With Ki-jeong dead, Ki-woo, recovering from brain damage, obsessively returns to observe the house from afar. Dong-Ik has a housekeeper to keep his mansion comfortable and a chauffeur to drive him from the busy workplace to his peaceful home. Mrs Kim jokingly taunts Mr Kim, comparing him to a cockroach that would run and hide at the first sign of danger. Stay up to date on the news from Silicon Valley, and how to take back control of your data and devices. Maybe you're the one who isn't a good judge of character, Min. 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. When he is given the opportunity to work as Mr. Park's driver, he figures out how to be the best driver he can be, and to provide some light companionship to Mr. Park. 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. In our Parasite movie analysis video, this mid-point scene was the focus. Equally impressive was Parasite becoming the first South Korean movie to win the Palme dOr, which is the top prize at the prestigious Cannes Film Festival. She leaves her panties behind in the Parks car as shes being driven home by their original chauffeur, causing Mr and Mrs Park to fire him on the assumption that he had been doing the deed in their car. Ki-jeong is usually one step ahead of Ki-woo and really solidifies getting the Kim family into the Park family home. The only truly faultless character in the film is the young Park Da-song. His thoughtless comments were slowly building up resentment in Mr Kim, and further amplified the divide between the two families. The thought that the panties were placed their intentionally to sabotage the chauffeur did not even cross Mr Parks mind. 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. Very soon, the Kims also manage to displace the longstanding housekeeper to make room for Mrs Kim to join the operation. She is seamless in her execution and rarely makes a misstep. Parasite Summary The film starts with the Kim family, a South Korean family struggling with poverty in a poor neighborhood in an unnamed city. 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). Perhaps Ki-jeong being killed off was due to her death having the most significant impact on the family and on the viewer. Be sure to watch our video essay on the scene for more detail and deeper Parasite analysis. Some time ago, she and her husband purchased the beautiful mansion from its architect. Especially one with so many twists and turns that the best writing about it will be long after spoiler warnings arent needed? Copyright 1999 - 2023 GradeSaver LLC. I have so much to say about this film that I was practically overflowing with thoughts for a good 24 hours after watching it. 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. The neighbourhood fumigator arrives, and Mr Kim instructs his family to leave the windows open to enjoy a free fumigation for his house. Mr Kim manages to trap Moon-kwang and her husband in the basement and quickly returns to join his family hiding in the living room. As Moon-kwangs husband and Mrs Kim struggle, Mrs Kim manages to stab Moon-kwangs husband through the abdomen with a skewer. as Ki-woo ( Ki-taek's son ), Park So-dam Parasite Character Analysis (Avoiding Spoilers) Living in a state-of-art mansion. The Kims soon settle into their comfortable new life working for the Parks. Mr Kims face as he picks up the tissue stained with blood from the dustbin. Ki-taek, who is hiding under the table, hears Mr. Park discuss his unsavory smell. He has the hardest part to play in getting rid of Moon-gwang. All three families at play are damaged by this explosive act of violence. 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. Parasite is Bong Joon Ho's newest flick, and it's dark, twisted, and totally fascinating. 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. 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. After getting referred for a tutoring gig, he orchestrates a plan in which his whole family begins working for the same wealthy family. The smell won't go away unless we leave this place.". In this scene, Ki-jeong cuts her finger on a piece off glass as shes sweeping them under the couch. Ki-woo and his sister Ki-jung forge credentials for the job, and thus begins the long-con that sees each member of the Kim family infiltrating the upper-class Park family one-by-one. The musty smell follows Ki-Jung wherever she visits, revealing her poverty. Thats all for my in-depth analysis! Ki-Woo's high school friend persuaded Ki-Woo to take his place as an English tutor for the Parks family's young girl. After Chung-sook stabs Geun-sae with a meat skewer, Mr. Park grabs the keys from under him, but in the process, scowls at Geun-sae's smell. Ki-Jung's family was much better off in her childhood when her father owned a cake shop. 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. The only thing I can think of is that the original housekeeper was in contact with the original tutor of the family. He's pretty checked out as to what's going on in his home until it's ready to smack him in the face. 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. It is one of the most effective satires in recent memory. Yes, it wouldn't have taken as much skill as she demonstrated to convince Yeon-gyo to be Da-song's new art therapist, but she plays the part so well that it positions her charge an exorbitant sum of money. Bong Joon Ho's Oscar-contending "Parasite" masterfully explores class divisions in Korea with voyeuristic delight. Yes, he receives help from Ki-jeong and Ki-woo with the peaches, but he is the one who must do the talking afterward. Challenge getting through his family's bad luck. A tonal shift this extreme could easily take viewers out of the film or feel like a jumping-the-shark moment, but in the hands of Bong Joon-ho, this shift is portrayed in a way that not only feels effortless but greatly enhances each half of the film that preceded and follows it. Synopsis. But, before we dig deeper into the social commentary, lets take a look at how the film managed to break through to an unmatched audience size. I finally caught the highly raved-about film, Parasite, after hearing nothing but praise for the movie from anyone who watched it. 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. This article was published more than3 years ago, Note: This story, as one might assume from its headline, contains major spoilers for Parasite.. Staircases are an evocative symbol in Bong Joon Hos Parasite, a biting drama critics have named one of the years best films. Its perfectly ironic how the film has come full circle, with Mr Kim taking the place of Moon-kwangs husband in the bunker. A graduate of Brigham Young University's English program, he can be found re-watching HALT AND CATCH FIRE when he's not elbow deep trying to stay caught up on the latest movies and TV shows. The first half of Parasite plays out largely as a comedy-drama with a compelling narrative and thought-provoking themes. After being added Hulus catalogue for exclusive streaming, it became the platforms most streamed film in both the independent and foreign film categories, reaching even more audience members and wowing them with its immaculate presentation and resonant themes. The only thing I can think of is that the original housekeeper was in contact with the original tutor of the family. Suddenly, the Kims fall down the stairs of the bunker in a pile, after listening in on the conversation. Writers can shade and shape a storys character in limitless ways. This vertical comment on status is illustrated cleanly in this alternate poster for the film, without spoiling the sub-basement reveal. in a middle-class home that was neither poor nor terribly wealthy. The Artist, a French and Belgian production, won best picture at the 2012 Academy Awards but was ineligible for the best foreign language film category as it is a silent film. Perhaps he had just gone crazy, but choosing to go after more of the Kim family guaranteed that he would either be killed himself or that he'd land behind bars. Ki-woo cant seem to let go of the decorative rock, a symbol of his constant yearning for stability. 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. The second half of Parasite is one of the most daring things Ive seen in years narratively. If he is ever caught, he may suffer the death penalty for committing a murder. Profession English tutor. The focus of this bi-weekly series is a deep structural and thematic analysis of each script we read. She likes to play games with Ki-taek, calling him a cockroach and belittling him, as part of their marital dynamic. Were here to help. 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 characters are a reason for the success and we've ranked how smart they are. He is a generally congenial but snobbish man. Mr and Mrs Park make themselves comfortable on the couch as our protagonists nervously wait for an opportunity to sneak out. But that he doesn't press Yeon-gyo for replacing Moon-gwang, who has been with the family for quite some time is really when his fate is sealed. The film begins with the Kim family at home in their tiny, cramped basement apartment. A third leads to the upper floor of the Parks stylish home. Cockroaches and insects are seen around the house, and at some point, Mr Kim even flicks a stink bug off the table, foreshadowing a larger plot point further on. Reading scripts. 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. 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. The director even created a hash tag to warn people not to spoil the movie for others. Moon-Gwangs return to the house and eventual reveal of the secret basement keeps us on the edges of our seats as viewers and seamlessly blends from the drama/comedy centered first half into the thriller/tragedy centered latter half. He deciphers a message, delivered in Morse code via a flickering light, that his father now inhabits the bunker. Find out how you match to him and 5500+ other characters. Parasite exploded this past weekend on Oscar night when it became the first international film to win four Academy Awards, including the coup de grace, Best Picture. Parasite is a South Korean movie from 2019 filled with numerous themes, all being the fault of a patriarchal and hierarchical society we have created. Mr Kim and his children continue to hide under the living room coffee table as Da-song camps outside in the lawn, determined to have his birthday camping trip and probably fearful of returning to the house on his birthday. Parasite essays are academic essays for citation. Not affiliated with Harvard College. As their house party goes on and the rain pours down relentlessly, the doorbell suddenly rings its the old housekeeper that Mrs Kim had displaced. Each has their own distinct backstory, personality, world view, and voice. Each character inParasiteis unique, but they definitely differ in levels of intelligence. Here, the director drags out the scenes of the Kim family running, down, down, down several flights of stairs to reach their neighbourhood. This sets off Ki-taek, who stabs Park in the chest before running away and escaping into the basement bunker unseen. Dong-ik isn't a terrible guy, but he isn't a great one either. 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. Mrs Kim taking advantage of the open lawn to practice her hammer-throw skills, at the expense of someones window. She is the archetype of the mistress of a wealthy household: glamorous, naive, and good at wielding power with feminine grace. 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. Outside of the sub-basement, violence erupts, and the prophetic scholars stone becomes an instrument of violence. So how do critics convey when a film truly is unexpectedly, brilliantly unpredictable in ways that feel revelatory? Cho Yeo-jeong GradeSaver "Parasite Characters". Now that he is both her tutor and her boyfriend, he dreams of an affluent future as her husband. "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 translates the code and realizes that it is a message from his father, who is living in the bunker. It is the only common factor between the Parks' young boy and Ki-Woo. Chung-sook, the Kim family matriarch, not only knows how to be a good housekeeper but also knows when to call her family members out when they're full of it. 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. Soon enough, Ki-woo and Ki-taek secure positions in the Park household for their parents as well. 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. To download a PDF of the breakdown for Parasite, go here. NEXT: Parasite: D&D Alignments Of The Main Characters. What is Mumblecore? Please enable Javascript and hit the button below! The real deception is carried out by the Kims, and it works flawlessly. Required fields are marked *. 5 Parasite Character Analysis (Avoiding Spoilers) Living in a smelly semi-basement located in the slums of Seoul, South Korea. Today we discuss the characters in the script for Parasite. Not only does he have to create suspicion about her, but he has to then convince Yeon-gyo to dispose of Moon-gwang without actually advocating for it. 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. 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. The original housekeeper, Moon-gwang (Lee Jung Eun), displaced by the scheme, turns up at the home while the Parks are away and begs the Kims to allow her husband, Geun-se (Park Myeong-hoon), to continue living there after they discover him. Before long, mom and dad are in the Park house too, and it seems like everything is going perfectly for the Kim family. Parasite has a cynical view of how class operates in a capitalist society, but as Bong has said, its also painfully realistic. Geun-sae then emerges onto the lawn party, stabbing Ki-jung in the chest with a knife. Their credentials were just as questionable as hers were. resource to ask questions, find answers, and discuss thenovel. And by the time she's left the Park family home, she is already making her next play by taking off her underwear and hiding them discreetly, but not so discreet that they can't be found by Dong-ik. The clean, empty spaces of the Park home contrasted against the tight quarters of the Kim living arrangement isnt just symbolic, its visually stimulating without ever calling attention to itself. Let me know if, like me, you wanted to re-watch the film from the top immediately after it ended. Bong shows us this vision: Ki-taek ascends the bunker stairs and embraces his son. Although it does not seem likely, Ki-Woo claims he will get admission into an elite university and marry Da-Hye. She does an excellent job getting the house back in order before the Park family returns and discovers Moon-gwang and her husband, but she's unable to stop what's coming by then. 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. Presented with the opportunity to tutor the Parks teenage daughter at the beginning of the film, he recruits his sister, Ki-jung (Park So Dam), father, Ki-taek (Song Kang Ho), and mother, Chung-sook (Chang Hyae Jin), to masquerade as unrelated workers so they can oust the Parks current help, infiltrate the household and take advantage of the familys surplus wealth. In our Parasite movie analysis, we found that although the tone and style change, the themes at play remain consistent from the first half to the second half, and continue to be developed further as the film progresses. Upload images to make storyboards and slideshows. Ki-jung is Ki-woo's sister, a smart and tough young woman who does not suffer fools. However, if I had to pinpoint one member who would be the eponymous parasite, it would have to be Mr Kim. Profession English tutor. Parasite study guide contains a biography of Bong Joon-ho, literature essays, quiz questions, major themes, characters, and a full summary and analysis. Mr Parks arrogance and distaste for the smell becomes his downfall. Moon-kwang reveals that a large cabinet in the basement is actually hiding the entrance to a secret underground bunker, where her husband (Park Myung-hoon) had been living in secret the past few years. "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). 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