Donald Trump has condemned the Academy Awards for its historical awarding of the Oscar for Best Picture to Korean film Parasite.
The groundbreaking film from Bong Joon Ho became the first-ever foreign language film to claim the top honour, also winning Best Director, Best Original Screenplay and Best International Feature Film.
But at a Colorado rally on Friday (local time), the current US president exclaimed he found it unbelievable that a South Korean film could win and suggested a 1939 film should have won at the 2020 awards ceremony instead.
"By the way, how bad were the Academy Awards this year? Did you see it?" Trump said.
"And the winner is... a movie from South Korea! What the hell was that all about?
"We got enough problems with South Korea with trade. On top of that, they give the best movie of the year? Was it good? I don't know. Let's get Gone With the Wind. Can we get Gone With the Wind back, please?"
The former Celebrity Apprentice host went on to bemoan the "so many great movies" that lost to Parasite, again mockingly stating "the winner is from South Korea!"
"I thought it was the Best Foreign Film, right? Best Foreign Movie," he said. "Did this ever happen before?"
He also shared his thoughts on fellow 2020 Oscar winner Brad Pitt, calling him a "a little wise guy" of whom he was "never a fan". During his speech for Best Supporting Actor, Pitt called out how Trump's impeachment trial was considered unfair for blocking the testimony of crucial witnesses such as former national security adviser John Bolton.
Parasite's US distributor, Neon, took the mickey out of Trump on Twitter, suggesting he didn't enjoy the film because he can't read subtitles.
On Facebook, Newshub's film critic and entertainment editor Kate Rodger - who awarded Parasite five stars in June, 2019 - lashed out at Trump's "xenophobic" language.
"This is a darkly comic horror show all it's own. The only silver lining of his putrid child-like xenophobic rhetoric is the fact he's delivering the Oscar-winning Parasite some excellent promo to those with ears and eyes connected to their brains and hearts."
Jeff Benjamin, who writes for GQ, Forbes and Rolling Stone, labelled Trump's Parasite attack "a new low".
"So disrespectful. He only panders to racists now," said Benjamin.
