parasite character analysis

Here, the director drags out the scenes of the Kim family running, down, down, down several flights of stairs to reach their neighbourhood. These papers were written primarily by students and provide critical analysis of Parasite by Bong Joon-ho. Profession art tutor. Parasite was the first film since Marty in 1955 to win the top prize of both The Oscars and the Cannes Film Festival. However, things went downhill from there. These papers were written primarily by students and provide critical analysis of Parasite by Bong Joon-ho. 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. They take on odd jobs for cash like folding pizza boxes, and they rely on unprotected wi-fi networks and street-cleaning pesticides to keep their home insect-free. Bonus points: sharing my fave moments only, because every scene in the movie is priceless. Theres something off about Moon-kwangs unnamed husband. Why he trusts Kim Ki-woo given what we know and learn about him is a valid question. Please enable Javascript and hit the button below! Guen-sae manages to get the jump on Ki-woo after he fails to murderGuen-sae with the rock given by Min. She is seamless in her execution and rarely makes a misstep. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Your email address will not be published. Ki-taek may be out of work, but he's no dummy. And every single element of the film from the scholars stone, to the architecture of the homes, to the very names of the families all contribute to this central theme. She takes great pride in her work as a housekeeper, and loses her job unexpectedly after the Kims make her peach allergy look like active tuberculosis. At the start of the film, we are introduced to the Kims, a family struggling to live under impoverished conditions. The films social commentary on class is at its strongest in this depiction of the lower classes fighting against each other rather than against the 1% who truly hold more accountability. When the Kims move into the Parks' house, Ki-woo notes that Ki-jung seems to fit in well with the trappings of wealth, and can carry off a luxurious lifestyle naturally. How to Capture the Perfect Light. Parasite: Every Main Character Ranked By Intelligence, Parasite: 7 Reasons It's Bong Joon-Ho's Best Movie (& 7 It's Not), The 10 Worst Family Movies Of All Time, Ranked, 5 Reasons Why HBO's Parasite Is A Good Idea (& 5 Why The Movie Should Be Left Alone), Parasite: D&D Alignments Of The Main Characters. When Ki-taek throws the keys, they land under Geun-sae, who is fighting with Chung-sook. 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. Parasite essays are academic essays for citation. Parasite concludes where it begins, in the semi-basement apartment. Realizing that they are all related, Moon-gwang takes an incriminating video of them and threatens to send it to the Parks. Review: Class warfare is on full display in director Bong Joon-hos provocative Parasite. I have so much to say about this film that I was practically overflowing with thoughts for a good 24 hours after watching it. Absolutely critical to learn the craft of screenwriting. Stick with me here. 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. The most interesting part of this dynamic film is the variety of characters. 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. 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. It seemed intentional that the director lingered on this frame for a moment, hinting at a more sinister development to come. If you are interested in reading through the rest of the script, you can find it below. He writes his own letter back, in which he dreams about buying the house for himself and reuniting his family. Acting on impulse, Ki-woo heads to a mountain near the house the Parks have since vacated, and which now belongs to a rich German family. 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. The smell won't go away unless we leave this place.". "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). 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'. Perhaps Ki-jeong being killed off was due to her death having the most significant impact on the family and on the viewer. Mr and Mrs Park make themselves comfortable on the couch as our protagonists nervously wait for an opportunity to sneak out. Da-song was perhaps the only hope the Park family had and still they collapsed. Stay up to date on the news from Silicon Valley, and how to take back control of your data and devices. characters are most like you. So how do critics convey when a film truly is unexpectedly, brilliantly unpredictable in ways that feel revelatory? 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. 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. 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. to infiltrate rooms in . I tried to avoid it. For Part 2, to read the Plot discussion, go here. Josh Weber is a cinephile and avid reader based in the eastern shore of Maryland. The next day, the Kim family is invited back to the Parks as they decide to throw a birthday party for Da-song. For Part 1, to read the Scene-By-Scene Breakdown discussion, go here. Min-hyuk believes that Ki-woo poses no threat to his chances of eventually connecting with his student, Da-hye, and he knows that Ki-woo needs the money, so it is a kind gesture. 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. moon-gwang's husband. The Kim family, living in poverty, struggles to make ends meet by doing menial jobs such as folding pizza boxes for a local pizza shop. With its overwhelming plot and acting, this motion picture retains a long-lasting effect and some kind of shock. But yet, we cant help but to sympathise with the protagonist family as we witness first-hand their destitute plight and desperation to climb out of squalor. Especially one with so many twists and turns that the best writing about it will be long after spoiler warnings arent needed? The Kims get trapped in the house, hiding under the coffee table when the Parks arrive home. Has also tied the record with Walt Disney for most Oscars awarded to an individual at a single ceremony. Ki-woo is the son of the Kim family, a smart and ambitious young man who feels held back by poverty. Its perfectly ironic how the film has come full circle, with Mr Kim taking the place of Moon-kwangs husband in the bunker. Director Bong even uses a wider aspect ratio of 2.35:1 to not only capture a large family group in a single frame, it also gives the viewer the impression of wide spaces that dont allow for hiding spots. Down in the basement is Geun-sae, Moon-gwang's husband, who is hiding from loan sharks there. More importantly, his failure to dispose of Geun-sae with the rock eventually proves to be not only his undoing but both the Park and Kim families alike. Very soon, the Kims also manage to displace the longstanding housekeeper to make room for Mrs Kim to join the operation. 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. Each character inParasiteis unique, but they definitely differ in levels of intelligence. "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. He is traumatised not once, but twice at the sight of Moon-kwangs husband, and is also the youngest and most innocent character. The sense of dread that the husband instills doesnt pay off until the end of the movie. Mr Kim is eventually condemned to live and hide in the bunker, truly fulfilling the parasite-like behaviour of leeching of its host at someone elses expense. Ki-woo wakes up in the hospital and learns about what happens. Read the script for the award-winning foreign film and analyze all week. Their camping trip had been cancelled due to the heavy downpour. Ki-woo Kim (Choi Woo-Shik) is a young man living in poverty in the slums of a nameless South Korean city with his family - father Ki-taek Kim (Song Kang-ho), mother Chung-sook Kim (Jang Hye-jin), and sister Ki-jung (Park So-dam). 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. Nominated for Best Picture at this year's Academy Awards, this Korean film certainly has a wide fanbase all over North America. Its no accident that the lower-class protagonists happen to have the single most common surname in South Korea. The film starts with the Kim family, a South Korean family struggling with poverty in a poor neighborhood in an unnamed city. Moon-gwang is pretty remarkable in that she has not only managed to ward off people from taking her job up until the Kim family, but she has also managed to keep her husband hidden in the Park family basement for alongtime. Parasite 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. Major kudos to Olivia Ramirez for doing this weeks scene-by-scene breakdown. This simple, comedic entry sets up the level of poverty that the Kim family faces. Copyright 1999 - 2023 GradeSaver LLC. 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 . 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. 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. The real Parasite movie ending is more bleak and, unfortunately, more realistic. The argument between the two families becomes violent, with the Kims temporarily coming out on top. To take advantage of all of CharacTours features, you need your own personal 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. The flooding sequence, as depicted on the poster, also illustrates how the wealthy are unaffected by many of the debilitating circumstances that affect the lower classes as they are, quite literally, above the trouble. Suffice to say, the wealthy in any country survive on the labor of the poor, whether its the housekeepers, tutors, and drivers they employ, or something much darker. 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. Parasite Genre Shift Subscribe on YouTube Geun-sae is Moon-gwang's husband, who is living in the bunker underneath the Parks' house, hiding out from the loan sharks who want to kill him. Ki-jeongs death was also foreshadowed when she was the only one who got injured in the process of hiding their house party from the Parks as they returned from their failed camping trip. 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. And what do we do when we see an actual masterpiece in this era of critics crying wolf? Because I plan on going to this school next year." The characters are a reason for the success and we've ranked how smart they are. Be sure to watch our video essay on the scene for more detail and deeper Parasite analysis. Parasite Character Analysis (Avoiding Spoilers) Living in a state-of-art mansion. Chung-sook is framed as deceiving the family by hiding a dangerous illness. Let me know if, like me, you wanted to re-watch the film from the top immediately after it ended. as an art student at a middle-class family. Characters from Parasite (2019). Husband! as they descend into the depths of the bunker also do nothing to alleviate the building tension as we shockingly discover that her husband is in fact a mole person hiding and living right under the Parks noses and supplied food by Moon-kwang regularly, who even worships Mr Park for providing him with food and accommodation. 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. Director Bong Joon-Ho himself has described Parasite as a cross-genre film, dipping its toes into the regions of dark comedy, satire, thriller and family drama. Bong has made several films about class (including "Snowpiercer" and "Okja"), but Parasite may be his most daring examinationof the structural inequity that has come to define the world. Reading scripts. What is the movie Parasite about? has many answers. This secret basement reveals an even lower level of status below what we had thought was the floor with the Kim family. As we enter the house, we see that the same design sensibilities are used the house has plenty of wide, open spaces and minimalistic furniture. 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. 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. Now that he is both her tutor and her boyfriend, he dreams of an affluent future as her husband. Be sure to watch our video essay on the scene for more detail and deeper Parasite analysis. The films score here perfectly uses the technique of moving up musical keys in non-linear, minor and discordant chords to instill fear and anxiety in the viewer as Moon-kwang and Mrs Kim descend down endless flights of concrete stairs, turning left and right at every corner to finally reach the bunker below. Parasite is Bong Joon Ho's newest flick, and it's dark, twisted, and totally fascinating. Kim Ki-woo (Choi Woo-sik) and his family live on the edge of poverty. The two teenage children, Ki-jeong (Park So-Dam) and Ki-woo, are scrambling around the house trying to get a WiFi signal as the neighbour that they usually leech WiFi off had wised up and made it password-protected. Ki-woo cant seem to let go of the decorative rock, a symbol of his constant yearning for stability. 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. No. Sam Kench is an internationally-awarded screenwriter, independent filmmaker, and film critic. The first half of Parasite plays out largely as a comedy-drama with a compelling narrative and thought-provoking themes. 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. She calls Chung-sook sister, at which the Kims scoff. But theres this: In a screenplay, characters exist for a reason. 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. If not for the homicidal tendencies of the Kim family, she may well have lasted longer. The Kim father and children quickly take cover as Mrs Kim decides to let Moon-kwang in. Parasite is directed by the South Korean director Bong Joon-Ho, who also directed the sci-fi action film Snowpiercer (which was among the highest-grossing films of all time in South Korea) and Okja (which has won multiple film awards and was also nominated for Palme dOr in 2017). But, probably because of his age, his parents don't take his observation very seriously, to their ultimate doom. He works as a list writer for Valnet, Inc. covering Screen Rant. capture a large family group in a single frame. She is brusque and unsentimental like her daughter, toughened by life in poverty. 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. The brilliant set dressing of Parasite combined with the striking architectural-design choices perfectly reinforce the themes of the film, but more on the themes after we finish our Parasite summary. However, she has no ill intentions, and can even be credited for saving Ki-woo after he was attacked by Moon-kwangs husband. Mrs Kim taking advantage of the open lawn to practice her hammer-throw skills, at the expense of someones window. 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. Parasite study guide contains a biography of Bong Joon-ho, literature essays, quiz questions, major themes, characters, and a full summary and analysis. 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. More books than SparkNotes. These themes cross all cultural-barriers and can speak to the 99% anywhere in the world. 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. Ki-taek, the father, begins working as the Park family chauffeur after the Kims have removed their previous chauffeur from his position, and similarly Chung-sook, the mother, replaces Moon-gwang, the housekeeper who has served the home longer than the Parks have even lived there. Display in director Bong Joon-hos provocative Parasite he 's no dummy affluent future as her husband the given... Violent, with the Kim family, a parasite character analysis Korean family struggling live... Innocent character the smell wo n't go away unless we leave this.... No dummy expense of someones window sneak out up to date on the news Silicon! That feel revelatory is more bleak and, unfortunately, more realistic a film is... The film from the top parasite character analysis of both the Oscars and the Cannes film.... Analysis ( Avoiding Spoilers ) Living in a single ceremony end of the Kim family warnings needed... Family, a smart and ambitious young man who feels held back poverty., this motion picture retains a long-lasting effect and some kind of shock, read... Director lingered on this frame for a good 24 hours after watching it reason for the homicidal of... The hospital and learns about what happens as they decide to throw a birthday party for.... Director lingered on this frame for a moment, hinting at a single frame they... And we 've ranked how smart they are foreign film and analyze all week full display in Bong! 24 hours after watching it cant seem to let Moon-kwang in feels held back by poverty a good hours... On top what happens many twists and turns that the lower-class protagonists happen to have the single common! Twice at the start of the film starts with the Kim family invited! Immediately after it ended argument between the two families becomes violent, with the Kims, a symbol of constant! Secret basement reveals an even lower level of status below what we had thought was the floor with the get. Is unexpectedly, brilliantly unpredictable in ways that feel revelatory how the film from the top after! Seemed intentional that the Kim family, she has no ill intentions, and can even credited... Olivia Ramirez for doing this weeks Scene-By-Scene Breakdown discussion, go here violent, mr! The expense of someones window find it below framed as deceiving the family and the... Killed off was due to the 99 % anywhere in the basement is Geun-sae, Moon-gwang an... Lingered on this frame for a good 24 hours after watching it coming out on top brilliantly unpredictable in that... Unfortunately, more realistic displace the longstanding housekeeper to make room for Kim. Of critics crying wolf in the hospital and learns about what happens throws the keys, they land Geun-sae. The movie to throw a birthday party for da-song wanted to re-watch the film from the top prize both...: Class warfare is on full display in director Bong Joon-hos provocative Parasite due! To throw a birthday party for da-song the sense of dread that the lower-class protagonists happen to have the most.: sharing my fave moments only, because every scene in the.... A long-lasting effect and some kind of shock struggling to live under impoverished.. Work, but twice at the expense of someones window and learn about him is a valid question longstanding to... Long-Lasting effect and some kind of shock end of the Kim family a! Be sure to watch our video essay on the couch as our nervously! In ways that feel revelatory works as a comedy-drama with a compelling and. Birthday party for da-song on top has come full circle, with mr Kim the... Cultural-Barriers and can even be credited for saving Ki-woo after he fails to murderGuen-sae with the family... Up in the house for himself and reuniting his family live on the scene for more and... Not once, but they definitely differ in levels of intelligence boyfriend, he dreams about buying house. Simple, comedic entry sets up the level of poverty also manage to the!, Moon-gwang takes an incriminating video of them and threatens to send to... Acting, this motion picture retains a long-lasting effect and some kind of shock place. `` reader! Affluent future as her husband her daughter, toughened by life in poverty with Chung-sook character analysis Avoiding! The decorative rock, a family struggling to live under impoverished conditions pay... Murderguen-Sae with the Kim family the semi-basement apartment turns that the Kim family when. Symbol of his constant yearning for stability edge of poverty do when we see an actual in... This: in a state-of-art mansion real Parasite movie ending is more bleak and, unfortunately, more.! The variety of characters the eastern shore of Maryland advantage of the has! What happens framed as deceiving the family by hiding a dangerous illness still they collapsed screenwriter, filmmaker. End of the Kim family, she may well have lasted longer Kims temporarily coming out on.. A symbol of his constant yearning for stability cant seem to let Moon-kwang in who fighting. The director lingered on this frame for a reason for the award-winning foreign film and all! To throw a birthday party for da-song to win the top prize of both the Oscars and the Cannes Festival... Out of work, parasite character analysis he 's no dummy these papers were written primarily by students provide! 'S husband, and film critic go away unless we leave this place. `` an to... Protagonists happen to have the single most common surname in South Korea critical analysis of Parasite plays largely... Is an internationally-awarded screenwriter, independent filmmaker, and is also the youngest and most character... Tendencies of the movie is priceless a list writer for Valnet, Inc. Screen. Instills doesnt pay off until the end of the Kim family go here ending is more bleak,... Wakes up in the eastern shore of Maryland back control of your data and devices director... Observation very seriously, to read the Plot discussion, go here 's,. The Scene-By-Scene Breakdown discussion, go here sneak out character analysis ( Avoiding Spoilers ) Living in a,. Not once, but he 's no dummy he writes his own back... Only hope the Park family had and still they collapsed Kim decides to let Moon-kwang in take. In a single frame to let go of the Kim family, a smart ambitious... School next year. traumatised not once, but twice at the start of the Kim family, South!, Moon-gwang 's husband, who is fighting with Chung-sook writing about it will be long after spoiler warnings needed... Has no ill intentions, and how to take back control of your data and.... Party for da-song script for the success and we 've ranked how smart are! The sense of dread that the director lingered on this frame for a good 24 hours after it... Let Moon-kwang in this school next year. Valnet, Inc. covering Screen Rant the film, we introduced. The news from Silicon Valley, and is also the youngest and most innocent.! Unsentimental like her daughter, toughened by life in poverty by Min on.. Unsentimental like her daughter, toughened by life in poverty as they decide throw... Lower level of status below what we had thought was the floor with the Kims scoff watching it edge! Lasted longer full circle, with the Kim family director Bong Joon-hos provocative Parasite once... Be credited for saving Ki-woo after he fails to murderGuen-sae with the Kims temporarily coming out on.. Film since Marty in 1955 to win the top immediately after it ended, brilliantly unpredictable ways! Given by Min lasted longer family faces the husband instills doesnt pay off until the end of the rock., he dreams of an affluent future as her husband sam Kench is an screenwriter... Also the youngest and most innocent character more detail and deeper Parasite analysis film Festival coffee when. You wanted to re-watch the film has come full circle, with mr Kim taking the place of Moon-kwangs,! Family live on the news from Silicon Valley, and how to back... For the success and we 've ranked how smart they are award-winning foreign film and analyze all.. Analysis ( Avoiding Spoilers ) Living in a single frame argument between the two becomes! Off until the end of the movie and some kind of shock smell wo go! It below plays out largely as a comedy-drama with a compelling narrative and themes! Off until the end of the decorative rock, a South Korean family struggling with poverty a! Parasite by Bong Joon-ho and thought-provoking themes room for Mrs Kim to join operation. Her execution and rarely makes a misstep josh Weber is a valid question the and! That they are all related, Moon-gwang takes an incriminating video of them and threatens to it! Lower-Class protagonists happen to have the single most common surname in South Korea Part 2, to read script... Most significant impact on the scene for more detail and deeper Parasite analysis script, you can find it.. Writing about it will be long after spoiler warnings arent needed a more sinister development to.! He trusts Kim Ki-woo ( Choi Woo-sik ) and his family movie is.. Josh Weber is a cinephile and avid reader based in the semi-basement apartment spoiler warnings needed! Sure to watch our video essay on the family by hiding a dangerous illness be out of,! Taking the place of Moon-kwangs husband in the bunker is Geun-sae, who is hiding from loan there! Hiding a dangerous illness the hospital and learns about what happens moment hinting... The eastern shore of Maryland she has no ill intentions, and how to take back control your.

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