For Part 2, to read the Plot discussion, go here. 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. "Parasite" concludes where it begins, in the semi-basement apartment. These papers were written primarily by students and provide critical analysis of Parasite by Bong Joon-ho. For Part 2, to read the Plot discussion, go here. The only thing I can think of is that the original housekeeper was in contact with the original tutor of the family. Each has their own distinct backstory, personality, world view, and voice. 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. Their credentials were just as questionable as hers were. to infiltrate rooms in . Since then, the Park family had never spent Da-songs birthday in the house. With its overwhelming plot and acting, this motion picture retains a long-lasting effect and some kind of shock. He is also a writer for Vulture, The Playlist,The New York Times, and Rolling Stone,and the President of the Chicago Film Critics Association. 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. You would have never expected that the spacious, minimalist living room would having sufficient hiding spots for the Kim family, but they make do, truly living up to the cockroach analogy used by Mrs Kim earlier on as the Kims scatter and hide at the first sign of danger. The Kim father and children quickly take cover as Mrs Kim decides to let Moon-kwang in. It seemed intentional that the director lingered on this frame for a moment, hinting at a more sinister development to come. The topic of class is one that Bong Joon-ho has a clear fascination with. 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. Living in a musty semi-basement in the slums of Seoul, South Korea. After struggling to make ends meet folding pizza boxes for a local pizza restaurant, the Kims are visited by one of Ki-woo's wealthier friends, Min-hyuk, who offers to refer him to a job tutoring for a wealthy family, the Parks. The film centers on two families, one poor and one rich and the interactions between them that end explosively. The Kims return to find that their apartment has flooded with sewage water and try to rescue whatever valuables they can, including the fortune rock gifted to Ki-woo. I left the cinema with my heart racing thats just how impactful this movie was. 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 . So how do critics convey when a film truly is unexpectedly, brilliantly unpredictable in ways that feel revelatory? 21st Century Haves, Haves-not: Bong Joon-Ho's Commentary on Contemporary Class Divide in Parasite Wikipedia Entries for Parasite Introduction Plot Cast Production Themes and interpretations The Kim family is destroyed; Ki-jung is killed, Ki-woo is left brain-damaged, and Ki-taek is forced into hiding after he snaps and acts out a classism-driven murder in the chaos of the birthday party. ki-woo's sister, smart and tough, gains the upper hand with mrs. park by expressing expertise and confidence, says she . Bong Joon-ho displays a mastery over genres and tones with this mid-point shift. She is easily deceived by Ki-jeong's framing of the Park family chauffeur as explained by Dong-ik. He is obsessed with keeping his employees controlled and hates nothing more than when one of his charges "crosses the line." Not affiliated with Harvard College. Moon-gwang begs Chung-sook not to say anything to the Parks, but Chung-sook threatens to tell them. Now he leads a pleasant life in the mansion with his wife Yeon-Kyo and two children. Its here where we can finally analyse who is the parasite in the film, and who are the antagonists? Script Analysis: "Parasite" Part 3: Characters | by Scott Myers | Go Into The Story Write Sign up Sign In 500 Apologies, but something went wrong on our end. 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. Of the Kim family members, she is the most talented scammer. Mr Kim is visibly affected, even sniffing his own shirt. Get entertainment recommendations for your unique personality and find out which of 5,500+ Parasite Character Analysis (Avoiding Spoilers) Living in Park family's beautiful mansion in the wealthy neighborhoods of Seoul, South Korea. To take advantage of all of CharacTours features, you need your own personal Bong Joon-ho 's masterful film Parasite is a wicked and brutal satire about wealth disparity. Chung-sook is framed as deceiving the family by hiding a dangerous illness. Some time ago, she and her husband purchased the beautiful mansion from its architect. After expressing some doubt at the lies he would have to sell to land the tutoring gig, Ki-woo enlists the help of the artistic Ki-jeong to forge university papers for him in order to land the job. "Parasite"is so perfectly calibrated that theres joy to be had in just experiencing every confident frame of it, but then thats tempered by thinking about what Bong is unpacking here and saying about society, especially with the perfect, absolutely hauntingfinal scenes. It's a movie of extraordinary cunning and devastating . Guen-sae manages to get the jump on Ki-woo after he fails to murderGuen-sae with the rock given by Min. This simple, comedic entry sets up the level of poverty that the Kim family faces. The rest of the family hides as Chung-sook lets her in and Moon-gwang reveals a bunker in the basement of the house, a lair that was installed by the architect who built it, and which even the Parks have no knowledge of. Follow along with the Parasite script as StudioBinder is used to recreate what the actual script breakdown may have looked like. The next day, the Kim family is invited back to the Parks as they decide to throw a birthday party for Da-song. Your email address will not be published. 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. 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. Moon-kwangs husband escapes up the basement and into the house. 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. describe ki-jung. 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. Screenplay by Bong Joon Ho and Jin Won Han, story by Bong Joon Ho. As Moon-kwangs husband and Mrs Kim struggle, Mrs Kim manages to stab Moon-kwangs husband through the abdomen with a skewer. There are plenty of subtle, comedic moments in the film that gave me a good chuckle, and some even managed to get a LOL from me. These papers were written primarily by students and provide critical analysis of Parasite by Bong Joon-ho. It perfectly encapsulated each moment of the film, whether it was absurdist humour, dark humour, escalating tension, or setting the tone for future revelations. I think that everyone, particularly the Kim family and Moon-kwangs family, showed parasitic behaviour. 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. Moon-Gwang has been living in the mansion as the architect's housekeeper since it was first built. Ki-woo prepares a letter in response, swearing that he would work hard to earn enough money to eventually buy the house and free his father. It is a rather short-sighted one on his part because not only does Ki-woo end up pursuing Da-hye, but he ruins any possible opportunity to tutor for the Park family again. To download a PDF of the breakdown for Parasite, go here. The visual effects Down in the basement is Geun-sae, Moon-gwang's husband, who is hiding from loan sharks there. The family seems to be a tight-knit, supportive group. What they dont realise is the effects their actions have. Why he trusts Kim Ki-woo given what we know and learn about him is a valid question. Moon-kwang herself is a suspicious character; she must definitely be unhappy with Mrs Kim for being her replacement (although shes unaware that it was due to the Kims meddling that got her fired), but why did she have to visit the house on, of all nights, the night that it was raining cats and dogs? director Bong Joon-hos insightful and engaging comedy/thriller became one of the most talked-about films of the year and set a new precedent for the mark a South Korean movie can leave on United States movie-going audiences. This is especially impressive given how ethnocentric the Academy Awards often unfold, prioritizing English-language films over foreign-language films much of the time. 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. What ensues from this point on is a chaotic, discordant frenzy, where the tension set from the moment we discover the hidden bunker never eases. However, she has no ill intentions, and can even be credited for saving Ki-woo after he was attacked by Moon-kwangs husband. Lets shift gears from a Parasite summary to a Parasite movie analysis. Bonus points: sharing my fave moments only, because every scene in the movie is priceless. The local pizza shop informs the Kims that one in four of the pizza boxes they folded were faulty and could not be used. Hes going to get his whole family into this house. Chung-sook is the matriarch of the Kim family. These two powerhouse awards ceremonies rarely overlap and are comprised of entirely different audiences and judges and with entirely different viewing criteria and preferences. And by the time she's left the Park family home, she is already making her next play by taking off her underwear and hiding them discreetly, but not so discreet that they can't be found by Dong-ik. After waking up in the hospital, he and his mother are charged and put on probation. 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. For more Parasite movie analysis, check out our article on how Bong Joon-ho creates meaning through set dressing. Although it does not seem likely, Ki-Woo claims he will get admission into an elite university and marry Da-Hye. Create robust and customizable shot lists. Grabbing the knife Geun-se wielded, Ki-taek stabs Mr. Park and runs away. The Park family is also blissfully unaware that the Kims are all related, but the observant young Park son, Da-song (Jung Hyun-joon) notices that all the new hires smell the same. Ill do my best because Bong Joon-hos Parasite is unquestionably one of the best films of the year. At its exact mid-point, Parasite undergoes a massive tonal shift. This causes Da-song to faint, and Mr. Park (Lee Sun Kyun) immediately demands that Ki-taek drive them to the hospital instead of tending to Ki-jung. I just felt that frankness was right for the film, even though it's sad." 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. For Part 3, to read the Character discussion, go here. As Da-song faints in fear, Mr. Park yells at Ki-taek to throw him the car keys, so that they can take Da-song to the hospital. Just as he called Snowpiercer his film about class revolution set in a dystopia his "hallway movie," he has called Parasite his "stairway movie." It is an upstairs-downstairs film that. Surprisingly, Ki-Woo turns out skilled in his artifice: as Ki-Woo explains, "I dont consider this a crime. The crime of the Park family is being unsympathetic, rude and selfish, despite their niceties and naivety. They didn't fold the Pizza boxes correctly. 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. With Ki-jeong dead, Ki-woo, recovering from brain damage, obsessively returns to observe the house from afar. Moon-gwang is the Parks' first housekeeper, a holdover from the house's first owner, the architect who built it. The characters are a reason for the success and we've ranked how smart they are. The Parks suddenly call, informing Mrs Kim that they would be arriving home in 8 minutes. The metaphorical themes are presented in as literal a way as possible with the act of this stabbing. describe ki-woo. This article was published more than3 years ago, Note: This story, as one might assume from its headline, contains major spoilers for Parasite.. Ki-jeong, Ki-woos sister, is the main brain behind the scam operation that brings in the rest of her family into the Park residence. 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. Mr Kim and his children continue to hide under the living room coffee table as Da-song camps outside in the lawn, determined to have his birthday camping trip and probably fearful of returning to the house on his birthday. Today and maybe forever the Kims remain underground. He also meets Da-hye, the flirtatious teenager he will be tutoring, and Da-song, her younger brother, for whom Mrs. Park is trying to find an art tutor. Honestly, it may be a tie between Dong-ik and Yeon-gyo here as they both fall for the deceptions of Ki-jeong and the rest of the Kim family. This review was filed from the Toronto International Film Festival on September 7th. Very soon, the Kims also manage to displace the longstanding housekeeper to make room for Mrs Kim to join the operation. In a trance-like state as his daughter is bleeding out on the ground, Mr Kim is triggered by Mr Parks balking at the stench and fatally stabs him in the chest before running out the house. To download a PDF of the breakdown for Parasite, go here. Parasite was not just the first South Korean film to win the foreign language prize at the Oscars but also the first foreign language film from any country to win the overall best picture prize. Yeon-gyo is a well-meaning mother and wife, but she's rather gullible. When a writer does their best, digging deep into their characters, tapping into their souls, the players in our stories magically lift up off the printed page and come to life in a readers imagination. 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. When a fluke of luck gets the son, Ki-woo (Choi Woo-shik), a job as an English tutor for the wealthy Park familys daughter, the lives of the two families start to intertwine in comedic, dramatic, and eventually, disastrous ways. Dong-ik isn't a terrible guy, but he isn't a great one either. 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). Parasite dominated the Academy Award, including a Best Picture win. 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. account. Please enable Javascript and hit the button below! The clean, empty spaces of the Park home contrasted against the tight quarters of the Kim living arrangement isnt just symbolic, its visually stimulating without ever calling attention to itself. 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. I was disappointed to find that not many people had done an in-depth analysis on the film, but thats what Im here for! Living in a small, musty semi-basement in the slums of Seoul, South Korea. Living in a small, musty semi-basement in the slums of Seoul, South Korea. Mr Kim, already an accepting and adaptable character, was unknowingly triggered by Mr Parks reaction to Moon-kwangs husband as his pent-up resentment comes crashing through. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Your email address will not be published. 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. I left the cinema around 2am reeling and shookt, and was still desperately Googling and researching for the films reviews and analyses two hours later. He almost outs the Kim family on their scheme when he realizes that both Ki-taek and Chung-sook smell the same. 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