The Martin Scorsese quote that kept Bong Joon-ho working
Few directors have broken through in the 21st century quite like Bong Joon-ho. Following a string of successful releases in his native South Korea, the maestro moved into the international market with Snowpiercer, the story of a class-divided train circling the Earth following a climate apocalypse. Then came Okja, a sci-fi dark comedy skewering the meat industry, before he delivered his masterpiece in 2019: Parasite.
Featuring the story of a family living in poverty who slowly take over a wealthy home, the movie captured audiences all over the world, and with good reason. Not only is it gripping from start to finish, but it’s also exceptionally well-made and has a message worth championing. It was nominated for ‘Best Picture’ at the 2020 Academy Awards, with many writing it off as a ‘token’ non-English language entry in the category. When it captured the award (plus three more, including ‘Best Director’ for Bong), everybody sat up and took notice.
Following his ‘Best Director’ win, Bong went up to give one of his many acceptance speeches that evening. Through a translator, he relayed a key piece of advice that had gotten him to where he was. “When I was young and studying cinema,” he said. “There was a saying that I carved deep into my heart, which is that, ‘The most personal is the most creative.’”
In his own voice, he then attributed that quote to “the great Martin Scorsese,” who was in attendance at the ceremony. The crowd got to their feet and applauded the American icon, who looked on the verge of tears.
Bong has made no secret of the fact that he has been inspired by Scorsese throughout his life. When asked to compile a list of favourites for French streaming service La Cinetek, he included three films from The King of New York, Raging Bull, Goodfellas, and Mean Streets. The fact that he was nominated in the same category as his idol, who was up for The Irishman, must have surely felt incredible, but then to beat him to the award? That’s not something that happens every day. Other contenders for ‘Best Director’ were Todd Phillips (Joker), Quentin Tarantino (Once Upon a Time in Hollywood), and Sam Mendes (1917). That is one stacked field – and Bong defeated them all.
The two great directors’ interactions didn’t end there. Shortly after his heartfelt speech, Bong revealed that Scorsese had sent him a personalised letter congratulating him on his success. “I can’t tell you what the letter said because it’s something personal,” Bong said. “But towards the end, he wrote, ‘You’ve done well. Now rest. But don’t rest for too long.’ He continued by saying how he and other directors were waiting for my next movie.”
Unfortunately, Scorsese and the rest of Hollywood ended up waiting longer than they would have liked for the successor to Parasite. Bong’s next film, Mickey 17, faced a series of delays that scuppered plans for its original 2024 release date.
The 2020 Oscars will go down in history as one of the most shocking but affirming evenings in the institution’s long history. Bong proved himself to be a class act by sharing the spotlight with one of his heroes, proving that you can get to the very top without ever compromising on your morals.
