About Parasite...
I just finished my second viewing of the now 4-time Oscar winning (including Best Picture) South Korean film Parasite (2019). Now that awards season is officially over, I think it is a good time to reflect on the cultural reset that is Bong Joon-Ho’s masterpiece. Parasite became the first international film to win the big award at the 92nd Oscar awards last weekend. Bong Joon-Ho took the stage three other times winning Best Original Screenplay, Best Foreign Language Film, and Best Director where he had a heartfelt speech paying dues to Martin Scorsese and Quentin Tarantino. Watching the film a second time, I naturally noticed subtle details foreshadowing important plot points. I focused more on the dialogue and found myself dropping my jaw as much as my maiden viewing.
I realized the genius of Parasite does not lie in it’s mise-en-scéne or its crisp editing. Rather its seamless integration of Bong’s main message, into every part of the film. That is the separation of classes, and how different circumstances affect the two much differently. My favorite example of this is after Kim Ki-Taek & company escape the Park’s house during the middle of the night after they suddenly return home from their camping trip. The characters journey back to their semi-basement home and make a continued journey downwards and downwards. First descending the street on which the Park’s live, then down a series of staircases and streets that bring them down to the bottom.
Literally and figuratively, this was a beautiful scene that captured the essence of this movie. Taking advantage of the Park’s to climb to the top of the social ladder, then life balancing everything sending them back down to their poor community to which they can’t escape. The cinematography during this scene was beautiful, taking high angles that showed the scale of the staircases and streets of their journey down. Bong Joon-Ho’s dedication to capturing this vision through the usage of lines, perspective, and dialogue created a feel that was both comical and cruel. Later in the film when Ki-Taek is driving Mrs. Park, she is praising the rainstorm and shows Ki-Taek’s smug expression as the rainstorm destroyed their home. One circumstance, two completely different results.
I must also touch on the cast, who did not get a single nomination for their individual performances at the Oscars. They did, however, win the best ensemble award at the Screen Actors Guild Awards. I thought that Choi-Woo Sik, Kang-Ho Song, and Cho Yeo-Geong could have all been nominated for their performances. This cast elevated the film to new heights with their clever and believable performances. Kim Ki-Taek and his family played their roles so well, the chemistry made me believe they are all family off-screen.
This movie now belongs in my top three of all time, joining Inception (2010) and Three Idiots (2009). There is no doubt that the major tonal shift midway through the film was stellar, turning the joke-filled first hour to an intense drama following the Park’s old housekeeper down to the secret basement. However, I believe it is the constant reminder of the class division that brings this film its brilliance. Parasite winning best picture was a huge moment not only for South Korean Cinema but also for American movie-goers and how we should be open to the great films that exist beyond our borders. I am looking forward to watching the other films nominated in the Best Foreign Language film category.
You should, too.
