Ex-housekeeper Moon-kwang claims that she had left something important behind in the basement and was there to collect it. A major plot driving interaction arrives in the form of Ki-woos friend, who gifts an ornamental rock to the Kim family that can supposedly deliver wealth, and also offers Ki-woo his job as an English tutor for the Park familys daughter as hes travelling overseas. 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. It's all fun and games until Moon-gwang shows up, insisting that she left something at the house. Stay up to date on the news from Silicon Valley, and how to take back control of your data and devices. Ki-taek, who is hiding under the table, hears Mr. Park discuss his unsavory smell. Mr Parks arrogance and distaste for the smell becomes his downfall. 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. Dont buy eggs. Theres something off about Moon-kwangs unnamed husband. 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. A highlight of the film for me that cannot go uncredited was the music and score. The only thing I can think of is that the original housekeeper was in contact with the original tutor of the family. Ki-Woo's high school friend persuaded Ki-Woo to take his place as an English tutor for the Parks family's young girl. And finally, as we discover when the tone pivots from that of a heist comedy to a rather harrowing but still witty thriller, there is the secret set connecting the Parks basement to a bunker where the husband of the familys former housekeeper has been hiding from loan sharks for about four years. Parasite study guide contains a biography of Bong Joon-ho, literature essays, quiz questions, major themes, characters, and a full summary and analysis. 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 at this stage that the film makes you realise that no matter how low on the ladder of destitution the Kim family was (before they got employed by the Parks), there is always someone on the rung below you. 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. Ki-woos friend is actually in love with the Park daughter, proclaiming that he would officially date her once she enters university, and that he trusts no one else to be her stand-in tutor except for Ki-woo. Down in the basement is Geun-sae, Moon-gwang's husband, who is hiding from loan sharks there. When folding the pizza boxes during the fumigation, he is the most determined (cockroach-like behaviour, as explained above) but also the most careless with his actions. As she scurries into the basement escorted by Mrs Kim, the rest of the Kims-in-hiding surreptitiously follow. Parasite essays are academic essays for citation. The young man changes his name to Kevin and begins tutoring Park Da-hye (Jung Ziso), who immediately falls for him, of course. Parasite Summary The film starts with the Kim family, a South Korean family struggling with poverty in a poor neighborhood in an unnamed city. On that fateful day, he ran from the backyard with blood on his hands not Mr. Parks, as one might assume, but his own daughters. As Ki-woo first arrives at the Park house, were treated to an awe-inspiring view of the front lawn an immaculately manicured space with trimmed hedges and trees surrounding the perimeter. Ki-Jung's family was much better off in her childhood when her father owned a cake shop. Why he trusts Kim Ki-woo given what we know and learn about him is a valid question. Lets shift gears from a Parasite summary to a Parasite movie analysis. *MAJOR SPOILER ALERT!!! The crime of the Park family is being unsympathetic, rude and selfish, despite their niceties and naivety. But rather than leaving viewers in this dreamy state, Bong pinches them and returns to the apartment. Parasite Character Analysis (Avoiding Spoilers) Living in Park family's beautiful mansion in the wealthy neighborhoods of Seoul, South Korea. Ki-woo cant seem to let go of the decorative rock, a symbol of his constant yearning for stability. 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. 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. Ki-jung is Ki-woo's sister, a smart and tough young woman who does not suffer fools. 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. 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. Official Screenwriting Blog of The Black List. With Ki-jeong dead, Ki-woo, recovering from brain damage, obsessively returns to observe the house from afar. 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. So how can you break put from the pack and get your idea onto the small screen? But, probably because of his age, his parents don't take his observation very seriously, to their ultimate doom. The Question and Answer section for Parasite is a great It speaks wonders to Parasites accessibility that it was received so well with such widely varying viewers. His sister is dead, his fathers whereabouts unknown. 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. The film is packed with social commentary, thrilling moments, and plenty of meaty writing worthy of a full Parasite movie analysis. After getting referred for a tutoring gig, he orchestrates a plan in which his whole family begins working for the same wealthy family. Mr Kim, tasked with managing Moon-kwang and her husband, struggles to subdue them both in the basement bunker. Parasite tells a story about disparate families, but also about disparate social classes, who are scrambling in a society that doesn't set them up to be protagonists and by default, pushes . 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. The films accolades speak for itself it won the prestigious Palme dOr award at this years Cannes Film Festival, which is an award of the highest order at one of the worlds most renowned film festivals. Here, the director drags out the scenes of the Kim family running, down, down, down several flights of stairs to reach their neighbourhood. Although Ki-Woo lacks the charisma his sister Ki-Jung exhibits, Ki-Woo is an excellent scammer. Leaving behind an earring or a strand of hair is common, but an entire article of clothing seems unlikely. At some points, it seemed that the music didnt match the situation, such as instilling fear or anxiety in the listener when there was really nothing to worry about at the moment, but the sense of foreboding always pays off later in the film. But if you dig down deep enough, you can find each characters narrative function, and that can become a lens through which you develop the players in your stories. The family also laments that the rich are only nice because money is like an iron it irons out all the creases in your life, making life smooth and untainted. 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. Ki-woo pens a letter to his father, fantasizing about his plan to go to college, secure a well-paying job and buy the Parks old house so that his father can live freely. "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. He has always been fascinated by pop culture and film. 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? 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. "Parasite" is a marvelously entertaining film in terms of narrative, but theres also so much going on underneath about how the rich use the poor to survive in ways that I cant completely spoil here (the best writing about this movie will likely come after its released). The real deception is carried out by the Kims, and it works flawlessly. For a moment, it seems as though the jig is up for the Kims as Mr Park is suspicious about the entire situation, but he foolishly chalks up the forgotten panties as a result of the chauffeur taking illegal drugs. You would think that maybe before you hire someone else, you stop to think if maybe your household staff is disappearing faster than usual? Writing Exercise: Think about each character. What ensues is a sneaky ploy on the Kim familys part to slowly insert themselves into the lives (and house) of the Park family as they attempt to build a better life for themselves. It is somehow, and Im still not even really sure how, both joyous and depressing at the same time. Living in a small, musty semi-basement in the slums of Seoul, South Korea. 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. Parasite is seamless in the way it shuffles moods, tones and genres, and downright Hitchcockian in the way it manipulates your sympathies. I had my doubts over who the one would be, but it seems to be Mr Kim. It seemed intentional that the director lingered on this frame for a moment, hinting at a more sinister development to come. Living in a small, musty semi-basement in the slums of Seoul, South Korea. Hence my principle: Character = Function. The film continues with Ki-woos narration. They get Ki-taek a job as Mr. Park's driver, after Ki-jung leaves her underwear in the car to make it look like his previous driver was having a sexual relationship in the car. "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. The film centers on two families, one poor and one rich and the interactions between them that end explosively. This review was filed from the Toronto International Film Festival on September 7th. Ki-jeong is usually one step ahead of Ki-woo and really solidifies getting the Kim family into the Park family home. Like the Park family's young boy, Ki-Woo used to be a Scout as a child. 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. The rock is ultimately Ki-woos downfall. Ki-taek may be out of work, but he's no dummy. After Geun-sae bludgeons him with it, Ki-woo emerges from a coma all the more motivated to ascend the class ladder, buy the Parks' home, and reunite with his father, who is living in the subterranean bunker. We can't blame him too much for developing such trust in Ki-taek that he doesn't see his impending death coming right for him. The entire plot of the film was completely unexpected and otherworldly, giving the audience a great sense of uneasiness and formication. However, she has no ill intentions, and can even be credited for saving Ki-woo after he was attacked by Moon-kwangs husband. The only thing I can think of is that the original housekeeper was in contact with the original tutor of the family. This same subject of class is less overt in Parasite but far more grounded and effectively subtle to the point of never overshadowing the story being told for the sake of its themes. It was definitely worth all the $9.50 (Grab movie voucher for Cathay :P) I spent to get the full cinematic experience, and I would definitely watch it again (once I recover from the mental scars it left on me). 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. These steps are involved in many of the films pivotal moments, including those in the gruesome final act. If he is ever caught, he may suffer the death penalty for committing a murder. Chung-sook takes over as the housekeeper. Absolutely critical to learn the craft of screenwriting. Same thing with script and movie analysis: Look at each character and think about why they exist and what their function is. Maybe you're the one who isn't a good judge of character, Min. For a full deep-dive analysis into how the themes of Parasite were previously tackled in Bong Joon-hos other films, check out this video essay on the subject: The Kim family may be below the Parks in status, but even they can look down on Moon-gwang and her husband. 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. The scene where we discover the bunker easily has the highest tension of all scenes in the movie. Their quest for upward mobility is futile. Mr and Mrs Park make themselves comfortable on the couch as our protagonists nervously wait for an opportunity to sneak out. As silly an instruction this is, the Kim family respects his wishes and starts to comedically choke and cough as the fumes fill up their apartment, with only Mr Kim indifferent to the toxic fumes. Let me know if, like me, you wanted to re-watch the film from the top immediately after it ended. But unlike so many upstairs-downstairs films, theres nuance to Bongs depiction of the lower class, largely because of the addition of the secret bunker. This article was published more than3 years ago, Note: This story, as one might assume from its headline, contains major spoilers for Parasite.. Blood is shed and deaths are cast at the birthday party of the Park familys youngest child. Da-song was so shocked at seeing a strange man creep up the stairs with his bug-eyes wide open that he suffered a seizure, and this trauma also explains for the many creepy portraits that Da-song draws. Ki-jeong manages to gain the trust of the young Da-song, and was even the last person to show compassion towards Moon-kwang and her husband, offering to bring them food when theyre trapped in the basement. It perfectly encapsulated each moment of the film, whether it was absurdist humour, dark humour, escalating tension, or setting the tone for future revelations. The Parks are not immune to Bongs scrutiny though the mother (Cho Yeo Jeong) is portrayed as a truly kind woman whose naivete befalls her, Mr. Park, her husband, can be quite horrible but this is a moment of clarity for Ki-taek, who realizes his family will always be seen as less than by people like the Parks. But rather than simply getting out of the Park house and trying to make it in the outside world, he goes on a rampage at the party for Da-song. Mr Park makes a comment about smelling Mr Kim (who, unbeknownst to him, is literally right under his nose), and complains about the smell that Mr Kim exudes. She likes to play games with Ki-taek, calling him a cockroach and belittling him, as part of their marital dynamic. Moon-Gwang has been living in the mansion as the architect's housekeeper since it was first built. 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. Grew up as an art student at a middle-class family. 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. For example, Mr Park making callous comments at the expense of the Kim family which eventually lead to him getting stabbed, Mr Park pressuring Mr Kim to make a fool of himself at Da-songs birthday party with the threat of money, and the Parks only concerning themselves with Da-songs seizure despite the fact that Ki-jeong, someone who works for the Park family, had been stabbed at the birthday party. account. account. The Parks seem to be happy too. Moon-gwang begs Chung-sook not to say anything to the Parks, but Chung-sook threatens to tell them. The local pizza shop informs the Kims that one in four of the pizza boxes they folded were faulty and could not be used. This vertical comment on status is illustrated cleanly in this alternate poster for the film, without spoiling the sub-basement reveal. 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