Parasite (2019)

Director: Bong Joon-ho

Story: Bong Joon-ho

Cast: Song Kang-ho, Jang Hye-jin, Park So-dam, Choi Woo-shik

Music: Jeong Je-il

Time: 132 minutes

Bottom-line: Darkly funny and hard-hitting; highly impressive

Act like you own the place.

This movie from South Korea – also their official submission to the Oscars for the category of Best International Feature Film – is probably the best film I’ve seen in 2019. The film won the Palme d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival, becoming the first Korean film to do so. Starting off as a comedy, Parasite quickly shifts gears to narrate a dark tale about social classes and greed. If you are a person who easily gets paranoid, chances are that you will fire your maid and driver and any other household help after watching the film. 

With no plan, nothing can go wrong. If things spin out of control, it doesn’t matter.

Kim Ki-taek (Kang-ho), his wife Chung-sook (Hye-jin), son Ki-woo (Woo-shik), and daughter Ki-jeong (So-dam) live in a small semi-basement apartment, barely meeting expenses. Ki-woo’s friend gifts them with a rock that would supposedly bring them wealth. He also advises Ki-woo to take over his position as the English tutor of Da-hye (Jung ji-so) – the daughter of the wealthy Park family. Seeing how naive Mrs. Park is, the other family members trick her into hiring them as employees: Ki-taek as the driver, Chung-sook as the housekeeper and Ki-jeong as her son’s art teacher. When the Parks go out for a camping trip, the four of them exploit the luxuries of the empty house. However, they discover a secret that will soon ruin their lives as well as that of several others involved.

 

The Ki-taek family in their house

Rich people are naive. No resentments. No creases on them.

Merriam-Webster defines a “parasite” as an organism living in, with, or on another organism or a person who exploits the hospitality of the rich; there cannot be a more apt title for the film. The story starts on a humorous note, as we see how Ki-taek’s family takes advantage of the wealth and the innocence of Mr. and Mrs. Park. Before you realise it, the tale turns into a dark, biting commentary on how greed can overcome even the best of us. Also, when you are desperate to save your skin, you don’t care one bit about what you do to a fellow human being. Another theme that’s explored is how people change when they suddenly get more power in their hands – when you’re weaker, you try to cooperate, but when you’re the stronger one, you step on the weak.

 

Cho Yeo-jeong as Mr. Park and Jung Ji-so as Mrs. Park

Of course, the underlying factor that drives the story is the social inequality that exists. The livelihood of Ki-taek’s family is in stark contrast to that of the Parks. One house has a rotten smell and people urinating on their window and the other one has a wine cellar and a Benz. Note how the poster shows the Ki-taek family and the Park family having different coloured bands across their eyes. It’s only in retrospect that you realise that Mr. Park’s comment: “he doesn’t cross the line,” means something else entirely.

I like how the film starts and ends with the same shot – an indication that some things have remained the same, but a lot of other things have changed forever. The pseudo-positive note on which the film ends (which you’ll understand when you actually watch it) is bound to have a lasting effect on you. The film is also filled with several ironical scenes and themes, including what the “rock that brings luck” actually does and how tables turn when you are suddenly the one in a dominant position. Another interesting aspect is the use of Morse code in the film – perhaps as a metaphor for the moral that the tale tries to tell us, in code.  

One of the best parts of the film is when the Ki-taek family tries to sneak out of the house without the Parks knowing. The suspense is at screaming point, but there’s still a faintly comical tone to it. Every character has acted brilliantly throughout the film, but this scene, in particular, highlights it. It is during this time that you realise that the film is no longer remotely close to the comedy it started out as, but rather, it’s a much more sinister tale that’s making us think. I would say the movie has created a genre of its own.   

Parasite is one of those films about which you feel “Why hasn’t anyone thought of this before?” but at the same time, you are woken up with none too soft a jolt. It’s a painfully realistic look at social inequality, as well as a powerful, gripping tale about greed and family. This film is one for the ages.  

My Rating: 5/5

Rotten Tomatoes rating: 99%