Why the Academy beckons Parasite for the Best Picture win

Source: CGTN America

The 92nd Academy Awards is right around the corner and the nominations are an impressive line-up of movies that defined cinema in 2019. We have a list of nine strong contenders to take home the Best Picture. Whether it is the powerhouse performance of Joaquin Phoenix in Joker or the three historical dramas or even the critically acclaimed adaptation of a celebrated classic novel; there is one movie that got its name on most people’s lips- Parasite. 

Bong Joon Ho’s mesmerising thriller/comedy is the first Korean movie to be nominated for best picture. The story of wealth and opportunity, Parasite has been already feted with the Palme d’or at Cannes. For me, it is easily one of the best movies of 2019 and in many ways, a work of art. For starters Parasite is deemed to be too dark and violent by its spectators. However, the story is an excellent representation of the contemporary Seoul milieu. It is a grotesque, unstable and yet a painstakingly honest social satire, which is why it has managed to resonate so powerfully among the audiences worldwide.  

The movie portrays the realities of class inequality, the struggle between the haves and have not’s. The ruthlessness of the class system and social injustice is very easily recognisable. The director knits the story in a manner that will have the audience empathise with all of the characters, while at the same time, none of them. The movie also portrays a vision of the world where men and women are granted equal opportunities and yet reflecting gender parity in its own way. 

What begins as a light hearted comedy in the first half takes a turn to reveal a tense and rigid experience that manages to take your breath away. A story of deception, the movie is absolutely meticulous. In a way, everyone is this movie is a Parasite, the Kim family for instance are literal parasites, feeding off the success of the influential Parks, and in the process destroying the lives of innocent people: the former driver and a housekeeper. However, the Parks aren’t bad people and the Kims aren’t good people, which is why the movie is not a morality tale of a utopian society. It is a poignant tale where even the poor are not heroes and enjoys time together even under terrible circumstances. Ultimately, it is the society that is parasitic, and not the characters. 

The Oscars aren’t until February 9th, which means you have a good chunk of time left to watch this cinematic marvel, Parasite.