Synopsis
Parasite (2019) is a South Korean film that intertwines dark comedy with drama and social critique and is unforgettable at the same time. Directed by Bong Joon Ho, the film is set in contemporary Seoul, immersed in the sharp divide between the wealthy and ignorant, and the impoverished yet cunning families.
At the beginning of the story, the Kim family consists of Ki-taek, the father, and Chung-sook, the mother, as well as Ki-woo, the son, and Ki-jung, the daughter. They live in a semi-basement apartment and make ends-slightly meet by folding pizza boxes for a local restaurant while stealing Wi-Fi from the homes around. The Kims, like many families at their socio-economic status, are resourceful and strong.
The family ‘banks’ on luck and is ‘invested’ on the arrival of Ki-woo’s friend Min-hyuk. His visit comes with a pie that Ki-woo’s friend is keen to sell for English to a well-to-do family. Ki-woo pals around with the documents, which is illegal as Ki-woo does not go to a university and offers Min-hyuk a way of finishing English to his dad’s family, and which, ironically, is the beginning of the master plan like many other master plans of the world.
Ki-woo has been employed by one of the wealthiest families in the area, the Parks, and has been working out of their vast, meticulously constructed residence. They have a reputation for being compassionate but are somewhat out of touch. The husband, Mr. Park, is a wealthy businessman, while his wife, Yeon-kyo, is classy but somewhat a ditz. They have Da-hye, a high school student, and an impressionable little boy, Da-song, who is a budding artist obsessed with Native American culture.
Ki-woo, on the other hand, initiates his sister, Ki-jung, as an “exercises with a therapy doll” instructor for Da-song under the guise of a real persona. The entire Kim family then gradually starts to occupy the Park residence. Ki-jung happens to suggest a driver, who is in fact, her father, Ki-taek. They then come up with a brilliant plan to have the housekeeper dismissed so that their mother, Chung-sook, may fulfill the role. The Park family has remained oblivious to the fact that their entire workforce has now been replaced by a single family masquerading as unrelated individuals.
The Kims, having assumed their new positions, are reveling in the perks of the Park residence. Truly a brilliant plan – that is, until the arrival of a unforeseen occurrence that turns the tables.
On the evening of their departure for a camping trip, the Park family prepared to spend the night outdoors. While the Kims take this time to themselves, a knock on the door signals a premature end to their festivities. Former housekeeper Moon-gwang comes back to the house saying that she left something behind in the basement. This sets off a domino effect of revealing secrets, transforming loyalties, and causing the film to shift from a light comedy into something much darker with schadenfreude.
These secrets are easily the worst of the Kims. In the context of the film, these secrets represent the much crueler levels of capitalism that we are all forced to live behind. When the pressure comes on, the walls of rich and poor, host and guest, facts and lies begin to blur. The plot thickens in series of events that are all both fascinating and emotionally moving at the same time.
Cast and crew.
The movie Parasite is anchored by a staff of remarkable persevering leadees and contributors. Song Kang-ho plays Ki-taek the patriarch of the Kims in the family. His almost tragic slippery performance captures the the real contrast of reality where a family is nourished to languish, while in society, the man is left to suffocate.
Lee Sun-kyun takes on the character of Mr. Park, Mr. Park, the affluent, and slightly distant employer, features Sun-kyun. While his character is smooth in conversation and well attired, his actions lack consideration of the emotions he stirs within others.
The Kim’s masterful plan is executed with the help of Yeon-kyo, the Park family’s trusting and guillable matriarch, as played by Cho Yeo.
The son who is brave enough to start the family’s infiltration is Ki-woo, played by Choi Woo-shik. Throughout the film, he represents a portion of the story due to his overly cautious and optimistic demeanor.
One of the main characters in the film to revolutionize the story is Ki-jung. Played by Park So-dam, her intelligence and boldness is why she is recognized as a standout character.
The slacking mother of the Kim family, Chung-sook, is played by the actress Jang Hye-jin.
One of the last to join the cast is Lee Jung-eun, who takes on Moon-gwang, the former housekeeper. Lee Jung-eun manages to create a major impact on the second half of the film with her impressive performance.
The film’s direction is by Bong Joon-ho. Primarily known for integrating social issues in his films, his impressive direction in Parasite blends all the crucial elements of humor and drama together. Co-writing the film with Han Jin-won, the screenwrites manages to add-found in clever layered with deep metaphors and symbols to the film inviting the audience to view it repeatedly.
Hong Kyung-pyo, the cinematographer, masterly juxtaposes the Kim family’s claustrophobic quarters with the expansive, pristine relaxation space of the Park family. The added visuals intensify the emotional and thematic essence of the film. Jung Jae-il’s sonorous but graceful score enhances the film’s most poignant moments.
Parasite received an 8.5 on IMDb, illustrating the film’s rather universal reception, with accolades pouring in for its originality, storytelling, and social commentary. The appreciation extends far and beyond, with emphasis on the divide and inequality present throughout the film.
Parasite, with its sweeping victory at the 92nd Academy Awards, became the first film with no English dialogue to win the Best Picture award, making it’s mark in history. Within the same sweep, he also received the accolades for Best Director, Best Original Screenplay, and Best International Feature Film, making it a dominant perpetual achievement in landmark cinema.
Bong Joon-ho has met with great praise for developing a narrative that is equally entertaining, thought provoking and keeps the audience in a realm of suspense. The film’s unique tonal shifts, unexpected plot developments, and thoroughly humane characters, are the essence of the film which places it among the greatest films of the 21st century.
Conclusion
The film Parasite is a complex story that does not limit itself to the tale of two families with different economic positions. As the film poses the questions: “what is fair? What’s the value of a person? What is opportunity? What is a dignity of a person?”, it attempts to dissect the underlying structure of society and the systemic frameworks that determines which person is assigned to which role.
The beauty of Parasite is the deft handling of multiple genres. It is deftly able to combine humor with tragedy, suspense with deep understanding, and realism with allegory. Everything, from the dialogues to the sets is purposeful. While the house epitomizes class aspiration and the characters personify the myriad of reactions to the social divide.
Parasite is able to evoke a sense of empathy from the audience. No characters are drawn in simple terms of good and evil, nor is there absence of class critique. It becomes a lens to reveal the complex inner workings of both families — filled with dreams, terrors and blind spots. Through the characters, the film provides a glimpse of the interaction which forms the basis of the constant struggle and adaptation clash towards a more desirable life.
Ultimately, Parasite evokes a curious blend of hope, sorrow, poignancy, and wonder. Besides its masterfully honed craftsmanship, it lingers long after watching because it remarkably encapsulates a profound truth of existence. Whether a viewer is drawn to its captivating plot, its brilliant acting, or its subtler themes, Parasite is—and will remain for a long time to inspire discourse and contemplation—undoubtedly still a work of wonder.
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