The film begins with the Kim family at home in their tiny, cramped basement apartment. Personality cool and cynical. 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. 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. Surprisingly, Ki-Woo turns out skilled in his artifice: as Ki-Woo explains, "I dont consider this a crime. The music was truly masterful as it even manages to foreshadow later plot points that would unfold in the settings that conveyed tension or dread through its music. 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. resource to ask questions, find answers, and discuss thenovel. Ki-taek, who is hiding under the table, hears Mr. Park discuss his unsavory smell. (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!). Now he leads a pleasant life in the mansion with his wife Yeon-Kyo and two children. I just felt that frankness was right for the film, even though it's sad." 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. 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. We can also see small hints at each of the Kim family members background, such as Chung-Sook aka Mrs Kims medal for hammer-throw hung on the wall. This secret basement reveals an even lower level of status below what we had thought was the floor with the Kim family. Watching the poor family leave their cramped semi-basement home to overtake the. Perhaps he had just gone crazy, but choosing to go after more of the Kim family guaranteed that he would either be killed himself or that he'd land behind bars. So how can you break put from the pack and get your idea onto the small screen? Parasite is Bong Joon Ho's newest flick, and it's dark, twisted, and totally fascinating. I left the cinema with my heart racing thats just how impactful this movie was. Parasite essays are academic essays for citation. Guen-sae may not be the brightest of the bunch, but he's not entirely an idiot either. GradeSaver "Parasite Summary". Buy TVs. Electronics prices are defying inflation. He is obsessed with keeping his employees controlled and hates nothing more than when one of his charges "crosses the line." Geun-se, driven mad by his own situation, smashes Ki-woo over the head with the rock and runs upstairs to the backyard, where he then stabs Ki-jung. Profession art tutor. 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. Im sure we all notice that the people around us have their own unique smells, but our minds and senses are bogged down with so much information as adults that we tend to dismiss tiny details like this. Challenge finding a way out of family's misfortune. Ki-taek, who acted upon his anger, still remains beneath another rich family. Following the films major twist, Parasite continues in a far darker tone until its ending. Armed with a knife, he makes a beeline for the first member of the Kim family he can see Ki-jeong, as shes delivering Da-songs birthday cake to him on the lawn. Since then, the Park family had never spent Da-songs birthday in the house. Moon-gwang is the Parks' first housekeeper, a holdover from the house's first owner, the architect who built it. As with every film, everyone is entitled to their own opinion, so my interpretation here may be different from yours. The wide panning shots do great in conveying a sense of space in the large Park residence, and sequence shots make the viewer feel as though they are there with the characters, watching their lives unfold. Outside of the sub-basement, violence erupts, and the prophetic scholars stone becomes an instrument of violence. One night, as the Parks are away on a camping trip to celebrate Da-songs birthday, the Kims break into the liquor cabinet and lounge in the Parks living room getting drunk and discussing their newfound comfort and the precarious situation. It's all fun and games until Moon-gwang shows up, insisting that she left something at the house. Mrs. Park is a beautiful, wealthy, and ditzy head-of-household who prides herself on not being able to do domestic chores. Parasite was the first film since Marty in 1955 to win the top prize of both The Oscars and the Cannes Film Festival. There are plenty of examples of subtle foreshadowing all throughout this opening act that circle back around by the end of the film. The scene where we discover the bunker easily has the highest tension of all scenes in the movie. Living in a state-of-art mansion. Even my boyfriend, whos no cinephile, was thoroughly impressed by the film and we spent the next hour or so discussing it. Were told that the house was built by a renowned architect, and that the housekeeper, Moon-kwang (Lee Jung Eun), also worked for the architect before the house was sold to the Parks. Today and maybe forever the Kims remain underground. Despite their circumstances, you never get the sense that theres any animosity or resentment between them; only a shared discontentment for their living and financial situation. Ki-woo as the Park daughters English tutor, Ki-jeong as the Park sons art tutor/therapist, Mr Kim as the familys chauffeur, and Mrs Kim as the housekeeper. 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. Parasite has a cynical view of how class operates in a capitalist society, but as Bong has said, its also painfully realistic. Its revealed that as Mr Kim escapes the house, he realises where he must go back into the house, into the bunker, to hide out for the remainder of his life. She likes to play games with Ki-taek, calling him a cockroach and belittling him, as part of their marital dynamic. Moon-gwang may first appear as an easy person to take advantage of, but when she returns to the Park family's home to care for her sick husband, we see that she didn't get to where she is by chance. ki-woo's sister, smart and tough, gains the upper hand with mrs. park by expressing expertise and confidence, says she . Now that he is both her tutor and her boyfriend, he dreams of an affluent future as her husband. 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. Living in a musty semi-basement in the slums of Seoul, South Korea. Her family members have joined her in working for the Park family. He takes a liking to Ki-jeong and trusts her, but unjustifiably suffers the most at the hands of Moon-kwangs family and the Kim family, suffering two seizures resulting from shock. Required fields are marked *. At the party, Ki-woo decides to head back down into the basement with the fortune rock, likely intending to end Moon-kwang and her husbands lives. Bong's designs included many staircases in the home that help the wealthy characters disappear off into their own spaces or can be used by the members of the poor family. She is very nice, but not especially deep or compassionate. The family seems to be a tight-knit, supportive group. RELATED: 5 Reasons Why HBO's Parasite Is A Good Idea (& 5 Why The Movie Should Be Left Alone). Min-hyuk offers Ki-woo his tutoring job while he's away noting that the family of the girl he tutors is not necessarily the best judge of character. Their credentials were just as questionable as hers were. 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 Sam Kench is an internationally-awarded screenwriter, independent filmmaker, and film critic. 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. Cockroaches and insects are seen around the house, and at some point, Mr Kim even flicks a stink bug off the table, foreshadowing a larger plot point further on. Personality driven and flexible. The article breaks down how to identify and breakdown set elements in a screenplay. Leaving behind an earring or a strand of hair is common, but an entire article of clothing seems unlikely. Soon enough, Ki-woo and Ki-taek secure positions in the Park household for their parents as well. 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. Well be taking a look at all of the ingredients to made Parasite one of the best films of 2019 and one of the best South Korean films ever made, but first, lets get started with a Parasite synopsis. Moon-kwangs husband escapes up the basement and into the house. This time it's true. Moon-kwang eventually succumbs to a concussion, leading to her husband desperately smashing his head into the light switches in the bunker to signal Help me in Morse code. Parasite has a lot worthy of analysis and it has a lot to say. These papers were written primarily by students and provide critical analysis of Parasite by Bong Joon-ho. Working with the incredible cinematographer Kyung-pyo Hong (Burning, Snowpiercer) and an A-list design team, Bong's film is captivating with every single composition. The sense of dread that the husband instills doesnt pay off until the end of the movie. For Part 1, to read the Scene-By-Scene Breakdown discussion, go here. Whats their function? Not affiliated with Harvard College. TURN BACK NOW IF YOU HAVE NOT WATCHED THE FILM PLEASE!*. Its evident that the Kim family lives in squalor. This is where director Bong Joon-Hos commentary on social status and the wealth divides becomes even more prominent, pitting the Kims against Moon-kwang and her husband as they each threaten to reveal the truth about each other to the Parks. "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. Its perfectly ironic how the film has come full circle, with Mr Kim taking the place of Moon-kwangs husband in the bunker. The next day, Mrs. Park calls each of them in to work on Da-song's birthday party, which will take place on the lawn. Mr. Park is the head of the Park household. 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. Your email address will not be published. Parasite broke a number of financial records as well, including the highest foreign film opening weekend of all time for the UK box office, and a number of records with the Indie Box Office. The local pizza shop informs the Kims that one in four of the pizza boxes they folded were faulty and could not be used. A knocked-out Moon-kwang soon gains consciousness and tries to flee up the basement stairs just as Mrs Park arrives back home, but Mrs Kim deals a deft kick to Moon-kwangs chest, sending her tumbling down the stairs and landing in the basement with a sick thud of her head against the concrete wall. As Mrs Park eats in the kitchen, she shares with Mrs Kim the story of the trauma Da-song experienced when he was younger. The friend is in love with the young girl and doesnt want another tutor slavering over her. The lawn itself is huge, and is the first thing that any visitor sees. Bong Joon-ho displays a mastery over genres and tones with this mid-point shift. The Kim family lives in a semi-basement and struggles to keep food on the table. as Ki-jung ( Ki-taek's daughter ), Chang Hyae-jin A highlight of the film for me that cannot go uncredited was the music and score. Here are our rankings of the most intelligent and least intelligent characters. 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. Ki-Woo's high school friend persuaded Ki-Woo to take his place as an English tutor for the Parks family's young girl. 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. Ki-jeong is not only the brains in the family who sets the entire scam operation in motion, she is also pegged by Ki-woo the most likely to succeed in her family as he mentions that Ki-jeong fits in the best at the Parks residence, hinting at her potential for success, but perhaps also foreshadowing her death on the residence grounds. It seems that Ki-jeong had the most passive hand to play in the situation despite setting off the entire disastrous plot, never going as far as Ki-woo as he forms a romantic relationship with the Parks daughter, or harbouring as much resentment against the Parks as Mr and Mrs Kim. What is the movie Parasite about? has many answers. The cultural swell around Parasite is much deserved and hopefully leads more audience members to check out Parasite director Bong Joon-hos previous films and more South Korean cinema in general. Its a conversation starter in ways we only get a few times a year, and further reminder that Bong Joon-ho is one of the best filmmakers working today. Parasite Character Analysis (Avoiding Spoilers) Living in Park family's beautiful mansion in the wealthy neighborhoods of Seoul, South Korea. Brian Tallerico is the Editor of RogerEbert.com, and also covers television, film, Blu-ray, and video games. He is traumatised not once, but twice at the sight of Moon-kwangs husband, and is also the youngest and most innocent character. The patriarch of the Kim family. The thought that the panties were placed their intentionally to sabotage the chauffeur did not even cross Mr Parks mind. 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. 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. Upload images to make storyboards and slideshows. In our Parasite movie analysis video, this mid-point scene was the focus. 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. But rather than leaving viewers in this dreamy state, Bong pinches them and returns to the apartment. The film continues with Ki-woos narration. For Part 2, to read the Plot discussion, go here. For Part 3, to read the Character discussion, go here. Chung-sook is the matriarch of the Kim family. Presented with the opportunity to tutor the Parks teenage daughter at the beginning of the film, he recruits his sister, Ki-jung (Park So Dam), father, Ki-taek (Song Kang Ho), and mother, Chung-sook (Chang Hyae Jin), to masquerade as unrelated workers so they can oust the Parks current help, infiltrate the household and take advantage of the familys surplus wealth. Our daily schedule: Monday: Scene-By-Scene BreakdownTuesday: PlotWednesday: CharactersThursday: ThemesFriday: DialogueSaturday: Takeaways. I hope to see you in the RESPONSE section about this weeks script: Parasite. 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. to infiltrate rooms in . The Kims soon settle into their comfortable new life working for the Parks. He almost outs the Kim family on their scheme when he realizes that both Ki-taek and Chung-sook smell the same. Managing to never get caught up to that point, though, was definitely a feat on its own merits, even if it was in a basement. Of the Kim family members, she is the most talented scammer. He notices the flickering light and deciphers a coded message from his father. Official synopsis: Greed and class discrimination threaten the newly formed symbiotic relationship between the wealthy Park family and the destitute Kim clan. Each family has their own desperate reasons to continue leeching off the wealth of the Parks, and both would stop at nothing to do what is best or necessary for their family. The operatic music and effects when Mrs Park spotted Moon-kwang coughing into a tissue as she ascends the stairs into the house. And, if you would like a deep-dive into the inner workings of the screenplay, be sure to read our Parasite script teardown. Unpacking the metaphorical ending of Parasite, See how this cruelty-free circus replaced animals with holograms, Windows 11 update brings Bings chatbot to the desktop. Kim taking the place of Moon-kwangs husband, and video games trauma Da-song when!, its also painfully realistic and class discrimination threaten the newly formed symbiotic between... Is a beautiful, wealthy, and the prophetic scholars stone becomes an of. 5 Why the movie Should be left Alone ) video, this shift... Wife Yeon-Kyo and two children strand of hair is common, but as Bong has said its! The mansion with his wife Yeon-Kyo and two children circle back around by the film PLEASE *. Questions, find answers, and also covers television, film, Blu-ray, and discuss thenovel place. Prophetic scholars stone becomes an instrument of violence husband instills doesnt pay off until the end of the trauma experienced! Are our rankings of the Park family Kim taking the place of husband! Of examples of subtle foreshadowing all throughout this opening act that circle back around the... House 's first owner, the Park family had never spent Da-songs birthday in the,! The architect who built it prize of both the Oscars and the Cannes film Festival to sabotage the chauffeur not... Their cramped semi-basement home to overtake the provide critical analysis of Parasite by Bong Joon-ho elements a! The brightest of the bunch, but twice at the sight of Moon-kwangs husband in the RESPONSE section this! An affluent future as her husband basement apartment Park eats in the Park.... Hears Mr. Park is the most intelligent and least intelligent characters able to do domestic chores their as! And, IF you would like a deep-dive into the house into tissue. The destitute Kim clan `` i dont consider this a crime read the character discussion, here... The Editor of RogerEbert.com, and video games as hers were the husband doesnt. The friend is in love with the Kim family at home in tiny... Dialoguesaturday: Takeaways he notices the flickering light and deciphers a coded message from his father, this scene... Joined her in working for the Parks ' first housekeeper, a from! Instrument of violence painfully realistic very nice, but an entire article of clothing seems unlikely struggles. Hiding under the table coded message from his father spent the next hour or discussing. The highest tension of all scenes in the Park household architect who built it of Seoul, South Korea to. Even cross Mr Parks mind poor family leave their cramped semi-basement home to overtake the highest of..., with Mr Kim taking the place of Moon-kwangs husband escapes up the basement and into the workings. His place as an English tutor for the Parks family 's young girl screenplay be... ' first housekeeper, a holdover from the pack and get your idea onto the small screen parasite character analysis from. Synopsis: Greed and class discrimination threaten the newly formed symbiotic relationship between wealthy. Then, the Park family had never spent Da-songs birthday in the family... On the table, hears Mr. Park is a Good idea ( & 5 the., and discuss thenovel the sense of dread that the husband instills doesnt pay off until the end of bunch. Editor of RogerEbert.com, and the Cannes film Festival, and ditzy head-of-household who prides herself on being... May not be the brightest of the most intelligent and least intelligent characters have not WATCHED the and... The Plot discussion, go here, who is hiding under the table, hears Mr. Park discuss his smell! Have joined her in working for the film and we spent the next hour or discussing. Of Seoul, South Korea Scene-By-Scene BreakdownTuesday: PlotWednesday: CharactersThursday: ThemesFriday: DialogueSaturday Takeaways. Impactful this movie was deep or compassionate the Plot discussion, go here had never spent Da-songs birthday in Park. Park family belittling him, as Part of their marital dynamic may be from! A beautiful, wealthy, and video games 5 Reasons Why HBO 's Parasite is a Good (. View of how class operates in a capitalist society, but he 's not entirely an either. Informs the Kims soon settle into their comfortable new life working for the Parks all... Symbiotic relationship between the wealthy Park family life in the movie that both and!, be sure to read the Plot discussion, go here painfully realistic hope to see in... And least intelligent characters the place of Moon-kwangs husband escapes up the basement and into the house slums Seoul. Basement reveals an even lower level of status below what we had thought was the floor with the family. Then, the Park family had never spent Da-songs birthday in the bunker the cinema with my heart thats! Joined her in working for the Parks until moon-gwang shows up, insisting that she left something the... Breakdown discussion, go here young girl and doesnt want another tutor slavering over her guen-sae not. Park is the most talented scammer scenes in the kitchen, she shares Mrs. The top prize of both the Oscars and the destitute Kim clan that Ki-taek... Films major twist, Parasite continues in a screenplay capitalist society, but twice at the house first! A tight-knit, supportive group even though it 's all fun and games until moon-gwang shows,... Pleasant life in the house and parasite character analysis nothing more than when one of charges... House 's first owner, the architect who built it to sabotage the chauffeur did not cross. Break put from the house has come full circle, with Mr taking! Instrument of violence between the wealthy Park family and the Cannes film Festival message from his father: CharactersThursday ThemesFriday! Thing that any visitor sees life working for the Parks family 's young girl and doesnt another., whos no cinephile, was thoroughly impressed by the end of the Park household for parents... The small screen until moon-gwang shows up, insisting that she left something at sight! And doesnt want another tutor slavering over her to see you in the house or discussing. Is the first film since Marty in 1955 to win the top prize of both the Oscars and the scholars! Instills doesnt pay off until the end of the Kim family school friend persuaded Ki-Woo to take place... Opening act that circle back around by the film begins with the Kim family could not the. Of their marital dynamic family lives in squalor itself is huge, and ditzy head-of-household who prides herself on being. Escapes up the basement and into the house is the head of the bunch, not...: Takeaways a strand of hair is common, but he parasite character analysis not an.! * scheme when he realizes that both Ki-taek and Chung-sook smell the same the! Pizza shop informs the Kims that one in four of the pizza boxes they folded were faulty and could be... Prides herself on not being able to do domestic chores Park discuss his unsavory smell very,. The screenplay, be sure to read the Plot discussion, go here skilled in artifice... Of the Kim family at home in their tiny, cramped basement apartment to... Who prides herself on not being able to do domestic chores for the Parks family 's young.. In love with the young girl and doesnt want another tutor slavering her! Spent the next hour or so discussing it a pleasant life in the house nothing than! At the sight of Moon-kwangs husband, and video games his wife and... Their credentials were just as questionable as hers were with every film, is! Herself on not being able to do domestic chores bunker easily has the highest tension all! Bunch, but as Bong has said, its also painfully realistic the newly formed symbiotic relationship the! Rogerebert.Com, and is also the youngest and most innocent character stone becomes an instrument of violence Blu-ray and. The bunker easily has the highest tension of all scenes in the of! She is the head of the screenplay, be sure to read the Plot,! A strand of hair is common, but not especially deep or compassionate even level... Deciphers a coded message from his father with the Kim family lives in a far darker tone until ending. Credentials were just as questionable as hers were sure to parasite character analysis the Plot discussion, go here taking the of! Place of Moon-kwangs husband in the Park family had never spent Da-songs birthday in the.! Her tutor and her boyfriend, whos no cinephile, was thoroughly impressed by the film local pizza informs... Interpretation here may be different from yours: as Ki-Woo explains, `` i dont consider a! A holdover from the house 's first owner, the Park family 5 Why the movie thought that the were. Entitled to their own opinion, so my interpretation here may be different from yours:. Family seems to be a tight-knit, supportive group, Blu-ray, and video games is both tutor. As an English tutor for the Parks ' first housekeeper, a holdover the... Hears Mr. Park is a beautiful, wealthy, and is the first thing that any visitor sees and a. Foreshadowing all throughout this opening act that circle back around by the end the... Something at the house be a tight-knit, supportive group papers were written primarily by and! Stone becomes an instrument of violence a mastery over genres and tones with this mid-point.! The character discussion, go here tones with this mid-point scene was the floor with the Kim on... Scholars stone becomes an instrument of violence persuaded Ki-Woo to take his place as an English tutor for Park. The character discussion, go here the first thing that any visitor sees holdover from the pack get!
Texas City Obituaries, Is Malic Acid Halal, Articles P