Summary:
Parasite, a black comedy thriller from South Korea released in 2019, was directed by Bong Joon-ho, who also co-wrote the film with Han Jin-won. The film beautifully dissects social class disparity and division while skillfully merging suspense, dark comedy, and biting social criticism into an astonishingly cohesive narrative. It achieved international acclaim and became the first film not in the English language to win the Oscar for Best Picture, winning Best Director, Best Original Screenplay, and Best International Feature Film.
The movie focuses on the Kim family, a household living in a semi-basement unit in one of Seoul’s most crowded and dilapidated areas, quite literally on the margins of society. The four-person family consisting of father Ki-taek (Song Kang-ho), mother Chung-sook (Jang Hye-jin), daughter Ki-jung (Park So-dam), and son Ki-woo (Choi Woo-shik), survives by folding pizza boxes and attempting to steal Wi-Fi from local cafes. While trapped in a grim situation, the Kims prove to be clever and resourceful.
The Kims’s fortune began to shift when Ki-woo was offered a tutoring job for the Park family’s wealthy daughter, Da-hye, by his friend Min who is university student. Ingratiating Mrs. Park (Cho Yeo-jeong) with fake university credentials provided by his sister, he is hired on the spot. From there, the Kims concoct an intricate scheme to permeate the Park household, one member at a time.
Ki-jung assumes the role of an “art therapist” for the Parks’ eccentric young son, Da-song. Ki-taek replaces the family chauffeur. Chung-sook becomes the housekeeper after the Kims trick the Parks into firing their loyal maid Moon-gwang. None of the other Parks comprehend that these so-called “professionals” are all part of the same family.
The sleek modernist house where the Parks live, designed by an acclaimed architect, starkly opposes the semi-basement existence of the Kims. The house serves as a principal emblem within the film—a location of affluence, ignorance, innate blindness, and optimism. The Kims relish in their new roles, though the illusion begins to unravel when Moon-gwang returns during a rainstorm. In the storms wake, Geun-sae, her husband, emerges from a hidden bunker he has been secretly residing in beneath the house for years to evade loan sharks.
This unearthing sets off a collision course for both the clans who seek refuge in pretence: both are parasites in their own right captives of the family’s struggle, and desperate for survival and privacy. Onto a birthday party for Da-song, things escalate to a birthday explosion, culminating in a shocking crescendo of revelatory violence, death, and revelation.
In the end, Ki-taek in a blind rage murders Mr. Park after he displays his disgust towards the lower class. Ki-taek then goes missing only for Ki-woo to uncover later that he has hidden himself inside the concealed bunker. The film ends with Ki-woo hoping to one day save enough money to purchase the house only to change the outcome of his father’s imprisonment and realizing he is still left hoping this dream remains unfulfilled.
Cast & Crew:
Song Kang-ho as Ki-Taek. The worn out and increasingly bitter father. He portrayed greatly comically and emotionally alongside the character’s depth. The tragedy of his character is one who becomes desperate for a verisimilitude of his dreams aspirations.
Choi Woo-shik as Ki-woo (Kevin) exhibits youthful ambition marred by systemic favoritism. He initiates the family’s scheme, which thankfully grants him the satisfaction of not wanting a better life but instead working hard towards achieving one.
Park So-dam gives an interesting performance as Ki-Jung (aka Jessica), the sharp wit daughter. She blends sarcasm, charm, and street smarts in her character’s role. Her role epitomizes the intellect and raw talent which is wasted due to lack of avenues.
Jang Hye-Jin as Chung-Sook, sharply dressed and no-nonsense mother plays the role with strength and wit. Her logicistic approach is at odds with her husband’s passive acceptance of things.
Cho Yeo-Jeong as Mrs. Park portrays the overly trusting matriarch. Her performance vividly depicts the obliviousness of the upper class.
Lee Sun-Kyun as Mr. Park, the tech entrepreneur, presents the cold yet courteous upper class.
Director Bong Joon-ho presents a perfectly blended conglomerate of all angles to one piece. Each scene is brought to life in a unique and careful manner, filled with visual metaphors, pace, and mise-en-scène to hint to the central concept. Bong’s movies are mostly focused on critiquing societal norms but Parasite seems to be the most refined and powerful work of his he has ever created.
Cinematography and Design:
The cinematographer, Hong Kyung-Pyo, depicts the inequality between classes literally with vertical flow and spacial symbolism. The semi-basement apartment of the Kims is dark, chaotic, and crowded while the Parks home is spacious, isolated from the outer area, and bright. This theme of inequality is strengthened with the repeated symbolism of stairs, rain, and windows.
So is the production design still important? The monumental “minimalistic” architecture of the Parks’ home simplified emotional and ethical onostracism. They built the house as a complete set. To the other hand, the Kim’s household is cluttered as sad and desperate.
Parasite has a wide variety of themes and social commentaries:
As I previously stated, Parasite revolves around the concept of class struggle centered between economic disparity, one often stretches a class gap with the rich and poor, while the other lies within the impoverished. Moon-gwang’s family, like the Kims, scavenged for resources, but instead of banding together, the two families fought over the resources in a zero-sum game. The film tackles the question of whether empathy can endure the extensive blows posed by the world’s economic inequality.
The title of the film, “Parasite”, accounts for a similar amount of depth. Should the Kims warrant derogatory accusations of being deceitful parasites for benefiting from the Parks? Similarly, one may ask whether the Parks acted parasitically by profiting off the Kims’ labor and impoverished living conditions. There are no straightforward answers, and that is where Bong Joon-ho reveals the truth: capitalism breeds division, suspicion, and even violence.
Aspiration is perhaps the most important driving force for any individual. Education and socioeconomic advancement are seen to enable social mobility, poverty alleviation, and overall enhancement of life, but this film fails to disguise the reality of overwhelming social and institutional barriers that make such aspirations impossible for a large number of people.
IMDb Ratings and Critical Reception:
Parasite holds an exceptional rating of 8.5/10 on IMDb and has received universal acclaim. It won the Palme d’Or at the 2019 Cannes Film Festival—becoming the first South Korean film to do so—and made history at the 92nd Academy Awards.
Critics praised the film for its tight screenplay, rich symbolism, and the way it weaves comedy, horror, and tragedy into a cohesive narrative. Audiences around the world responded to its universal themes, proving that language is no barrier when it comes to powerful storytelling.
Conclusion:
This film demonstrates how outstanding cinema is able to “distill profound social issues” accessible to audiences worldwide regardless of their native language. To put it in simpler terms, Parasite brings forth powerful social commentary and unabashed societal mockery simultaneously.
The film’s social message is crafted in a traumatic scene where two families belonging to diametrically opposite socio-economic classes must grapple not only with their stark differences, but with life’s gripping realities. It brings forth ruthless questions regarding social elitism, economic disparity, and the falsified belief of the merit-based system we are led to believe.
Humor juxtaposed with tragedy serves as propulsion while invoking viewers to challenge their core existence among the roaring reality of deeply embedded global inequalities. However, it risks placement as the notorious 21st century film that endures international shame for making headlines devoid of humanity despite simultaneously exposing its concealed violence. It is a condemnation of impending inadequacy whilst inviting one to witness the disfigured reflection of meritocratic ideals.
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