First, I must say that I absolutely loved this movie. If I could, I would talk about it forever. I think Bong Joon Ho is a genius and the characters and story he created is so intriguing. So, it is necessary for me to admit my bias towards this movie. However, the 4 Academy Awards Parasite received tells me that I’m not along in my opinions of this film.
If you have not seen Parasite, I highly recommend doing so, but for now I’ll link both a trailer for the film and a synopsis below so you can be caught up for the purpose of this blog post. Otherwise, spoiler alert.
Here’s a pretty good synopsis that breaks down the basic plot points of the film: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt6751668/plotsummary
I think it’s important to say something right now.
Film is fun to watch, create, tear apart and analyze, but it is not the end of the world. Nor is it something that should be stressful. I know from experience that I personally got stressed when I first started learning about film and everything that goes into it. It all seemed like so much and everyone else I saw who was getting started as well acted as though everything and every single small detail in every movie was meant to be analyzed to exhaustion.
For all aspiring filmmakers, take my word for it: no one should every make you feel bad for not noticing subtle details in films. This blog post will consist of small elements and some design choices that add to the overall effect of the film; however, I even had to watch certain scenes and do some research to understand most of these details.Film shouldn’t be stressful. It is art, meant to be enjoyed.
All that aside, I hope you enjoy this blog post. With that, let’s get started.
The most obvious symbolism is shown in the differences between the wealthy Park family and the impoverished Kim family. The opening scene for the movie showcases the environment in which the Kims live: a semi-basement. They are right on the cusp of being completely underground, but the small amount of space they have above ground allows for sunlight to come through and fill them with hope that they can change their bleak lives. On the other hand, our views of the Park family’s home is filled with light. The large floor to ceiling windows constantly allow for a large amount of natural lighting to brighten up their home. The windows themselves can even be said to be symbolic of the differences between the families as the Kims have very small, dirty windows where as the Parks have large, clean windows (cleaned by the staff that they have the money to hire to serve them).
It is also important to note Bong Joon-ho’s decisions in introducing these families to us. When we first see the Kim home, the camera pans downwards from the sunlight and into the darkness where we see Ki-woo. Then, when we are introduced to the Park family for the first time, the camera pans upwards from the darker stairway and towards the sunlight. These differences are subtle at first but as we progress through the movie, the use of light and dark throughout the film stands to differentiate between the two families. Such as when the Kims are staying in the Park home while the Parks are away. A massive storm hits and the entire scene is shrouded in darkness. Although the scene takes place at night, it can be symbolic of how the Kim’s do not belong in the bright, calm life of the wealthy Parks.
This separation is also shown through the families’ respective environments through their surroundings. The Park home is set in a very natural environment, with a large yard with copious amounts of foliage and greenery. On the other hand, the Kims are surrounded by concrete, adding to the lifeless and dull environment in which they live. For the most part, society strives for what is natural, as the unnatural seems off and out of place, which is representative of the status between the two families.
Lastly, the use of vertical orientation in the shots throughout the film is brilliant as the film progresses. Since the Kim family is in a half basement, they are always lower than the Park family, who has to ascend steps before even entering their home. Throughout the movie, we see the Kim family ascend the same steps one by one as they infiltrate their way into the Park home. However, as the movie implies, the Kim family does not fit in and the viewer gets a sense of foreshadowing that this luck will not last for the Kim family. As the movie progresses, we find the old housekeeper and her husband in the basement, watching the Kim family descend the stairs. As they do this, they set off a chain reaction that results in the ultimate demise of their plan to secure a better life for themselves. This element of the movie is noticeable but it isn’t the most important aspect of the film. However, it adds to the overall separation between the families as the Park family is always climbing higher and higher while the Kim family was happy to be above ground, just to trip and fall farther below ground.
The Parks are privileged enough to be able to soar high above the impoverished portion of society we get glimpses of throughout the movie similarly to a plane, flying high above the clouds, a massive gap between them and the poor.
Another highly symbolic portion is the philosopher’s stone that Min gives to Ki-woo and his family as a gift. It is meant to bring good luck to the family, and at first, it seems to do exactly that. However, as the movie moves on, we see the stone float in the flooded half basement home of the Kims. To me, this seemed like a slap to the face for the Kims. It was as if the universe was saying, “here is the luck you asked for. See what it got you? Nothing.” They’re still in the same living situation and still experience the same hardships they did before they got the chance to infiltrate the Park family. As it floats up to the surface of the water, the viewer can get the impression that the stone, along with the hope the family gained from their new jobs, was empty or hollow; that it would not be lasting. However, the next day, we see the stone used against Ki-woo as Geun-se (the housekeeper’s husband) attacks him and then proceeds to stab and kill Ki-Jung (Ki-woo’s sister). The irony of the philosopher’s stone is impactful in Parasite as it represents the desire to hold onto hope among the impoverished portion of society, depicting the lengths they would go to in order to stay alive and achieve a better life.
However, the most important question we are all left with by the end of the movie is who is the parasite. Well, if you were to ask me, the Parasite is actually the Park family. In multiple scenes, we can see both impoverished families taking resources from the Park family (whether money such as from a paycheck, food for the housekeeper’s husband, or the alcohol and small things the families may have taken advantage of while at the house). However, it is very obvious that these families do not take more than they need. At the end of the day, the Park family is not hurt by the things the families are taking. On the other hand, the impoverished families are negatively impacted by the needs and requests from the Park family. When the KIm family loses their home due to a flood, they are called early the next morning and expected to drop everything and attend a birthday party. The Park family benefits from the relationship with the Kim family and for the Kim family, they are ultimately adversely impacted. However, this is all up to debate and meant to be interpreted and analyzed on your own, bringing your own perspective.
Film is all about interpretation. It’s objective for the most part and personally, I think that is what makes it so fun. So again, I urge any aspiring filmmakers to look at film from an objective standpoint, taking the words of others with a grain of salt.
That’s all I have to offer today, but leave a comment with your answer to the question of who the parasite is and subscribe to my blog to be updated on when I post. (Speaking of, I apologize for the delay of this post. As we all know, life happens, but I can promise I’ll have another post within the week and at least on post next week.)
Until then, you can find me looking through the viewfinder, searching for something, perhaps a philosopher’s stone. 🙂
Through the Viewfinder 