Movie magic

By John Burton

Hollywood producers call it "capturing lightning in a bottle" ― trying to create a film with unique characteristics that unexpectedly appeals to a broad audience. That effort to trap something elusive and fleeting seems almost an impossible task. The film "Parasite" falls into that category.

Although it won the Palme D'Or at the Cannes Film Festival and many American film critics praised it as the best movie of 2019, it's still astounding to me that a Korea art house flick with subtitles won the Oscar for best picture. Perhaps more amazing is that this is the first time that a Korean film had been nominated for the award and won it as the first non-English language film in this category.

The odds seemed heavily stacked against "Parasite." Its director, Bong Joon-ho, had complained about the insularity of Hollywood. Suddenly, he was the recipient of four Oscars―including ones for best original screenwriting, best foreign-language film, best director and best picture. That is an annual personal record that has only been matched by Walt Disney in 1954 and for much less prestigious awards at that. No wonder Bong told the Oscar audience that "I'm ready to drink tonight until next morning."

It was truly a historic night for Korean cinema and represented a culmination of the admiration that Korean films have long received by cinephiles around the world. That trend can be traced back to the pansori-themed "Seopyeonje" in 1993, the first Korean hit on the international art house circuit.

In many ways, K-film has built on the success of K-drama, which has been a training ground for craftsmanship and professionalism. But what distinguished K-film from the formulaic structure of K-drama is its choice of international themes and its willingness to borrow techniques from foreign films. In his Oscar speech, Bong, for example, cited Martin Scorsese as a major influence.

K-film has been confident in tackling many genres: thrillers such as "Shiri" (1999) and "Joint Security Area" (2000), horror films such as "Train to Busan" (2016) and comedies such as "My Sassy Girl" (2001).

Korea has also produced a stable of directors who deal in dark and edgy themes that resonate overseas. Korea's holy trinity of directorial talent includes Kim Ki-duk with "The Isle" (2000), "Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter ... and Spring" (2003) and "Pieta" (2013), which won the Golden Lion, the top honor at the Venice International Film Festival. Besides directing JSA, Park Chan-wook has gained fame for his psychological thrillers such as "Oldboy" (2003) and "The Handmaiden" (2016).

Of the three directors, Bong is considered the most accessible and the one most interested in dealing with social issues. In that respect, the success of "Parasite'" rests on its ability to capture the zeitgeist with its black comedy tale of social inequality and exploitation. This has become a big issue not only in Korea, but around the world. It is a theme that is driving the 2020 U.S. presidential campaign and the rise of Bernie Sanders as the possible Democratic nominee.

Bong is no stranger to addressing political issues. The theme of social inequality had echoes in his breakthrough film, "Memories of Murder" (2003), and the science fiction "Snowpiercer" (2013) dealt with the issues of social hierarchies.

"Parasite" lives up to Bong's nickname of Bong-tail, referring to his meticulous attention to detail. The brilliant screenplay is by turns comic and dark with well-drawn characters. The sets were impressive. More importantly, the talented acting ensemble, led by Song Kang-ho, powered the film and won the top award at the Screen Actors Guild.

But Bong had to do what everyone else in Hollywood does to be an Oscar contender: mount a publicity campaign. His appearances on American talk shows presented a modest and down-to-earth figure instead of an arrogant auteur director. Even his charming translator, Sharon Choi, won attention to the extent that she was profiled in the New York Times.

"Parasite" also benefited from a battle between the old and new Hollywood. The old Hollywood is seen as too white and too male. The new Hollywood is more interested in promoting diversity, which includes a greater appreciation of foreign filmmakers. It is noteworthy that non-American directors have dominated the Oscars over the last decade, including three Mexicans (some of whom have won twice) and one other Asian (Ang Lee).

The future of Bong as a Hollywood A-lister seems assured. He is reportedly working on a limited U.S. cable TV series based on "Parasite" as well as a new English-language film.

But "capturing lighting in a bottle" also implies a rare event. "Parasite" was an idiosyncratic film that managed to be in the right place at the right time. So don't expect that Korean films will suddenly sweep across the U.S. no matter how good they are.

John Burton (johnburtonft@yahoo.com), a former Korea correspondent for the Financial Times, is a Washington, D.C.-based journalist and consultant.