It’s tough to think about anything related to the 2020 Oscars ceremony without being reminded of the dour fact that we were just weeks away from a global COVID lockdown. As Kyle Richards once said, “We were all so happy that day, it’s hard to even imagine how terrible things would soon become.” In this case, “terrible” would be the world’s biggest understatement.
Just a short time after 2020’s Best Picture winner, Parasite, heralded the dawn of a new age when it was given cinema’s highest honor, the industry came screeching to a halt. Would Parasite’s epic sweep really be the signal of a shifting standard, or would it be the last of its kind?
Three years later, we know that it was, thankfully, the former. The industry has restarted after an extended break, along with plenty of new pandemic protocols. And though Parasite’s monumental win hasn’t exactly resulted in the systemic shake-up many had hoped for, it still stands as a formative Oscar moment—one that made undeniable, impactful history.
In the months leading up to the ceremony, Parasite had become the competition’s dark horse. After a buzzy run on the festival circuit, where it won Cannes’ coveted Palme d’Or, the film had spent the rest of 2019 picking up a major following. Word of mouth among audiences got viewers into theater seats to see just how incredible Bong Joon-ho’s latest was.
By the end of the year, Parasite was a shoo-in for the Best International Film category at the 2020 Oscars. But when the film scored a nomination in several other major categories as well—including Best Picture and Best Director—it seemed like the Academy had finally begun to take the criticisms of its practices to heart.
Ever since the 2016 race ignited the viral hashtag, #OscarsSoWhite, the Academy had been under a microscope when it came to acknowledging the cinematic efforts of non-white industry members. With Parasite’s unprecedented popularity and irrefutable brilliance, relegating the South Korean movie solely to the Best International Film category would’ve been another egregious misstep. Everyone held their breath watching the nominations be announced. Lo and behold, Parasite came away with six Oscar nominations total, making it the first South Korean film to receive Oscar attention.
On the night of the ceremony, the film picked up accolades for Best Director, Best International Film, and Best Original Screenplay. Things were looking good, but there was still plenty of time for the Academy to shoot itself in the foot and give its highest honor to—gulp—Jojo Rabbit. When the legendary Jane Fonda emerged from backstage to present the final award of the night, there was a collective hush of anxiety in both the Dolby Theater living rooms around the world.
Fonda began her speech by highlighting the importance of raising awareness for social issues. “Tonight, we’ve hopefully brought to light the impact that films have made and can make on our lives, as individuals, and on society as a whole.” The statement seemed like a nod to Parasite’s clever dissection of the discrepancy between economic classes. Upon seeing the clips from each film nominated, it was clear to everyone watching that one film stood out among the group.
As Fonda opened the envelope, she took a pause before uttering the winner. It was a brief moment of reflection, privately held for just a fraction of a second by an actress whose lifelong activism has been just as impactful as her film career. Fonda understood the gravity of this instance; history was about to be made. With a glint in her eye, a smile on her face, and an emotional crack in her voice, Fonda spoke one word to deafening cheers: “Parasite.”
Parasite was the first-ever non-English-language film in the 92-year history of the Oscars to win Best Picture. It took the Academy nearly a century to recognize the merits of a film outside of its myopic Western bubble. Parasite was a triumph that began far outside the golden gates of Hollywood, and its win indicated that doors that had once been firmly sealed to international filmmakers were now open—or, at the very least, ajar.
Jane Fonda gives the Best Motion Picture Oscar statue to Bong Joon Ho at the 92nd Academy Awards in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, U.S., February 9, 2020.
Richard Harbaugh / A.M.P.A.S. / ReutersWhile the Academy still has miles to go when it comes to noticeable diversity and actionable change, Parasite’s win was the first of several steps toward a brighter future for the beleaguered telecast. Furthermore, it was a win so glorious that its shine cannot be dimmed by the memory of COVID looming right around the corner.
Few moments from the first two months of 2020 can be remembered without a depressing melancholy. But the sight of Bong Joon-ho, Kwak Sin Ae, and the entire Parasite crew accepting their award—emboldened by an audience of celebrities shouting for their momentous speech to continue as long as possible—is a memory too shining to ever dim.
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