Asian Fortune Your source for all things Asian American
By Jennie L. Ilustre
“Parasite” made history on January 19 as the first foreign language film to win the top award as Best Cast. Will it make history again at the prestigious Academy Awards ceremony early next month?
The South Korean film about greed and class discrimination between a rich and a poor family, has earned nominations for six Academy awards, better known as the Oscars: Best Picture, Best Director, Best Original Screenplay, Best Editing, Best Production Design–and Best Foreign Film, which experts are saying it is sure to win.
The highly-acclaimed film also has a good chance of bagging the Best Director or Best Original Screenplay, or both, which would be victories for auteur and director Bong Joon-ho. The fact that it has merited major nominations, including for the top two categories, already makes it a winner. Likewise consider this: “Parasite” is a foreign language film. Imagine how extraordinary it must be that American audiences would willingly endure reading English subtitles to understand the movie.
One nomination for a major category is a big deal. How about six nominations, including for two top categories of Best Picture and Best Director? The Oscar awards are the most coveted awards in showbiz, representing recognition for excellence of the highest degree. It is so prestigious that “just being nominated is a big honor,” as all nominees have been heard to say.
What does it all mean? The nominations augur good news for the future of Asian and Asian American talents–in front of the camera and behind the camera. Performers as well as directors, writers, film editors and production designers, you name it.
With recent awards for Asian Americans at the Golden Globes and the Screen Actors Guild, and now, nominations at the Oscars with one certain winner, and proven commercial success (“Crazy Rich Asians” comes to mind), they can truly declare, “We have arrived.” Well, some skeptics will say they still have a long way to go. So how about this: The Golden Decade of Asian and Asian American TV, Stage and Cinema is off to a good start in 2020.
Art and Commerce
“Parasite” is the rare movie that has gotten nothing but rave reviews from film critics, as well as being a box-office hit. The film engages the audience on several levels at once–emotionally, physically and intellectually–according to a New York Time article. It made $25 million in the U.S., attracting audiences that normally shun movies with subtitles.
Remarked Daniel M. Mayeda, Chair of the Asian Pacific American Media Coalition: “I loved the film, thought it was by far the most original film of the year. Its box-office success, critical reception and positive audience reaction show that even films set in different countries, reflecting different cultures and spoken in different languages can have universal appeal.”
“I believe ‘Parasite’ also demonstrates that U.S. audiences are hungry for entertainment that isn’t the fourth sequel or spin-off, that doesn’t tell yet another story centered on white males,” he added. “A movie with an entirely Asian cast doing well in the U.S. shouldn’t surprise anyone after the success of ‘Crazy, Rich Asians’ and ‘The Farewell.’ More please!”
Stephen Gong, Executive Director of the Center for Asian American Media, commented: “I think, above all, the ensemble SAG award is great because it’s so well-deserved, a tribute to the overall excellence of the actors, and, of course, the excellence of the direction and screenplay.”
“Of course, it is remarkable that a non-English language film would win this award and hopefully indicates that another cultural barrier has been shattered,” he added.
The Times article on January 13 featured an interview with writer and director Bong Joon-ho. The highly-acclaimed director told the Times it was “a very rare thing” for an Asian film to be nominated for the Oscars. He said the Korean press was very excited, adding it was “almost like a national celebration” with all the festivity.
Best Picture
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences is composed mostly of actors, and their selections are said to signal their vote preferences for Oscar winners. But no foreign-language film has ever won for Best Picture.
The Indian Express reported that In 21 of the last 30 years, the movie adjudged PGA’s Best Picture eventually ran away with the same award at the Oscars. The World War II movie “1917” won for Best Picture at the Producers Guild Awards (PGA) on January 18. Still, consider this: The New York Times reported “Parasite” has been “shattering expectations” since it won the Palme d’Or in Cannes last year.
Asian Pacific American Media Coalition Chair Mayeda pointed out: “Parasite’s recognition by SAG for Best Cast was certainly welcome, and reflects an appreciation for the art of acting by a stellar cast. I am hopeful that we will see more opportunities for Asian and Asian American actors to participate in the telling of stories to more Americans, and that this will inevitably lead to more recognition at awards time.”
