DELA PENA, JOED V.

CRITIQUE PAPER - HUMANITIES

Parasite – Bong Jong-ho

The Kims fake their credentials to integrate themselves in the lives of the naïve
Park family. The ruse continues seamlessly until one rainy evening. At the door, the
former housekeeper begs to be let in: she’s left something behind. The Kims, interrupted
from an evening of drunken revelry, reluctantly humour her. She proceeds to go to the
kitchen and unveils a secret passageway going to a basement none of them have seen
before. In the basement, housekeeper Moon-gwang reveals what she’s forgotten behind
— her husband.

Living in the Park’s secret basement, Moon-gwang’s husband has been eagerly
waiting for her return. Having been sequestered to hide from debts, he survives through
stolen provisions by Moon-gwang. Tension quickens as the Park family suddenly calls to
say that they are on their way home; their out of town trip has been cut short due to the
rain. Struggle ensues and Moon-gwang is pushed down the basement so she and her
husband cannot get out. The Kims scurry like cockroaches to clean the place up so the
Parks remain none the wiser.

The Parks arrive to a quiet and normal home. Chung-sook, the Kim matriarch
and now housekeeper attends to the Park family. Hiding underneath the living room
table, the three other Kims struggle to remain unfound. The evening fades as the Parks
fall asleep. In the darkness, the Kims find a way to escape. They brave the strong rains
outside.

Running away from the Park mansion, they find themselves descending into the
dark city. The rain turns into flood, strong streams turn into high waters — they find
their way to a ruined home. Water everywhere; nothing left to be salvaged now. They
retreat to an evacuation centre where Kim patriarch, Ki-taek, muses upon the
exasperating ordeal.

In the morning, they return to the Park mansion to help with a birthday party.
The sun is up and guests are pearl-clad and well-dressed. The Kims don borrowed
clothes from the shelter. Under the mansion, struggle unfolds. Moon-gwang’s husband
escapes and in a rage of fury runs out to the garden party and stabs the Kims’ daughter.
Upon sight of this, the young Park boy goes into a seizure. Chung-sook kills the deranged
man from the basement with a meat skewer. Mr. Park asks Ki-taek to drive them to the
hospital; Ki-taek hesitates wanting to help his own injured daughter. Mr. Park then
proceeds to retrieve the car keys himself near the bloody commotion. Upon smelling
Moon-gwang’s dying husband, he recoils at the stench. Ki-taek sees this and stabs Mr.
Park. Everyone panics and escapes the tumultuous scene.

Weeks later, Ki-woo has survived the attack and wakes up after brain surgery.
He and Chung-sook are convicted of fraud and put on probation. Ki-jung has died from
her injury and Ki-taek, who is wanted for Mr. Park's murder, has vanished. Geun-sae's

1
DELA PENA, JOED V.

CRITIQUE PAPER - HUMANITIES

motives for the attack are a mystery to the public. Ki-woo scopes out the Parks' home,
which has now been sold to a German family unaware of its history, and sees a message
in Morse code from the flickering lights. It is from Ki-taek, who escaped to the bunker
and now survives by scavenging from the new home-owners. Still living in the semi-
basement apartment with his mother, Ki-woo writes an unsent letter to Ki-taek, vowing
that he will earn enough money to one day purchase the house and free his father.

Production
The production of the film is absolutely brilliant, Bong Jong-ho’s vision for the
film to represent the world of the two families is phenomenal, the contrast between
them is miles apart but they are the two faces of the same coin both arrogant and
manipulative. Even the setting represent how “high” the Park family, living in an
elevated mansion, literally being disconnected to the real world, to how “low” the Kim’s,
living in a semi-basement apartment.

A Piece of Art
Is Parasite appealing to audiences because of its hyperbolic plot? Definitely.
However, I argue here that its inescapable relatability is what makes the cinematic
experience truly fulfilling and engaging. Through dramatic twists and juxtaposition, it
reminds us that somehow, we can all be parasitic to one another. French philosopher
Jacques Derrida notes in his book, The Politics of Friendship, that “philia (love or
fondness) begins with the possibility of survival and that surviving is the other name of a
mourning whose possibility is never to be awaited.”

Parasite reminds us of this mourning. The constant struggle to float above

water; a difficulty never anticipated or desired — yet continually experienced. The Kims
here are stand-ins for one’s personal desires for social mobility and acceptance. They
represent survival in its boldest form: manipulative and primal.

The term 'parasite' here takes many forms. This flexibility is perhaps the easiest
marker for Bong Joon-ho’s incredible skill as a director. The parasitic sensibility of each
character evolves in every scene and frame. Equally explored through the larger Korean
universe which they inhabit. Everyone is simply out to survive, no matter the cost.

Parasites are defined by their unapologetic need to survive. They can be covert
or otherwise. In today’s hyper-realistic world (as in Umberto Eco), we all cling to
longevity. We all mourn against symbolic and literal death. Our survival is our cry.
Parasite reminds us of this existential dread — how does one best survive —
emotionally, financially, socially, or psychologically? More importantly, how far do you
go to attain this?

It reminds us of this aphorism: in an unkind world, there is no other choice but

to survive.