Why 'Parasite's best-picture win was the diversity victory the Oscars desperately needed

"Parasite" has officially conquered Hollywood.

South Korean director Bong Joon-ho's film won best picture Sunday at the 92nd Academy Awards and became the first foreign-language film to win the prized category in Oscars history. "Parasite" also took best international film – maybe the most obvious choice the Academy had this year – as well as best director and original screenplay, but pulled off something supremely impressive by galvanizing all corners of the movie industry.

The "Parasite" victory was the fitting cap to an Academy Awards night where inclusion was a running theme. Janelle Monae's opening number took a shot at #OscarsSoWhite, and the absence of female filmmakers in the best director category was referenced in Natalie Portman's red-carpet wardrobe as well as a comedy riff by Steve Martin and Chris Rock.

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The four Oscars for "Parasite" also were part of a series of key wins for diversity, including Taika Waititi (adapted screenplay for "Jojo Rabbit") becoming the first Maori winner in Oscar history and "Hair Love," about a black dad learning how to do his daughter's hair, taking best animated short.

It’s funny how in 2019, “Roma” was the best hope ever for the first foreign-language film to win best picture and we only had to wait a year for something much better. A deliciously twisty and oh-so-relevant black comedy, “Parasite” is a career highlight for Bong and a splendid work of art that will be seen by many more people now.

The film introduces the poor, unemployed and scheming Kim family (Song Kang-ho, Jang Hye-jin, Choi Woo-shik and Park So-dam). Each member gradually ingratiates themselves into the well-to-do and (mostly) gullible Park household (including Lee Sun-kyun and Jo Yeo-jeong), enjoying the fruits of their underhanded behavior – including a weaponized peach. One trip to the basement, however, turns the entire movie on its head and “Parasite” becomes an engrossing slice of class satire and a human drama that strikes a universal chord in terms of social inequality.

As the Oscars wrestle with diversity – an issue that's probably not going to get fixed for a while – the victory for "Parasite" shows the Academy is least working on the problem. It's a huge deal for this movie to win after decades of nominated foreign films failing to win the night, from French film "Grand Illusion" in 1938 to the Chinese phenomenon "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" in 2001. But perhaps more importantly, voters' eyes, as well those of casual movie lovers, are opened to considering international cinema more seriously.

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Bong said it best during his acceptance speech for best foreign-language film at the Golden Globes: "Once you overcome the 1-inch-tall barrier of subtitles, you will be introduced to so many more amazing films." There's no question that barrier is broken down a little more now than before the Oscars.

The filmmaker has built up a following in America with his high-concept movies: monster flick "The Host," sci-fi action film "Snowpiercer" (soon to be a TNT show) and the Netflix adventure "Okja," about a little girl and her genetically engineered super pig.

Yet "Parasite" is the first to become a full-on phenomenon: It won the coveted Palme d'Or at Cannes Film Festival, was a hot ticket at Toronto International Film Festival and made $35.5 million domestically – which might not come close to the haul of, say, "Joker" but isn't shabby at all for a South Korean film.

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The director himself has become a social-media wonder, spawning the #Bonghive hashtag (a play on Beyonce's Beyhive) that's followed the filmmaker through awards season.

History had to be made some day with an international project upending all other contenders for Oscar’s prime prize, and thankfully it was for something this biting, thought-provoking and soulful.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Oscars: 'Parasite' as best picture was the diversity victory we needed