"Parasite" displays the world of the impoverished and the hypocrisy of capitalist "laws." The family lives in abject povertyfirst trying to survive through the precarious work of folding pizza boxes and then finding a hustle by pretending to be middle class, educated and helpful. Be sure to watch our video essay on the scene for more detail and deeper Parasite analysis. Realizing that they are all related, Moon-gwang takes an incriminating video of them and threatens to send it to the Parks. Can the poor really just step into the world of the rich? Its so clichd at this point in the critical conversation during the hot take season of festivalsto say, Youve never seen a movie quite like X. Such astatement has become overused to such a degree that its impossible to be taken seriously, like how too many major new movies are gifted the m-word: masterpiece. Each character inParasiteis unique, but they definitely differ in levels of intelligence. She is also too easily swayed by Ki-taek's fakery of Moon-gwang's supposed tuberculosis diagnosis. Dong-Ik has a housekeeper to keep his mansion comfortable and a chauffeur to drive him from the busy workplace to his peaceful home. This vertical comment on status is illustrated cleanly in this alternate poster for the film, without spoiling the sub-basement reveal. The original housekeeper, Moon-gwang (Lee Jung Eun), displaced by the scheme, turns up at the home while the Parks are away and begs the Kims to allow her husband, Geun-se (Park Myeong-hoon), to continue living there after they discover him. All three families at play are damaged by this explosive act of violence. To download a PDF of the breakdown for Parasite, go here. The Analysis of the Oscar-Winning Movie: Parasite Parasite is a 2019 South Korean black comedy thriller movie directed by Bong Joon-ho and is the first film with a non-English script to win Best Picture at the Oscars in 2020. But rather than simply getting out of the Park house and trying to make it in the outside world, he goes on a rampage at the party for Da-song. Just trust me on this one. Not only does she completely fall for Ki-woo's masquerading as an English tutor to Da-hye, but she proceeds to hire every other member of the Kim family without doing very much due diligence. The real Parasite movie ending is more bleak and, unfortunately, more realistic. Mr Park makes a comment about smelling Mr Kim (who, unbeknownst to him, is literally right under his nose), and complains about the smell that Mr Kim exudes. You can download the script here. Mr Kim is even needlessly proud when he discovers his childrens deceptive skills. These papers were written primarily by students and provide critical analysis of Parasite by Bong Joon-ho. I left the cinema with my heart racing thats just how impactful this movie was. capture a large family group in a single frame. Review: Class warfare is on full display in director Bong Joon-hos provocative Parasite. The neighbourhood fumigator arrives, and Mr Kim instructs his family to leave the windows open to enjoy a free fumigation for his house. Parasite Character List Ki-woo Ki-woo is the son of the Kim family, a smart and ambitious young man who feels held back by poverty. 21st Century Haves, Haves-not: Bong Joon-Ho's Commentary on Contemporary Class Divide in Parasite Wikipedia Entries for Parasite Introduction Plot Cast Production Themes and interpretations When the architect sold the mansion to the Park family, Moon-Gwang survived a change of ownership. This causes Da-song to faint, and Mr. Park (Lee Sun Kyun) immediately demands that Ki-taek drive them to the hospital instead of tending to Ki-jung. as an art student at a middle-class family. Moon-gwang is pretty remarkable in that she has not only managed to ward off people from taking her job up until the Kim family, but she has also managed to keep her husband hidden in the Park family basement for alongtime. Wealth has rendered her completely helpless, and she often spends her days napping on the couch or purchasing items for the house. Her family members have joined her in working for the Park family. These themes cross all cultural-barriers and can speak to the 99% anywhere in the world. Husband! as they descend into the depths of the bunker also do nothing to alleviate the building tension as we shockingly discover that her husband is in fact a mole person hiding and living right under the Parks noses and supplied food by Moon-kwang regularly, who even worships Mr Park for providing him with food and accommodation. Staircases are among the many things in Parasite that could be considered metaphorical, as becomes a refrain of the Kims son, Ki-woo (Choi Woo Shik). To access over 70 analyses of previous movie scripts we have read and discussed at Go Into The Story, go here. The films social commentary on class is at its strongest in this depiction of the lower classes fighting against each other rather than against the 1% who truly hold more accountability. As with every film, everyone is entitled to their own opinion, so my interpretation here may be different from yours. It wasnt just awards records that Parasite broke in 2019. While attending a birthday party for the Parks young son, Da-song (Jung Hyeon Jun), Ki-woo heads to the bunker carrying a heavy scholar stone he once received as a gift intended to bring his family material wealth. They take on odd jobs for cash like folding pizza boxes, and they rely on unprotected wi-fi networks and street-cleaning pesticides to keep their home insect-free. In truth, Ki-Jung never received any college art education, but she now claims to be a graduate of the University of Illinois and a specialist in children's art therapy, working at a special pay rate. There is more to Da-song than meets the eye. It is one of the most effective satires in recent memory. Moon-Gwangs return to the house and eventual reveal of the secret basement keeps us on the edges of our seats as viewers and seamlessly blends from the drama/comedy centered first half into the thriller/tragedy centered latter half. Ki-taek, who acted upon his anger, still remains beneath another rich family. A visual medium requires visual methods. Seeing an opportunity to get his artistically talented sister, Ki-jung, a job, Ki-woo says that he knows someone named "Jessica" who went to college in Illinois, who might be perfect for the job. She is very nice, but not especially deep or compassionate. When folding the pizza boxes during the fumigation, he is the most determined (cockroach-like behaviour, as explained above) but also the most careless with his actions. As we enter the house, we see that the same design sensibilities are used the house has plenty of wide, open spaces and minimalistic furniture. More books than SparkNotes. Not only does he have to create suspicion about her, but he has to then convince Yeon-gyo to dispose of Moon-gwang without actually advocating for it. More and more people are flocking to the small screen to find daily entertainment. NEXT: Parasite: D&D Alignments Of The Main Characters. As the end credits began to roll, the tension in the cinema was palpable. For additional insights into director Bong Joon-hos creative process, listen to him discuss his decisions and directorial style with the other 2019 DGA nominees for best director including Martin Scorsese, Quentin Tarantino, Taika Waititi, and Sam Mendes: Power shifts from Moon-gwang and her incognito husband to the Kim family as both lower-class families fight for leverage over each other. More books than SparkNotes. Be sure to watch our video essay on the scene for more detail and deeper Parasite analysis. Just as he called Snowpiercer his film about class revolution set in a dystopia his "hallway movie," he has called Parasite his "stairway movie." It is an upstairs-downstairs film that. The local pizza shop informs the Kims that one in four of the pizza boxes they folded were faulty and could not be used. This article was published more than3 years ago, Note: This story, as one might assume from its headline, contains major spoilers for Parasite.. Major kudos to Olivia Ramirez for doing this weeks scene-by-scene breakdown. Suffice to say, the wealthy in any country survive on the labor of the poor, whether its the housekeepers, tutors, and drivers they employ, or something much darker. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Your email address will not be published. It also makes perfect sense to me that a family would have the same smell as they live in the same house and use the same soaps and detergents. Director Bong even uses a wider aspect ratio of 2.35:1 to not only capture a large family group in a single frame, it also gives the viewer the impression of wide spaces that dont allow for hiding spots. Parasite is clear-eyed about the illusions that inequality needs in order to perpetuate itself, and about the many systems that shield one-percenters like the Parks from having to get their own hands dirty while engaged in the project of oppression. What ensues is a sneaky ploy on the Kim familys part to slowly insert themselves into the lives (and house) of the Park family as they attempt to build a better life for themselves. (Note: One of these ranked characters is a huge spoiler for one of the plot's biggest twists, so if you still haven't seenParasite, get on it and then come back and read this!). Suddenly, the Kims fall down the stairs of the bunker in a pile, after listening in on the conversation. The film begins with the Kim family at home in their tiny, cramped basement apartment. Ki-taek may be out of work, but he's no dummy. Blood is shed and deaths are cast at the birthday party of the Park familys youngest child. He stands in the woods near the Parks' house, which has been bought by Germans, and observes that the censor light is turning on and off in a patternMorse Code. Josh Weber is a cinephile and avid reader based in the eastern shore of Maryland. Ki-taek, the father, begins working as the Park family chauffeur after the Kims have removed their previous chauffeur from his position, and similarly Chung-sook, the mother, replaces Moon-gwang, the housekeeper who has served the home longer than the Parks have even lived there. In a trance-like state as his daughter is bleeding out on the ground, Mr Kim is triggered by Mr Parks balking at the stench and fatally stabs him in the chest before running out the house. After getting referred for a tutoring gig, he orchestrates a plan in which his whole family begins working for the same wealthy family. Mrs Kim taking advantage of the open lawn to practice her hammer-throw skills, at the expense of someones window. Soon enough, Ki-woo and Ki-taek secure positions in the Park household for their parents as well. As with great stories, every seeming-antagonist has their own reasons for doing what they do, making it nearly impossible to clearly identify an antagonist as we sympathise with their actions. A tonal shift this extreme could easily take viewers out of the film or feel like a jumping-the-shark moment, but in the hands of Bong Joon-ho, this shift is portrayed in a way that not only feels effortless but greatly enhances each half of the film that preceded and follows it. resource to ask questions, find answers, and discuss thenovel. Dont buy eggs. But, before we dig deeper into the social commentary, lets take a look at how the film managed to break through to an unmatched audience size. Parasite dominated the Academy Award, including a Best Picture win. It is somehow, and Im still not even really sure how, both joyous and depressing at the same time. Living in a small, musty semi-basement in the slums of Seoul, South Korea. Mr Kim is eventually condemned to live and hide in the bunker, truly fulfilling the parasite-like behaviour of leeching of its host at someone elses expense. Very soon, the Kims also manage to displace the longstanding housekeeper to make room for Mrs Kim to join the operation. Following the films major twist, Parasite continues in a far darker tone until its ending. They participate in scenes, move the plot forward through action and dialogue, influence each other, evolve and change. Not just because the film went full circle with Mr Kim hiding out in the bunker, forever condemned to hide and steal from the houses occupants, but also due to the small hints dropped throughout the film: Its also difficult to identify the main antagonist of the film. He is a violent and desperate man, and ends up going on a killing spree after the Kims kill his wife, Moon-gwang. It is the only common factor between the Parks' young boy and Ki-Woo. The lawn itself is huge, and is the first thing that any visitor sees. The Question and Answer section for Parasite is a great moon-gwang's husband. Moon-kwangs husband, enraged at the Kim family for leaving Moon-kwang for dead, attacks Ki-woo by strangling him and striking him in the head with the very fortune rock that Ki-woo brought. The young man changes his name to Kevin and begins tutoring Park Da-hye (Jung Ziso), who immediately falls for him, of course. His decision to kill Mr. Park at the end is a shocking and perhaps poor one, but not entirely unjustified. To explain Parasites ending, we turn to the directors own words: You know and I know - we all know that this kid isn't going to be able to buy that house. A fight breaks out in the living room of the house, and the Kims manage to get Moon-gwang and her husband down into the bunker, but suddenly, Mrs. Park calls and tells Chung-sook that they are heading home after the campgrounds flooded from a rainstorm. 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