Parasite director Bong Joon-ho on overwhelming response to Palme d'Or-winning film: The story is very universal

Bong Joon-ho's new directorial Parasite is a black comedy, which takes on the issue of class stratification and its shocking repercussions. The film went on to earn the Palme d’Or at Cannes Film Festival 2019 and is also South Korea's official entry for the best international feature film category at the 92nd Academy Awards.

In a recent interview with Variety, the director spoke about why the film resonated with a global audience, whether he would ever helm a Marvel film and the chances of an Oscar win.

Director Bong Joon-Ho and a still from his film Parasite. Images from Facebook and Twitter

Bong revealed that he has not had the time to ruminate over why Parasite may have appealed to a wide audience. "I need more time to really understand. To be honest, my job ended in late March when I completed the film. Everything that happened from Cannes to now, I didn’t anticipate, predict or plan. The story is very universal. It’s a story about rich and poor. But maybe there is something more."

He further spoke about the recent criticism of Marvel films by veteran filmmakers like Martin Scorsese and Francis Ford Coppola. Scorsese had recently created a storm after he labelled superhero films as "theme park experience" and "not cinema". He was joined by Coppola, Pedro Almodóvar and Ken Loach in his criticism of MCU films.

Bong said that while understood their concerns, he had an affinity for certain superhero films like Guardians of the Galaxy, Logan and Captain America: Winter Soldier. However, he would not be willing to helm a superhero film as he just did not approve of the tight-fitting clothes, which makes him feel "suffocated."

"The Academy voting system is complicated. Isn’t it difficult to predict? I don’t know. Korean cinema has a long history. There are many masters that have yet to be introduced to the Western audience. It would be great if people take more interest in Korean cinema due to my nomination," Bong said about the Oscar nod.