Parasite : the film of all success

Big winner of the 2020 ceremony of the Oscars, the South Korean film Parasite realized by Bong Joon-ho with 4 distinctions (the best international film, the best director, the best film in a foreign language and the best original screenplay) has entered the History of the cinema. After being anointed at Cannes the past year, this year 2020 permitted to the film to gain notoriety as well as accumulating rewards after rewards. Indeed, the Oscar Ceremony and the Cannes Festival didn’t wait to honour this film of the most prestigious ones (including the famous Palme d’Or) for this cinematographic work. Parasite becomes then the first South Korean film to win the title of “best foreign film” during the Oscars.

[This article contains spoilers]

Bong Joon-ho, director or Parasite during a press conference,

May 28th, 2019, in Yongsan-gu (Seoul), by Kin Sunjoo

Parasite released in 2019 dives us into a poor South Korean family, the Ki-Taek who doesn’t own anything and who fights to survive. They lack food; drive to despair as they are jobless and their dwelling is dilapidated and infested by parasites. But one day hope is revived when Ki-Woo, the son, thanks to an acquaintance has been offered the opportunity to teach English to a rich family, the Parks. An opportunity this poor family doesn’t miss to take advantage of their employer’s naivety to insinuate themselves one by one in her living environment; to know the pleasure of being rich. However, they will have to face the consequences of their lies and actions and will find themselves in a perilous situation that will cost the lives of their close relations and loved ones.

If the director Bong Joon-ho succeeded to conquer many admirers for this film, it isn’t his first one and it comes after a long list of committed films. This director is indeed known for his films with moral facets and films related to true events.

Boong Joon-ho, by mixing horror and dark comedy, successes to transmit a message thanks to cult and filled with meaning scenes. Rich or poor here is not the question to know who the “bad or good persons” are but to go further in the analysis to distinguish the relations of these social entities. A naturalism, which aims at denouncing the quirkiness of a society where the poor don’t have any other solution than surviving. A survival only doable by twisting social norms, in a world dominated by the law of supply and not the one of demands to the detriment of the inferior social classes. The director brings then light to a struggle of rivalry in the same social component, between most destitute ones, in a society where the luck of adapting yourself is possible only for a limited number of individuals. All the means are then worth considering, by these populations, to grant themselves the hope to succeed.

In addition to this critical facet, Parasite also explores social inequalities and behaviours which persist between those two different classes. Inequalities indirectly represented by the elevated house of the Park and its underground of the Ki-Taek but also the storm which floods their house and which represents only an inconvenience for the Park who wanted to camp. Antithetical aspects of gravity depending on these two families which can also be found when the Park lay on their divan while the Ki-Taek wanders in the streets, now homeless. It is with these inequalities than the director comes to denounce the high social ranked people who live in the ignorance of the inferior classes which can be the result of social isolation for the poor, illustrated by Geun-sae (the husband of the last maid of the Parks), instable. A lack of care exposed when the daughter of the Ki-Taek is abruptly stabbed during a party that doesn’t bring enough attention for the Park to care; giving evidence of their indifference towards their employees. A strong opposition with Geun-sae who, living his last moments after being stabbed, shouts “Respect!” to Dong-ik, his employer, revealing his fidelity and gratitude even when he is about to die.

A critic that concerns the universality of these social classes in which the rich live comfortably in the carefreeness to be responsible for a part of the constant inequalities with the people at the bottom of the earning scale; the people who build their infrastructures and who feed their families.

Parasite then assures his political and social power. A film that encourages us to think and call into question the society and its social components. But Parasite could also stand out thanks to its various acting performances and the fluidity of its scenes, becoming cults. Scenes that are known for being gripping and cruel as well as moving and melancholic depicted by this cinematographic work in a meticulous and deep way.

A film in which the viewers are diving into the vicious circle of anxiety and empathy.

Credit (picture):

https://www.flickr.com/photos/koreanet/47949892758/