Park Chan-wook's 'Decision to Leave' is one of this year's biggest Oscar nomination snubs — and fans are furious
Mubi
- South Korea's "Decision to Leave" didn't get any Oscar nominations — and fans are not happy.
- The snub is among the biggest for Hollywood's most prestigious awards show.
- Some fans of Park Chan-wook's film called the lack of nominations a "travesty."
This year's biggest Oscars snub may have been Park Chan-wook's "Decision to Leave" and the internet was not thrilled the South Korean film wasn't nominated.
Fans of Park Chan-wook's drama — which won the director "Best Director" honors at the Cannes Film Festival — were outraged that the South Korean mystery flick didn't earn a single nomination from The Academy.
One fan called it "a travesty" that the film was left off of the nominations list. Another said the fact that it was not nominated for best cinematography is "just disappointing."
"decision to leave im so sorry they did this to you," a fan of the film wrote on Twitter.
Some took issue with the nominating guidelines for best international film, with one Twitter user writing "the rules for that award are so stupid."
Film critic Isaac Feldberg said the film's snub is "really frustrating."
"Just a great work of art on every conceivable front," he added.
—Isaac Feldberg (@isaacfeldberg) January 24, 2023
"Decision to Leave" stars Park Hae-il ("Memories of Murder") as Hae-jun, a detective who gradually becomes infatuated with widow Seo-rae, played by Tang Wei ("Lust, Caution"), as he investigates the death of her husband. The film, which was released in June 2022 in South Korea, has garnered praise from critics for Tang's performance, the film's camerawork, and its engrossing narrative.
In addition to Park picking up the best director award at Cannes in 2022, "Decision to Leave" was also in competition for the festival's Palme d'Or, which eventually went to Ruben Östlund's "Triangle of Sadness." "Decision to Leave" also earned a nod at the 2023 Golden Globes, where it was nominated for the best picture — non-English lanauge film, an award that eventually went to Argentina's "Argentina, 1985."
As South Korea's official entry for the best international feature category at the 2023 Oscars, "Decision to Leave" was named to the award show's shortlist in December, with some outlets predicting that it would be among the nominees. For a film with so much buzz — and critical acclaim — its snub clearly stings.