regarding the latter, I get it. Sometimes it’s a hassle to read through subtitles. Foreign films in Japan are often dubbed instead of subtitled because audiences prefer listening to dubbed lines than reading through the film. However, with some works, you just have to enjoy it for what it is, appreciate the actors actually saying their lines, not for their words, but for their emotion. This often gets lost with the disembodied nature of a line dubbing.
Personally, I’m not a big fan of Bong Joon-ho. I find a lot of his previous films too preachy for my taste. ‘Parasite’ was alright because the message wasn’t the story. The story stood by itself. There are quite a few Korean films I found more artistic and enjoyable than ‘Parasite,’ and if Bong Joon-ho’s win opens them up to more audiences, then that is all good.
I’m just glad that the Best Picture went to a film that was stranger than your usual nominee. I think the last time I was equally pleased about the academy rewarding bold, bizarre filmmaking was with ‘Birdman.’ Give us more strange, artsy films!
The Weekly 