Oscars 2020: Parasite’s history-making win and all the best bits

By Jennifer McShane
10th Feb 2020

Oscars 2020: Parasite’s history-making win and all the best bits

After an awards season marked by its predictability, the 92nd Academy Awards had a last-minute plot twist waiting in the wings; naming capitalist satire Parasite best picture.

Bong Joon-ho’s comedy-drama is the first film not in the English language to take the top prize. It also took best director, best original screenplay and best international film.

Bong Joon Ho staring at his Oscar and smiling is the most wonderful thing I’ve ever seen #Parasite #Oscars pic.twitter.com/gyKXCv71Yz

— Jarett Wieselman (@JarettSays) February 10, 2020

It’s the kind of film that seemed against the odds of the Academy, so to have it emerge as the top winner of the night is momentous – we can only hope this sets a trend which sees Hollywood take more risks (particularly when it comes to foreign cinema). Director Joon-ho looked genuinely shocked and thrilled whenever he was called to the podium and had the whole audience beaming right along with him.

Our favorite stars cheer to keep the lights on so the Parasite producers can finish their speeches. #Oscars pic.twitter.com/Q1SXvAL1c9
— Ardit Luciano (@Ardit_Luciano) February 10, 2020

This year, the ceremony felt lighter. Less stuffy. With Parasite‘s historic win, are we finally seeing a new era in Hollywood? They attempted to address the lack of diversity and the need to even out the inclusion of women. Joker composer Hildur Guðnadóttir is the first woman in over 20 years to win the Academy Award for original score and finished her acceptance speech with some beautifully spoken words, intended to inspire women everywhere.

“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.”

#Oscars Moment: Hildur Guðnadóttir (@hildurness) wins Best Original Score for @jokermovie. pic.twitter.com/uwrOuBszuD
— The Academy (@TheAcademy) February 10, 2020

Also, in an over-the-top reworking of her song Come Alive, actress and singer Janelle Monáe celebrated the women directors that the Academy Award nominations didn’t, as did Natalie Portman with her gown detailing on the red carpet.

Joker star Jacquin Pheonix used his best actor win for the greater good in one of the best speeches of the night.

Actor Joaquin Phoenix gives emotional Best Actor acceptance speech for his performance in “Joker.”#Oscars https://www.goodmorningamerica.com/culture/story/joaquin-phoenix-wins-academy-award-best-actor-2020-68804476 pic.twitter.com/AwOdzDvYXK
— ABC News (@ABC) February 10, 2020

He made an impassioned plea for human beings to stop fighting each other and to stop plundering our natural resources, placing particular emphasis on the cruelty involved in industrial dairy farming.

He closed his emotional address by quoting a lyric written, aged 17, by his late brother, River: “Run to the rescue with love and peace will follow.”

Oh, and who could forget Eimear Noone becoming the first woman in the Oscars’ 92-year history to conduct at the show?

Related: INTERVIEW: ‘I knew two people and I couldn’t drive when I first arrived in LA’ — Galway-born Eimear Noone, Oscars’ first female conductor