Title: Parasite: Diving into the Depths of Social Divisions

Thesis Statement: This paper aims to dissect, analyze, and evaluate the film ‘Parasite’ to shed
light on its connection to real-life circumstances.

I. Introduction/Background
A. Film title
B. Film director

II. Description
A. Definition of ‘parasite’
B. Plot summary

III. Analysis/Interpretation
A. Characters
B. Plot structure
C. Symbols and metaphors
D. Cinematography

IV. Conclusion
A. Evaluation
B. Message

Parasite: Diving into the Depths of Social Divisions

Accolade receiver and Oscars 2019’s Best Picture awardee Parasite is one of, if not the
most, remarkable film of the decade. It has effectively made a name for itself by achieving
numerous feats and appealing to the masses due to its gruesome but realistic take on societal
issues. Bong Joon-Ho, the director of the film, is a globally known filmmaker and producer
known for his works which put emphasis on social themes, tonal shifting, and black comedy; this
social thriller is no exception. One may compare it to an iceberg—there’s an astounding number
of details viewers ought to break down. This paper aims to dissect, analyze, and evaluate the
film to shed light on its connection to real-life circumstances.

The dictionary defines the word parasite as an organism that lives in or on a host and
benefits from getting nutrients at the expense of the host. There is a question raised in the
minds of viewers, which has led to numerous think pieces being posted everywhere; the movie
basically revolves around this query. Who is the true parasite?

The film begins with the Kim family scrambling to connect to a WiFi network after having
their phone service cut off. After successfully connecting to a nearby hotspot, they received the
text message from a pizza joint that needed their boxes folded. They were then reprimanded for
their poor performance and were paid scarcely. The eldest child is then visited by his long-time
friend, who was about to leave the country for his studies. He was then given an offer to tutor
the daughter of the wealthy Park family as a substitute for his friend. As the film progresses, the
members of the Kim family slowly slither their way inside the Kim household, mostly by
unethical means; they schemed against the family’s workers, the driver and the housekeeper, to
get them fired. Their plan was executed perfectly, or so they thought.

To celebrate the youngest Park’s birthday, the family went on a camping trip. The
matriarch of the Kim family, being the new housekeeper, was left alone to man the house. She
immediately calls the rest of the family over, and they temporarily live in lavish, chugging bottles
of whiskey and claiming the mansion as their territory. However, their excitement is short-lived
as a person calls out to them, begging to be let in. Turns out, it was the former housekeeper
asking them to let her stay inside the mansion. From then on, a series of chaos ensues,
resembling a cat-and-mouse chase that concluded with a gut-twisting scene that could possibly
be the highlight of the film.

The movie follows the story of two families; the viewers are first introduced to the Kim
family who was seen to be struggling and living off scraps—and pizza boxes—at the start of the
film. They are comprised of the two heads of the family, Chung-sook and Ki-taek, and the
siblings, Ki-woo and Ki-jung. The catalyst for their connection with the Parks is Min, Ki-woo’s
childhood friend who used to work for the said family. The family proved that they are smart and
ambitious; they were able to portray their roles and fit in the Kim household with ease. They had
the wealthy family wrapped around their finger by gaining their trust. They are often deemed the
parasites, but one thing that most forget is that they are just victims of class discrimination trying
to climb up the social ladder that only caters to the privileged.

The representation of the upper class, the Park family, is made up of the household
mistress and stereotypical wine mom Mrs. Park, her workaholic husband Mr. Park, and their
children, high school sophomore Da-hye and “eccentric”, as described by his mother, Da-song.
They come off as dense and gullible, for these traits serve as the fruits of their lifestyle; being
filthy rich had them too comfortable and oblivious to social issues that don’t concern them.

Another key character to note is Moon-gwang, the long-time caretaker of the household.
She is the reason behind the major shift in the movie’s theme, and the secret she had been
keeping is the match that ignited the fire during the latter half of the film. Geun-sae, the
housekeeper’s husband, has been stashed away in the hidden compartment of the mansion’s
basement for years. He is the chaotic figure that raised hell as the movie nears its conclusion.

As stated by the director in an interview with Vespe (2019), “From the very beginning I
thought this story would be a lot more powerful if all these characters were in this unique and
neutral gray zone”. There are no heroes and villains in the film, just families and their drastically
wrong decisions. The characters are rather well-written and rounded; the perseverance of the
Kim family as they attempt to claw their way out of poverty, and the ostensibly naïve Park
family. All in all, the personalities they have perfectly explain their actions; it is the type of
phenomenon that will make the audience say, “You can’t really blame them”.

The structure of the film is also the key to its cinematic greatness. The sequencing of the
scenes and events don’t feel rushed and compressed into a limited amount of time. From the
opening scene, the inciting incident that was Min’s job offer, the entire infiltration montage
courtesy of the Kim family, to the chaos that was the entire second half of the movie—they all
fell into place like puzzle pieces coming together to form the big picture. It has the tendency to
leave the audience bewildered and contented at the same time because there’s nothing else to
add. It could’ve been worse, as some would say. In Vespe’s (2019) interview, Director Bong
also stated that “Every master filmmaker has their own sense of pacing and rhythm”. He has yet
again proven this point, for he was able to capture the attention of the public by stitching each
scene together to form a contemporary masterpiece.

The downpour scene is one of the many great parts of the film. It is part of the rising
action that shows the contrast between the two families, yet again another manifestation of
social divide. The Parks thought of the rain as a blessing as they watched the drops pitter-patter
on their perfectly mowed lawn; the very rainfall that cost the Kims their home, washing away all
of their belongings as they seek refuge in the temporary shelter while waiting for daybreak to
come. Another scene to note is the birthday party or the climax of the film, which can also be
interpreted as class warfare. The characters taking each other’s lives is the battle to the death in
which the strongest emerges triumphant. These twist and turns had the audience on the edge of
their seats.

Another factor that makes Parasite so intriguing is the amount of metaphors and details
that show up in each of the scenes. It is definitely not one of the movies one would only watch
once, unless you pay extremely close attention to detail. These make the audience go “oh” upon
figuring out the messages that lie beneath them. First thing to note is the fact that the Park
family resides in a banjiha, a semi-basement house typically found in Seoul. The structure of it
is halfway underground, and its real-life residents are commonly known as part of the city’s ‘dirt-
spoon class’ (Yoon, 2020). It can be a metaphor for the upper class looking down on those who
are levels beneath them. It’s a great example that also reflects the reality of being a basement
dweller living in a country with unfair standards.

One of the vital details to take note of is the scholar stone. To recall, the former was
received by the Kim family as a gift from Min. The scholar stone, or suseok, was said to bring
wealth and fortune to its possessors, and it became the force that drove the family’s ambitions.
They indeed got the jobs they want and were paid for it abundantly. Surprisingly, this artifact
resurfaced during the family’s lowest point, which was the sudden rainfall, and was even used
as weapon to kill. There are a lot more Easter eggs hidden in the movie; it requires tons of re-
watching to be able to strip each layer of detail off.

The movie’s cinematography is also exemplary; every frame and shot is measured and
given importance to show the difference between the lives of the two families. The lighting, for
example, is used to show the contrast between social classes. There is little to no sunlight
entering the Kims’ banhija. It was dim and pale, as opposed to the sunny and vibrant
atmosphere in the Parks’ open lawn. Desowitz’s (2020) interview with Parasite’s
cinematographer, Hong Kyung-Pyo also put emphasis on the eye levels of the characters. He
remarked, “For instance, at the level of Ki-taek’s family living in a semi-basement, they see
cement street floors and various garbage, street cats, and the wheels of vehicles passing
through their neighborhood”. They were inevitably exposed to every minuscule detail outside
their home, which is a shot at proving that the rich are unaware of the horrors that happen
outside their wealth bubble, whereas those below them live through them on a daily basis.
Overall, these factors are like the garnish on the dish, which is the film. They add extra depth
and flavor to the final product, and each bite is savory and enjoyable.

Parasite is a rollercoaster ride. It draws out a surge of emotions from its viewers; the
multitude of reviews and comments on the Internet can attest to this statement. The people
behind the film truly deserve the awards and titles given to them, for the tremendous amount of
effort put into each frame is truly unmatched. It being the first Korean movie to ever receive
Academy Award recognition is a move that will change cinema forever. Its grappling depictions
of social disparity and class divide serve as a wake-up call for society. Disappointingly, this gap
continues to widen, and we can assume that soon, havoc will ensue—and we wouldn’t want to
reenact the birthday party scene, right?

To answer the question: everyone is a parasite. The Kims, the Parks, the basement
couple, the minor characters, and even the viewers. We are dependent beings living in an
interdependent society. Humans cannot sustain and meet their needs without the help of others.
We leech off the services of others, and they leech off us in return. This parasitical relationship
in society is often taken advantage of by those who were already affluent to begin with. Those
who are in need tend to receive less, which causes a shift in the social balance. Parasite
reminds the audience that the instances shown in the movies actually happen in real life. It
opens our eyes and calls for us to fill the gaps between the social classes—to be the bridge that
heals society.
 References

Desowitz, B. (2019, November 15). ‘Parasite’: Shooting Bong Joon Ho’s social thriller through

the lens of class divide. IndieWire. https://www.indiewire.com/2019/11/parasite-

cinematographer-hong-kyung-pyo-1202189824/

Vespe, E. (2019, September 30). Parasite director Bong Joon-ho on the twists and turns of his

movie. Syfy. https://www.syfy.com/syfy-wire/bong-joon-ho-parasite-interview

Yoon, J. (2020, February 10). Parasite: The real people living in Seoul’s basement apartments.

BBC News. https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-51321661

Foot notes:

1.) Type of Critique; Formalistic, Femenism, etc.

2.) In text citation kailangan
3.) It feels like a review more than a critique, pero may essence paren siya ng critique.