She is the archetype of the mistress of a wealthy household: glamorous, naive, and good at wielding power with feminine grace. This article was published more than3 years ago, Note: This story, as one might assume from its headline, contains major spoilers for Parasite.. She gains the upper hand with Mrs. Park by feigning extreme expertise and confidence, and insisting on very specific ways to educate and take care of Da-song. Best summary PDF, themes, and quotes. This paper aims to study the gap between the rich and poor reflected in movie Parasite. For Part 1, to read the Scene-By-Scene Breakdown discussion, go here. Theres something off about Moon-kwangs unnamed husband. As Mrs Park eats in the kitchen, she shares with Mrs Kim the story of the trauma Da-song experienced when he was younger. A visual medium requires visual methods. Once the entire Kim family is employed in the Park household, the lower-class con-artists begin to assume more and more of this fabricated identity of wealth. Mr Park (Lee Sun-gyun) is clever enough to question that fact that leaving panties behind in a car is not something normal, even in the throes of forbidden fornication. On his birthday, a day like today, he had snuck down to the kitchen to eat his birthday cake, but Moon-kwangs husband had snuck up the basement stairs and made eye contact with Da-song. Parasite represents the most focused and refined approach to class as a subject that Bong Joon-ho has achieved, and thats certainly saying something given his impressive body of work. For more Parasite movie analysis, check out our article on how Bong Joon-ho creates meaning through set dressing. As mentioned, the film contains a huge, exciting twist that drives the plot ahead at full speed, so do yourself a favour and DONT spoil it for yourself! Though Parasite cannot be confined to a single genre, it centers its focus on class struggle, a sort of precursor to the warfare of Bongs 2013 thriller Snowpiercer. The staircases represent divisions of class and power the Kims wonder upon wandering upstairs whether, in a just world, they would also belong among the rich, so far above ground; upon descending to their flooded apartment in a storm that merely throws off the Parks camping trip, the Kims are reminded of the disparities between the two families. Get entertainment recommendations for your unique personality and find out which of 5,500+ as Chung-sook ( Ki-taek's wife ), Berlinale 2023 Highlights, Part Two: Reality, Manodrome, The Adults, Inside, Golda, Angela Bassett, Jamie Lee Curtis, Brendan Fraser, Cate Blanchett, Colin Farrell and Brendan Gleeson Feted at SBIFF 2023, Revisiting Martin Scorsese's Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore, Tragically Common: Jamie Dack, Lily McInerny and Jonathan Tucker on Palm Trees and Power Lines. Im someone who doesnt mind spoilers, but even I wouldnt wish the spoilers on my worse enemy. The emotionally-affecting resonance of the ending is the perfect cap to the wonderfully layered social commentary spread throughout the film. It's all fun and games until Moon-gwang shows up, insisting that she left something at the 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. The neighbourhood fumigator arrives, and Mr Kim instructs his family to leave the windows open to enjoy a free fumigation for his house. The Artist, a French and Belgian production, won best picture at the 2012 Academy Awards but was ineligible for the best foreign language film category as it is a silent film. GradeSaver, 21st Century Haves, Haves-not: Bong Joon-Ho's Commentary on Contemporary Class Divide in Parasite. Parasite has a lot worthy of analysis and it has a lot to say. Why he trusts Kim Ki-woo given what we know and learn about him is a valid question. Through the analysis of the audio-visual language of the movie, this article starts with the storytelling of Parasite, enumerates and analyses the elements that appear in the movie to reflect the gap between the rich and poor. Your email address will not be published. Writers can shade and shape a storys character in limitless ways. One of the main reasons why Parasite was such a massive success around the whole world in 2019 is because of its themes and messages of classism and the wealth divide, which are truly universal. 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. Living in a small, musty semi-basement in the slums of Seoul, South Korea. 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. Prior to Parasite in 2019, his most focused social commentary on class was found in his 2013 film Snowpiercer which saw the lower class positioned at the back of a train in squalid conditions while the wealthy lived large at the head of the train. The smell won't go away unless we leave this place.". When he is given the opportunity to work as Mr. Park's driver, he figures out how to be the best driver he can be, and to provide some light companionship to Mr. Park. Geun-sae is Moon-gwang's husband, who is living in the bunker underneath the Parks' house, hiding out from the loan sharks who want to kill him. It is the only common factor between the Parks' young boy and Ki-Woo. The film begins with the Kim family at home in their tiny, cramped basement apartment. Lover of foreign films; hater of American remakes. Ex-housekeeper Moon-kwang claims that she had left something important behind in the basement and was there to collect it. He notices the flickering light and deciphers a coded message from his father. Geun-sae then emerges onto the lawn party, stabbing Ki-jung in the chest with a knife. Dont buy eggs. But, probably because of his age, his parents don't take his observation very seriously, to their ultimate doom. Parasite has proven to be a groundbreaking achievement for South Korean movies. Please go catch the movie in the cinema before it ends its run. Living in a musty semi-basement in the slums of Seoul, South Korea. He almost outs the Kim family on their scheme when he realizes that both Ki-taek and Chung-sook smell the same. However, if I had to pinpoint one member who would be the eponymous parasite, it would have to be Mr Kim. Mrs Kim taking advantage of the open lawn to practice her hammer-throw skills, at the expense of someones window. 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. Ki-woo and his sister Ki-jung forge credentials for the job, and thus begins the long-con that sees each member of the Kim family infiltrating the upper-class Park family one-by-one. But rather than leaving viewers in this dreamy state, Bong pinches them and returns to the apartment. Living in a state-of-art mansion. What is Mumblecore? RELATED: The 10 Worst Family Movies Of All Time, Ranked. He is traumatised not once, but twice at the sight of Moon-kwangs husband, and is also the youngest and most innocent character. Parasites ending features a sequence of Ki-woos plan to work hard, buy the house under which his own father now hides, and reunite the family but this plan is nothing but a fantasy. 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. As she scurries into the basement escorted by Mrs Kim, the rest of the Kims-in-hiding surreptitiously follow. He may be the youngest of the Park family, but he is by no means the dumbest. The contrast in appearance between the Kims semi-basement home and the lavish home of the Park family is impossible to miss. After hearing about the peach allergy of the housekeeper, Moon-gwang, Ki-jung and Ki-woo trigger an allergic reaction and make it look like she has tuberculosis. He has the hardest part to play in getting rid of Moon-gwang. During the hazing scene as the Kim family enjoy free fumigation services, Mr Kim is the only one visibly not affected by the toxic fumes. The topic of class is one that Bong Joon-ho has a clear fascination with. 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. They fold pizza boxes for a delivery company to make some cash, steal wi-fi from the coffee shop nearby, and leave the windows open when the neighborhood is being fumigated to deal with their own infestation. We can't blame him too much for developing such trust in Ki-taek that he doesn't see his impending death coming right for him. His decision to kill Mr. Park at the end is a shocking and perhaps poor one, but not entirely unjustified. And then everything changes. Hes going to get his whole family into this house. 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. Interests scouting. The film constantly threatens to come apartto take one convoluted turn too many in ways that sink the projectbut Bong holds it all together, and the result is breathtaking. Living in a small, musty semi-basement in the slums of Seoul, South Korea. Its perfectly ironic how the film has come full circle, with Mr Kim taking the place of Moon-kwangs husband in the bunker. Moon-Gwang has been living in the mansion as the architect's housekeeper since it was first built. 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. Ki-taek and Chung-sook, the patriarch and matriarch, are having trouble finding employment, and their children, Ki-woo and Ki-jung are trying to help in whatever way they can. Bong Joon-ho 's masterful film Parasite is a wicked and brutal satire about wealth disparity. moon-gwang's husband. In this scene, Ki-jeong cuts her finger on a piece off glass as shes sweeping them under the couch. Suddenly, the Kims fall down the stairs of the bunker in a pile, after listening in on the conversation. I finally caught the highly raved-about film, Parasite, after hearing nothing but praise for the movie from anyone who watched it. 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. capture a large family group in a single frame. The article breaks down how to identify and breakdown set elements in a screenplay. Mr Kims face as he picks up the tissue stained with blood from the dustbin. She is brusque and unsentimental like her daughter, toughened by life in poverty. He is a violent and desperate man, and ends up going on a killing spree after the Kims kill his wife, Moon-gwang. This time it's true. To download a PDF of the breakdown for Parasite, go here. She calls Chung-sook sister, at which the Kims scoff. Copyright 1999 - 2023 GradeSaver LLC. open/close all folders General The Kim family The Kim family as a whole Kim Ki-taek Kim Chung-sook Kim Ki-woo Kim Ki-jeong The Park family The Park family as a whole Park Dong-ik Park Yeon-kyo Park Da-song Park Da-hye Other characters Min Moon-gwang Geun-sae Yoon Previous Index Next Ki-jung is Ki-woo's sister, a smart and tough young woman who does not suffer fools. Find out how you match to her and 5500+ other characters. For his family members' employment, Ki-Woo manipulates the Parks into firing their original chauffeur and housekeeper without much thought about what will happen next. Acting on impulse, Ki-woo heads to a mountain near the house the Parks have since vacated, and which now belongs to a rich German family. It is one of the most effective satires in recent memory. Parasite concludes where it begins, in the semi-basement apartment. Because I plan on going to this school next year." Some time ago, she and her husband purchased the beautiful mansion from its architect. The rest of the Kims scramble to clean up the mess they had made, sweeping everything under the couch and hiding under the living room table. Ki-jeong is usually one step ahead of Ki-woo and really solidifies getting the Kim family into the Park family home. Mr Kim, tasked with managing Moon-kwang and her husband, struggles to subdue them both in the basement bunker. 31 Parasite Character Analysis (Avoiding Spoilers) Grew up. Her charismatic personality makes her excellent at fooling the Parks. In our Parasite movie analysis, we found that although the tone and style change, the themes at play remain consistent from the first half to the second half, and continue to be developed further as the film progresses. The script for "Parasite" will get a ton of attention as it's one of those clever twisting and turning tales for which the screenwriter gets the most credit (Bong and Han Jin-won, in this case), but this is very much an exercise in visual language that reaffirms Bong as a master.Working with the incredible cinematographer Kyung-pyo Hong ("Burning," "Snowpiercer") and an A-list . describe ki-woo. Plot Summary: All unemployed, Ki-taek and his family take peculiar interest in the wealthy and glamorous Parks, as they ingratiate themselves into their lives and get entangled in an unexpected incident. Mrs Kim jokingly taunts Mr Kim, comparing him to a cockroach that would run and hide at the first sign of danger. The film starts with the Kim family, a South Korean family struggling with poverty in a poor neighborhood in an unnamed city. *SPOILER WARNING* Major, major spoilers ahead! 5 Parasite Character Analysis (Avoiding Spoilers) Living in a smelly semi-basement located in the slums of Seoul, South Korea. I just felt that frankness was right for the film, even though it's sad." In our Parasite movie analysis video, this mid-point scene was the focus. But yet, we cant help but to sympathise with the protagonist family as we witness first-hand their destitute plight and desperation to climb out of squalor. For Part 2, to read the Plot discussion, go here. For a moment, it seems as though the jig is up for the Kims as Mr Park is suspicious about the entire situation, but he foolishly chalks up the forgotten panties as a result of the chauffeur taking illegal drugs. RELATED: Parasite: 7 Reasons It's Bong Joon-Ho's Best Movie (& 7 It's Not). And theres a reason the Kim apartment is halfway undergroundtheyre caught between worlds, stuck in the growing chasm between the haves and the have nots. Min-hyuk is a friend to the Kim family, primarily Ki-woo. 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. as Yeon-kyo ( Mr. Park's wife ), Choi Woo-shik It perfectly encapsulated each moment of the film, whether it was absurdist humour, dark humour, escalating tension, or setting the tone for future revelations. Parasite is seamless in the way it shuffles moods, tones and genres, and downright Hitchcockian in the way it manipulates your sympathies. Subscribe for more filmmaking videos like this. The Kims get trapped in the house, hiding under the coffee table when the Parks arrive home. He has good intentions, even if he is dishonest about how he achieves success, and just wants to create a better life for his family. Guen-sae manages to get the jump on Ki-woo after he fails to murderGuen-sae with the rock given by Min. Of the Kim family members, she is the most talented scammer. Parasite dominated the Academy Award, including a Best Picture win. Each character inParasiteis unique, but they definitely differ in levels of intelligence. I could sense my fellow audience members discomfort after the movie ended, and I even made eye contact with my neighbour as both our mouths were agape. 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). Nominated for Best Picture at this year's Academy Awards, this Korean film certainly has a wide fanbase all over North America. The Parks are not immune to Bongs scrutiny though the mother (Cho Yeo Jeong) is portrayed as a truly kind woman whose naivete befalls her, Mr. Park, her husband, can be quite horrible but this is a moment of clarity for Ki-taek, who realizes his family will always be seen as less than by people like the Parks. Although it does not seem likely, Ki-Woo claims he will get admission into an elite university and marry Da-Hye. The film is packed with social commentary, thrilling moments, and plenty of meaty writing worthy of a full Parasite movie analysis. The main themes are capitalism, deception, and violence. So how do critics convey when a film truly is unexpectedly, brilliantly unpredictable in ways that feel revelatory? Parasite Character Analysis (Avoiding Spoilers) Living in a state-of-art mansion. 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. GradeSaver, 21st Century Haves, Haves-not: Bong Joon-Ho's Commentary on Contemporary Class Divide in Parasite. The musty smell follows Ki-Jung wherever she visits, revealing her poverty. The Kim family, living in poverty, struggles to make ends meet by doing menial jobs such as folding pizza boxes for a local pizza shop. Copyright 1999 - 2023 GradeSaver LLC. But if you dig down deep enough, you can find each characters narrative function, and that can become a lens through which you develop the players in your stories. It is his success in passing as a competent English tutor that allows him to invite Ki-jeong into the home and so on. The Parks seem to be happy too. I tried to avoid it. It is somehow, and Im still not even really sure how, both joyous and depressing at the same time. She does an excellent job getting the house back in order before the Park family returns and discovers Moon-gwang and her husband, but she's unable to stop what's coming by then. 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. What is Parasite about? She is easily deceived by Ki-jeong's framing of the Park family chauffeur as explained by Dong-ik. This movie has a major twist midway, so please dont spoil the movie for yourself and please catch this in the cinema! As Ki-woo first arrives at the Park house, were treated to an awe-inspiring view of the front lawn an immaculately manicured space with trimmed hedges and trees surrounding the perimeter. Maybe its the crazy eyes, the receding hairline, the fact that he manually presses buttons on the bunker wall to turn on individual lights on the entrance staircase into the house (to show his gratitude towards Mr Park for providing for him, but giving the Parks the impression that the lights at the staircase were always sensor lights), or just plainly the fact that hes a fucking mole person hiding out in someones house. The two teenage children, Ki-jeong (Park So-Dam) and Ki-woo, are scrambling around the house trying to get a WiFi signal as the neighbour that they usually leech WiFi off had wised up and made it password-protected. For Part 1, to read the Scene-By-Scene Breakdown discussion, go here. Its here we can clearly see how money and richness have made the Parks blind and naive. At the start of the film, we are introduced to the Kims, a family struggling to live under impoverished conditions. These papers were written primarily by students and provide critical analysis of Parasite by Bong Joon-ho. RELATED: 5 Reasons Why HBO's Parasite Is A Good Idea (& 5 Why The Movie Should Be Left Alone). The series of events that unfold are so atypical and subtly interconnected that its only after the film that you would start to recall the small hints of foreshadowing or plot lines set up earlier on in the film. After their home is flooded, Ki-taek tells his son that it is best to never have a plan, since plans never work out the way one expects. After waking up in the hospital, he and his mother are charged and put on probation. Ki-woo hasnt yet executed the vision, recalling his fathers earlier advice that the only way to fulfill a plan is to not make one at all. The only truly faultless character in the film is the young Park Da-song. She leaves her panties behind in the Parks car as shes being driven home by their original chauffeur, causing Mr and Mrs Park to fire him on the assumption that he had been doing the deed in their car. All unemployed, Ki-taek's family takes peculiar interest in the wealthy and glamorous Parks for their livelihood until they get entangled in an unexpected incident. These papers were written primarily by students and provide critical analysis of Parasite by Bong Joon-ho. For example, Mr Park making callous comments at the expense of the Kim family which eventually lead to him getting stabbed, Mr Park pressuring Mr Kim to make a fool of himself at Da-songs birthday party with the threat of money, and the Parks only concerning themselves with Da-songs seizure despite the fact that Ki-jeong, someone who works for the Park family, had been stabbed at the birthday party. Elevation clearly equates to status; the parks have a multi-level home at the top of the hill while the Kims live below street level in a semi-basement, and the surprise 3rd party lives deep underground in a sub-basement. Profession art tutor. Even though the film audience is treated to a scene of this happening, it is never confirmed whether it does as we ambiguously end the film back in the Kims tiny basement apartment and Ki-woo writing the letter. Parasite Analysis: Navigating the Shift At its exact mid-point, Parasite undergoes a massive tonal shift. For some Parasite movie analysis straight from the auteur himself, check out this scene breakdown from Bong Joon-ho. With Ki-jeong dead, Ki-woo, recovering from brain damage, obsessively returns to observe the house from afar. Very soon, the Kims also manage to displace the longstanding housekeeper to make room for Mrs Kim to join the operation. The operatic music and effects when Mrs Park spotted Moon-kwang coughing into a tissue as she ascends the stairs into the house. No. as Ki-jung ( Ki-taek's daughter ), Chang Hyae-jin Bonus points: sharing my fave moments only, because every scene in the movie is priceless. characters are most like you. 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. The real Parasite movie ending is more bleak and, unfortunately, more realistic. I noticed that the house, the main setting for the plot, is always perceived by the audience in wide shots to show the expanse of space available. As with every film, everyone is entitled to their own opinion, so my interpretation here may be different from yours. Ki-jung begins working for the parks under the guise of an art-therapy teacher. Moon-kwang reveals that a large cabinet in the basement is actually hiding the entrance to a secret underground bunker, where her husband (Park Myung-hoon) had been living in secret the past few years. GradeSaver "Parasite Characters". 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. If you are interested in reading through the rest of the script, you can find it below. Alongside actor Choi Woo-sik, he explains the significance of production design elements from the beginning of the film, such as the cultural context of scholars stones in South Korea and the idea of distant hope conveyed by the semi-basement window. Parasite is a South Korean movie from 2019 filled with numerous themes, all being the fault of a patriarchal and hierarchical society we have created. Hes skewered classicism in all of his films to some degree. 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