"The Meaningful Footprints Left by Bong Joon-ho Amid the 'Parasite' Craze in the US"

[Lee Isul, Entertainment Reporter]

Right now, the United States is welcoming the emergence of the 'young director' Bong Joon-ho.

Director Bong Joon-ho's Parasite made a significant mark in the 100-year history of Korean cinema by winning a Golden Globe award for the first time.

Parasite won the Best Foreign Language Film award at the 77th Golden Globe Awards held on the 6th (Korean time) at the Beverly Hills Hilton Hotel in Los Angeles, California, marking the first time a Korean film has received this honor.

Following its historic win at the 72nd Cannes International Film Festival last May, Parasite has made another milestone. Director Bong opened the new year of 2020 by delivering a great gift to the Korean film industry.

In 2019, the centennial year of Korean cinema, Chungmuro received a grand gift in the form of the Palme d'Or. The press who visited Cannes, France, at the time were surprised by this unexpected achievement. The atmosphere suggested that they wouldn't return empty-handed, but to win the Palme d'Or was truly remarkable. Reflecting on director Koreeda Hirokazu’s Palme d'Or win in 2018, it was a meaningful accomplishment in an important year, which made people nod in agreement.

However, Parasite did not stop at the Palme d'Or. It was just the beginning, which is astonishing. Early on, there were voices suggesting that it might even be worth aiming for the Academy Awards, but neither those who heard it nor those who said it expected much possibility. We knew how high the local barriers were.

Released in North America in October 2019, Parasite gained near-frenzied popularity. Although director Bong Joon-ho had gained recognition in North America through works like Snowpiercer and Okja, he was still considered a niche director. However, after Parasite was released, the atmosphere changed. The number of theaters gradually increased, and audiences who saw the film gave enthusiastic responses, spreading word of mouth. Starting from three theaters in New York, the film expanded to 620 theaters and earned a cumulative North American box office revenue of $23,900,739 (approximately 27.9 billion KRW). It was a box office success.

Afterwards, the anticipation for an Academy Award win grew even stronger. The Golden Globe Awards, hosted by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association and held annually in Los Angeles, USA, are considered a precursor to the Academy Awards due to their influence. When Parasite was nominated for the Golden Globe as the first Korean film, expectations soared. Local American media reported that Parasite was a strong contender for Best Foreign Language Film. Additionally, it was also nominated for Best Director and Best Screenplay, creating an atmosphere that other awards were also within reach.

Everyone’s dream became reality just yesterday. Director Bong Joon-ho lifted the Golden Globe trophy, making another history. It was a triumph that elevated the pride of Korean cinema and showed new dimensions of possibility.

On the Golden Globe Awards stage, Director Bong said, "I think we use only one language, The Cinema," expressing his thoughts.

Later, Bong Joon-ho explained why Parasite won the Golden Globe, saying, "It’s a film about capitalism, and since the U.S. is like the heart of capitalism, it was inevitable that there would be a controversial and passionate response."

He added, "There are political messages and social themes, but because we conveyed them in a very attractive way that audiences could relate to, and because of the charm of our outstanding actors, I think that’s why American audiences responded well."

Every year, watching award ceremonies felt like 'someone else’s party,' but this year was different. The Academy Awards are known as a truly 'local awards ceremony,' often exclusive to non-English language films. However, having won a precious first Golden Globe, expectations are high.

Moreover, Parasite was also nominated for the British Academy Film Awards (BAFTA), and continued its momentum with nominations for the Directors Guild of America Awards (DGA), Producers Guild of America Awards (PGA), Writers Guild of America Awards (WGA), and Screen Actors Guild Awards (SAGA).

The United States is currently ablaze. As a line from Parasite says, what matters is momentum. All eyes are on whether Director Bong Joon-ho will ride the Golden Globe momentum to embrace the Oscar as well.

Lee Isul, Entertainment Reporter

Photo = CJ Entertainment

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.