Los Angeles: Parasite, a stinging satire on class divides in South Korea, jumped the ‘one inch long subtitle barrier’ to land on the Oscar stage – and in the record books – as the first non-English film to win an Academy Award for best picture.
Coloured in various shades of black, Bong Joon Ho’s wicked comedy that found resonance the world over also won the Best Director Oscar as well as the Awards for Original Screenplay and Best International feature.
While the big wins for Parasite at the Oscars, came as a surprise for many, given the Academy Awards’ 92-year history of favouring English cinema, the awards in the acting categories were along expected lines.
Joaquin Phoenix won best actor for Joker and Renee Zellweger bagged Best Actress for Judy. Brad Pitt and Laura Dern won the supporting gongs for Once Upon a Time in Hollywood and Marriage Story.
“Four times… It’s crazy. It’s an unbelievable night. It’s such a great honour. I feel like I’ll wake up to find this all a dream,” Bong, who famously spoke on foreign language films overcoming the ‘one inch subtitle barrier’” when his film won the Golden Globe for best foreign film, said backstage after his Oscar wins.
With his film eclipsing big budget extravaganzas such as 1917, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood and The Irishman, an overwhelmed Bong said he looked forward to the day when it would not be such a big deal for a foreign film to win in mainstream categories.
“I applaud and support the new direction that this change symbolises,” the 50-year-old Bong said while accepting the international film Oscar from actor Penelope Cruz.
The presentations Monday prompted searching questions on whether this was really the beginning of the end of the conservatism of the Academy Awards, there were many who criticised the absence of women and people of colour in the main nominations.
Singer-actor Janelle Monae, who opened the host-less ceremony, addressed the lack of representation of women directors.
Monae, addressing the gathering before her performance, including the likes of Tom Hanks, Martin Scorsese and Charlize Theron, said she was proud to stand as a black queer artist, ‘telling stories’.
Starting with Chris Rock and Steve Martin, many Oscars presenters directed their jokes and jibes to the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.
“There’s something missing,” said Martin, to which Rock wondered “Vaginas?” as the audience roared with laughter.
Hollywood star Natalie Portman made a powerful statement by walking the red carpet in a black Dior cape with the last names of women directors who were snubbed by the Academy embroidered on it.
Phoenix, in a long speech, spoke on issues close to his heart. “We’re talking about the fight against the belief that no one nation, one people, one race, one gender, or one species has the right to dominate, control and use and exploit another with impunity,” the actor said.
Zellweger, who won her first best actress Oscar for playing Judy Garland, said the award was ‘an extension of the celebration’ of the iconic singer-actor’s legacy. “Miss Garland, you were certainly among the heroes who unite and define us. And this is certainly for you,” said Zellweger.
Pitt was nostalgic and graceful in his speech, crediting ‘one of a kind Quentin Tarantino and co-star Leonardo DiCaprio.
“Look for the best in people, expect the worst. Leo (DiCaprio), I’ll ride on your coattails any day, man. The view’s fantastic… Once upon a time…in Hollywood. Ain’t that the truth?” Pitt said.
For Dern, her maiden Oscar win came as an early birthday present.
“Some say never meet your heroes, but I say, if you’re really blessed, you get them as your parents. I share this with my acting heroes, my legends, Diane Ladd and Bruce Dern,” the actor, who turned 53 Monday, said.
Sam Mendes’ World War I drama 1917 may have been snubbed in the ajor categories but still managed to be the second highest winner with three trophies — cinematography, sound mixing and visual effects.
Writer-director Taika Waititi, who won the best adapted screenplay for his anti-war drama Jojo Rabbit, dedicated his award to ‘indigenous’ heritage.
The second trophy for Joker, which entered the competition with maximum 11 nominations, was for the original score to Icelandic composer Hildur Gudnadottir.
Hildur, who ended the Academy’s two-decade history of honouring male composers, urged women to speak up and tell their own stories in her speech.
“To the girls, to the women, to the mothers, to the daughters who hear the music bubbling within, please speak up. We need to hear your voices,” said Hildur.
‘Rocketman’, Elton John’s biopic, earned the musician his second Oscar for the best song ‘(I’m Gonna) love me again’. He had first won the Oscar for The Lion King in 1994.
Oscars: Major winners
Best Picture ‘Parasite’
Best Director Bong Joon Ho –‘Parasite’
Best Actor Joaquin Phoenix – ‘Joker’
Best Actress: Renee Zellweger – ‘Judy’
Best Supporting Actor Brad Pitt – ‘Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood
Best Supporting Actress Laura Dern –‘Marriage Story’
Original Screenplay Bong Joon Ho and Han Jin Won – ‘Parasite’
Adapted Screenplay Taika Waititi – ‘Jojo Rabbit
Animated Feature Film ‘Toy Story 4’
Live Action Short Film ‘The Neighbors’ Window
Animated Short Film ‘Hair Love’
Original Score Hildur Gudnadottir – ‘Joker
Original Song ‘(I’m Gonna) Love Me Again from ‘Rocketman’
Agencies