Of the Kim family members, she is the most talented scammer. 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. Its evident that the Kim family lives in squalor. 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. The first half of Parasite plays out largely as a comedy-drama with a compelling narrative and thought-provoking themes. Mr and Mrs Park make themselves comfortable on the couch as our protagonists nervously wait for an opportunity to sneak out. Profession art tutor. As the night wears on, the Kims manage to escape, running through the torrential downpour to reach their basement apartment in the slums. Grew up in a middle-class home that was neither poor nor terribly wealthy. Reading scripts. resource to ask questions, find answers, and discuss thenovel. This is where director Bong Joon-Hos commentary on social status and the wealth divides becomes even more prominent, pitting the Kims against Moon-kwang and her husband as they each threaten to reveal the truth about each other to the Parks. And then Bong takes a hard right turn that asks us what were watching and sends us hurtling to bloodshed. Personality driven and flexible. Living in a musty semi-basement in the slums of Seoul, South Korea. Mr Park yells for Mr Kim to throw him the car keys, which unfortunately get stuck under Moon-kwangs husbands body as he falls. After he gets the job, Ki-Woo proceeds to fetch employment for the rest of his family members--sister Ki-Jung as an art tutor, father Ki-Teak as a chauffeur, and lastly mom Chung-Sook as a housekeeper. Mrs Kim jokingly taunts Mr Kim, comparing him to a cockroach that would run and hide at the first sign of danger. The only truly faultless character in the film is the young Park Da-song. When Moon-gwang tries to ascend the stairs and reveal herself, Chung-sook kicks her down, concussing and killing her. Before long, mom and dad are in the Park house too, and it seems like everything is going perfectly for the Kim family. The sense of dread that the husband instills doesnt pay off until the end of the movie. The wide panning shots do great in conveying a sense of space in the large Park residence, and sequence shots make the viewer feel as though they are there with the characters, watching their lives unfold. It is one of the most effective satires in recent memory. More books than SparkNotes. The series of events that unfold are so atypical and subtly interconnected that its only after the film that you would start to recall the small hints of foreshadowing or plot lines set up earlier on in the film. "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 most interesting part of this dynamic film is the variety of characters. On his birthday, a day like today, he had snuck down to the kitchen to eat his birthday cake, but Moon-kwangs husband had snuck up the basement stairs and made eye contact with Da-song. 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. 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. For some Parasite movie analysis straight from the auteur himself, check out this scene breakdown from Bong Joon-ho. 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. 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. Buy TVs. Electronics prices are defying inflation. Im someone who doesnt mind spoilers, but even I wouldnt wish the spoilers on my worse enemy. After waking up in the hospital, he and his mother are charged and put on probation. Parasite Character Analysis (Avoiding Spoilers) Living in a state-of-art mansion. 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. 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. Parasite Character Analysis (Avoiding Spoilers) Living in Park family's beautiful mansion in the wealthy neighborhoods of Seoul, South Korea. Despite their circumstances, you never get the sense that theres any animosity or resentment between them; only a shared discontentment for their living and financial situation. *SPOILER WARNING* Major, major spoilers ahead! "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. 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. He has the hardest part to play in getting rid of Moon-gwang. 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. 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. as Ki-jung ( Ki-taek's daughter ), Chang Hyae-jin He quickly convinces the mother Yeon-kyo, the excellent Jo Yeo-jeong, that the son of the house needs an art tutor, which allows Kevins sister Jessica (Park So-dam) to enter the picture. 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. The second half of Parasite is one of the most daring things Ive seen in years narratively. To take advantage of all of CharacTours features, you need your own personal son of kim family, smart and ambitious, feels held back by poverty, has good intentions even if he has to be dishonest, wants to create a better life for his family. 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. 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. And theres a reason the Kim apartment is halfway undergroundtheyre caught between worlds, stuck in the growing chasm between the haves and the have nots. Parasite study guide contains a biography of Bong Joon-ho, literature essays, quiz questions, major themes, characters, and a full summary and analysis. 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. Absolutely critical to learn the craft of screenwriting. They fold pizza boxes for a delivery company to make some cash, steal wi-fi from the coffee shop nearby, and leave the windows open when the neighborhood is being fumigated to deal with their own infestation. 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. The crimes of Moon-kwang and her husband are obvious too, leeching off the Park familys wealth to harbour the husband in the house, and threatening to out the Kims for their scam despite their own complicity. Mr Park runs over to Moon-kwangs husband and pushes his body aside to retrieve the car key, but not before he wrinkles his nose at the smell that Moon-kwangs husband exudes. For years the country has been producing some of the finest films and directors in the world of cinema, but Parasite has crossed new milestones in terms of global impact. When Ki-taek throws the keys, they land under Geun-sae, who is fighting with Chung-sook. For Part 1, to read the Scene-By-Scene Breakdown discussion, go here. Here, the director drags out the scenes of the Kim family running, down, down, down several flights of stairs to reach their neighbourhood. I left the cinema with my heart racing thats just how impactful this movie was. It seems that Ki-jeong had the most passive hand to play in the situation despite setting off the entire disastrous plot, never going as far as Ki-woo as he forms a romantic relationship with the Parks daughter, or harbouring as much resentment against the Parks as Mr and Mrs Kim. In his art, Da-song perfectly captures the mans relentless gaze, and even his receding hairline. Living in a state-of-art mansion. 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. Ki-woo is the son of the Kim family, a smart and ambitious young man who feels held back by poverty. The Park daughter is not entirely faultless; she seduces Ki-woo and her previous English tutor as well (Ki-woos friend), with Ki-woo even proclaiming the same pledge made by his friend that he would officially date her once she enters university. The Kims soon settle into their comfortable new life working for the Parks. As Mrs Park eats in the kitchen, she shares with Mrs Kim the story of the trauma Da-song experienced when he was younger. 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. It is his success in passing as a competent English tutor that allows him to invite Ki-jeong into the home and so on. Can the poor really just step into the world of the rich? capture a large family group in a single frame. Nominated for Best Picture at this year's Academy Awards, this Korean film certainly has a wide fanbase all over North America. So how can you break put from the pack and get your idea onto the small screen? The Kim family lives in a semi-basement and struggles to keep food on the table. Synopsis. It seemed intentional that the director lingered on this frame for a moment, hinting at a more sinister development to come. It is the only common factor between the Parks' young boy and Ki-Woo. Today we discuss the characters in the script for Parasite. 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. When Da-song wants to sleep in a tent outside, Mr. and Mrs. Park sleep on the couch to watch over him. Perhaps Ki-jeong being killed off was due to her death having the most significant impact on the family and on the viewer. Just trust me on this one. In this scene, Ki-jeong cuts her finger on a piece off glass as shes sweeping them under the couch. I could sense my fellow audience members discomfort after the movie ended, and I even made eye contact with my neighbour as both our mouths were agape. Hence my principle: Character = Function. The Parks go on a camping trip for Da-song's birthday, leaving the house empty. Moon-kwangs appearance at the Park residence is when the film truly starts to take a shocking, sharp turn in pace and direction. It's a movie of extraordinary cunning and devastating . His thoughtless comments were slowly building up resentment in Mr Kim, and further amplified the divide between the two families. And, if you would like a deep-dive into the inner workings of the screenplay, be sure to read our Parasite script teardown. 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. 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. After their home is flooded, Ki-taek tells his son that it is best to never have a plan, since plans never work out the way one expects. On to the in-depth analysis! Each family has their own desperate reasons to continue leeching off the wealth of the Parks, and both would stop at nothing to do what is best or necessary for their family. Moon-gwang begs Chung-sook not to say anything to the Parks, but Chung-sook threatens to tell them. Maybe its the crazy eyes, the receding hairline, the fact that he manually presses buttons on the bunker wall to turn on individual lights on the entrance staircase into the house (to show his gratitude towards Mr Park for providing for him, but giving the Parks the impression that the lights at the staircase were always sensor lights), or just plainly the fact that hes a fucking mole person hiding out in someones house. The social commentary of "Parasite" leads tochaos, but it never feels like a didactic message movie. 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