Parasita (2019)

Raw and real it’s terrifying!

There might be some spoilers, but mostly, just saying what’s on my heart at the moment.

Every time I finish a movie, there’s a certain feeling of satisfaction or disappointment. Some I finish in tears, but even then, I felt it's just right to end that way. Others, I end up getting disappointed to the point of cursing - demanding for my 2 hrs of wasted time to be given back. But mostly, I end up watching movies I felt very contented with.

Parasite though, it gave me a heavy heart... sitting and watching there for over two hours - how the lives of a family got ruined more than it already was. I don’t blame people for associating the movie with ‘Hell Joseon’ because it certainly was a depiction of it. And let’s face it, it’s not only happening in Korea, but the rest of the world. How the rich get to keep their riches, and the poor keep getting pushed to the edge (if you know what I mean).

Kiwoo’s letter at the end, knowing it was all just wishful thinking and would never come true (based on the theme of the story and well, let’s just say LIFE), only added to my already depressed mood following the tragedy that was called ‘the birthday party’.

Let’s not even get started in talking about justice for Mr. Park and how unfairly he was stabbed in the back (don’t take it literally because you know, he was stabbed in front) but anyway, that’s not my point. My point is, the Park family was nothing but nice. They’re rich, but they treated their workers with humanity. And just because a poor man couldn’t take an insult, he lost his mind and killed a person for it. Is that how cheap life is now? A life for pride? And he was even absolved from persecution because, well, HE FREAKIN' FLED! Can you believe what kind of person he is? I just kept repeating a sentence after this scene - 어이가 없네 (eoiga eobsne)!!!!

It was like a domino of misfortune. The head of the family who was supposed to be the pillar and supposed to protect his family failed at his duty miserably. Not only one, but four innocent lives were sacrificed for nothing. And in the end, nothing has changed.

So, am I recommending this movie? Definitely a yes. It is an eye-opener if you are in your corner refusing to admit the cruelty of life called REALITY. But for those who insist on only seeing fluffy things, skip it.

Leia Mais

I actually had to watch this for ib lit (my fav course ever 🔥🔥) and had only one night to complete it, so I watched it on 3x speed (definitely ruined the cinematic experience for myself).
From the casual movie viewer facet of me, this was honestly a pretty boring watch.
However, from the super critical, analytical deep thinker facet of me, I loved it. To be fair, I love analyzing even the smallest details in literature, so if you’re a fan of literary classics, I’m sure you would absolutely love this drama.

(I’d actually watched this movie a few years ago back when it was super hyped up, but dropped it after the 15 minute mark because I hate movies with manipulative protagonists no matter how warranted or justified their behavior may be. But I mean the title is literally PARASITE for god’s sake, so what was I expecting?)

Leia Mais

Gran película

Puedo entender por qué recibió la atención de la crítica y del público occidental; es una película diferente en general, no sólo por una cuestión regional. El director tomó una decisión muy interesante al ir cambiando el género del film conforme avanza; casi la primera hora es una comedia negra con la que no me dejé de reír, hasta que de pronto todo se desvirtúa y sigue descarrilando. Los plot twists son buenísimos y el ritmo de la película la hace muy entretenida y pochoclera, de esas con las que vas reaccionando a todo lo que pasa y la re vivís.

Además de su humor negro, hay momentos extremadamente incómodos y turbios que me encantaron, con una toma en particular que amé porque me perturbó en serio, algo que no me suele pasar. Me gustó cómo está filmada, la paleta de colores y los espacios. Las actuaciones son excelentes y las críticas sociales que se hacen por medio de paralelismos son tan obvias que es imposible no notarlas.

Estoy muy agradecida de no haberme espoileado nada, puesto que realmente es una de esas películas que funcionan por el impacto de la experiencia al verlas por primera vez, ya que el guión es MUY lineal y no hace falta estar conectando cuestiones que pasan previamente con lo que se sucede luego. "Parasite" es como una montaña rusa que la primera vez que te subes viene todo el impacto del recorrido. La segunda vez ya sabes qué es lo que espera y por ende el factor del impacto desaparece, ergo ese elemento emocionante no está, pero igualmente sabes que ese fue un recorrido espectacular y una atracción que recomendarías a cualquiera.

Leia Mais

Parasitic Society Metaphor

Ominois and claustrophobic movie telling the story of a poor, low class family using their wits to con their way into getting what they want such as employment, their employers' house and wealth, the way upper class people lives, etc.

It depicts the judgmental gullibilty of this rich family made them an easy target for the cons. Oddly, none of the characters in this film will make you feel love or sympathy for them.

This film was done in a way that deserved an 8 minutes standing ovation in Cannes Film festival. Although it is not my kind of film to watch, due to the hype, it got me interested enough to devote my undivided attention and it didn't fail me.

Whatever genre of films you enjoy, I suggest giving this film a chance and see for yourself the reason why it garnered so much award and attention internationally.

Leia Mais

Statement on social class divides

Parasite is one of deepest films I have ever seen and of course it was written and directed by Bong Joon-Ho. There is a reason why it was nominated and won so many awards.
At first glance Parasite is just a typical good movie exploring the difference in dynamics between a rich family and a poor one and the clashing that occurs between them. However, if you really delve into the details and symbolisms that Bong Joon-Ho carefully curated in this film there is so much more to be uncovered namely the pointing out the broken system which perpetuates the divide between the upper social class from the lower one. I think that in order to grasp all the details rewatching the movie is a necessity and even one re-watch might not be enough.
A detail that I just learned is that Bong Joon-Ho actually wrote this film based on his own experience tutoring an upper class family, obviously not the entire plot.



**************************Spoilers and analysis from here******************************
-
-

As I said before Parasite is a reflection of the struggles and clashes between rich and poor and the end of the film shows the harsh reality that poor families are not able to rise from their low status no matter how hard they try because of the broken social system.
Here are some symbols and key themes that Bong Joon-Ho uses throughout the film to express these ideas. (Also comment more themes/ analysis you saw in the film. I'm curious to hear other thoughts!)

The most famous being Ram-Don/Chapaguri:
It's a combo of Neoguri and Chappagetti korean instant ramen noodles (very inexpensive). But the Park family adds steak, this shows the drastic difference in social status between the poor Kim family who probably would rarely be able to afford expensive quality meats to add to their instant noodles as a snack.

High/Low Ground and Water to signify rich vs. poor:
Water runs downwards from low to high. The poor people live in semi-basement apartments, they are drowning in society and this physically happens in the film. Ki-Jung says in the film that there is no way to escape the basement smell (poverty) unless they leave the basement (get rich). However, the semi-basement apartments still has partial sunlight (they have hope). The rich house is on high ground, there are stairs leading up to the house and in the movie we see a scene where Kiwoo is reading on the lawn in the full sunlight.
When we are introduced to the true basement we see the stark contrast to the other two houses. This place has no natural light (no hope) the house keeper family acknowledges that they are poor. This is contrasted with the Kim family who attempts to act sophisticated, Kiwoo's mom denies being anything like the house keeper when she tries to suggest that the two of them are the same.
And then at the end of the movie we see Kiwoo's father is forced to retreat to the basement.

Scholars Stone:
It is mostly a collectors item, given to the Kim family from Kiwoo’s rich friend
symbolic of Kiwoo’s innermost desires to become rich like his friend (Min) and join the world in the sunlight (rich), it rises in the water when their house floods unnaturally as rocks are heavier than water (eggs on their desires). The rock is also very ironic and symbolic as it is a blow to the head from this rock that knocks out Kiwoo. In the ending scenes in Kiwoo’s dream to become rich he is shown placing the rock in a river bed with many other rocks seemingly indistinguishable symbolizing that he has reached his goals and no longer sees the rock as meaningful he has reached his goal of joining the upper class. This can be compared to the scene following the flooding of their home in the emergency shelter where he is desperately holding the stone and the beginning where he and his whole family are fawning over the gift.

The Knife at the Birthday Party:
This is probably the most simple theme but the idea that Death doesn't discriminate between rich an poor. The Knife ends up killing both Kiyung and Mr. Park.

Soju:
Kiwoo and Min, his friend who gave him the job, share soju which is a type of Korean alcohol as I'm sure many of you know. Soju is cheap therefore it is accessible to even poor families like the Kims. It shows Min’s humility compared to the Park family. He is rich as well but sees Kiwoo as more equal.

Leia Mais

Absurd, twisted and deliciously dark family saga.

The gap between the poor and the rich is depicted with sharp humor, unexpected twists and a lot of darkness in Bong Joon-ho's Parasite. It's a lovely black comedy about the most twisted household since Dogtooth.

Despite unemployment and poverty, Ki-taek and his family manage to keep their spirits up. Mom, dad and two soon-to-be-grown children are crammed into a shabby basement in a run-down alley, constantly looking for odd jobs and free wifi. The family doesn't have much, but they have a nice cohesion, cordial jargon and ambitions for a better life.

When the son Ki-woo receives a tip about a job with a rich family, the possibilities for an extra income open up. With a forged university diploma, he gets a job as an English teacher for the Park family's teenage daughter. Also living in the luxurious villa is a businessman, his housewife, a quiet guy who mostly expresses himself through drawings, and the housekeeper who keeps everyone in order.

Ki-woo soon seizes the chance to arrange a job for his sister, Ki-jung, as the boy's "art therapist". He advises Mrs. Park of "a talented acquaintance," who is "probably very busy," but he will do his best to arrange a meeting. On false credentials and with made-up names, both siblings have soon tricked themselves into employment with the wealthy family.

How long can they keep up the lies, and how far can the charade go? This is just the beginning of a twisted scenario that Bong Joon-ho (Snowpiercer, Okja) has so masterfully directed. Here is the DNA of both the Sune family and the absurd Greek Dogtooth (2009) from Yorgos Lanthimos. While Parasite feels completely original, never predictable, and impossible to put into a single genre box.

Comedy and tragedy go hand in hand through Bong's twisty corridors, and you never know what awaits around the next corner. Parasite is a film that is best experienced without knowing anything in advance. It's an entertaining story that grabs me early on with its delightful humor, and then just tightens its grip more and more as the film goes on.

Not entirely unsurprisingly, the director also talks about the gaps between those who have money and those who have none. You can see the film as a commentary on a society where the poor take desperate measures to climb out of their misery, and where the rich turn a blind eye to what is happening in the outside world. Bong Joon-ho has made one of the best movies of 2019, and I'm loving every second of it!

Leia Mais

Dark and deep

Like, really, this discrimination against the lower classes is bothersome and disgusting. Though I only have a few dialogues that I liked, the bottom line of the story, I think lies in the characters' attitudes and the setting itself. This family is on a whole other level of racking their brains. If this family living in poverty is so desperate to live, just to live, and so are the other impoverished families. But it's sad to affirm that the scene where Kim Gi Wu's family was fighting against Guk Mun Gwang and her husband, is the situation of many of the indigents. Poor versus poor, while the rich remain unbothered is a real thing in our society. If pulling each other down is an individual's solution then it would never work out. Sometimes people get too blinded by the idea of being comfortable that they would take chance to commit some things, not deeply comprehending how it would affect the other party. Yes, that's because they want survival, and it's their choice, but why choose to survive alone when you both can survive together, just with cooperation.

That's one of the points the movie is trying to point out, I suppose. Another scene is the erotic one, that's the turning point, they started to realize that they were opposed to the wrong enemy. This adds up to the meaning of the title parasite and how intensely linked it is to the storyline. The needy people all gaining from the host (rich). They were the parasites, but they had to taint each other's hands with blood to gain better.

And the part when Mr. Park was sickened of the blood is so horrifying. A rich person, who did not care if someone died because of the rivalry for his riches, is apathetic, cruel. He obviously did not care about anyone. He only wanted a comfortable living with his family. Not in a bit, empathetic.

The poor can be greedy, the middle class can be greedy, and the rich can be greedy. No exceptions. No matter how poor you are, once you step upper in the ladder, you will want more. No matter how rich you are, you will aim for more. Money isn't the solution happiness is, but if money is your happiness you will never be happy.

I was only thrilled once, the acting was superb as I hated whom I was supposed to hate. The climax left me perturbed. The only reason I didn't rate this a solid because I wasn't feeling the thrill more than I should be feeling it. Besides, the genre is a black comedy, thriller. I had picked up messages from this movie, which is better enough since I always call a movie "superb" if it's meaningful. Sure enough, this movie is meaningful.

Leia Mais

Una joya del cine coreano, así debo describir a esta película que ha hecho historia y es parte de la historia coreana.
Ya he dicho en varias ocasiones que el director Bong Joon Ho es mi director coreano favorito y considero que Parasite es uno de sus mejores trabajos. El director suele hacer producciones con crítica social pero sin que sea muy obvio, y eso es lo que ha traído una vez más con Parasite.
La historia ya de por sí nos muestra dos mundos totalmente diferentes y que se mantienen en cohesión porque se necesitan unos a otros y ya con eso podemos ver la crítica a las clases sociales que presenta la historia. Sin embargo, hay otros detalles de crítica social que son más sutiles. Un ejemplo, y mi favorito, es el agua, un elemento que aparece mucho en la historia. El agua, si vemos atentamente la película, significa cosas diferentes para ambas familias de clases tan diferentes. Por un lado, para la familia rica, el agua es una bendición y algo bueno, ya que como ellos dicen “ha limpiado el ambiente”. Sin embargo, para la familia pobre, el agua es un elemento de desgracia ya que ocasiona la inundación de todo su barrio. También, si nos fijamos podemos ver que siempre que aparece el agua, esta corre de arriba hacia abajo, como indicando que lo bueno que lleva a la familia rica se va cayendo y se va convirtiendo en la desgracia de la pobre.

Leia Mais