The two hour Korean film by Bong Joon-ho, Parasite (2019), has become one of my favorite movies. It’s a drama about the low-income Kim family in Seoul who struggle between jobs to make a living. They come into contact with the wealthy Park family, and one by one, end up all working for them. The Kims think that they have come into great luck until multiple disasters take place, threatening their newfound position with their temporary break. Although this is a thriller, much of the film is a lively comedy where we see the Kims finding creative and risky ways to “come up” from their living situation.
This is probably one of the best contemporary movies that demonstrates the class struggle in such an effortless and bittersweet way. There are several visual depictions of poverty that the Kim family endure–the cramped and tiny home way beneath the streets of Seoul, to lack of access to basic necessities like food, laundry, and internet. We see the juxtaposition to the Park family- who has so much wealth that they are completely out of touch with the rest of society. The parents prove to be snobbish and unsatisfied in life despite having everything. There is a lot of metaphorical imagery in this film – the creators wanted to not only display the class differences, but also how they often appear to the rest of society.
We root for the Kims not only for the desire to see them escape their living situation (even if briefly) but also because many of us may have experienced some of their strife. Although fleeting, we want the Kims to experience the privileges so easily accessible to the Parks – abundance, ease, and time. The movie expresses that it’s not so much the taking (or leeching) of wealth from another person, but rather that the system we live in is so broken that it thrives off a class that has little to nothing. It reveals that the true “parasite” in society is not the lower class that is exploited and forced to provide services for those with immense privilege.
I value this film, as I feel like it is a great addition to people’s understanding of class consciousness. As for myself, I have seen my parents struggle my entire life, holding multiple jobs to make ends meet. As the child of an immigrant parent, I also know the significance of people in lower and middle classes having to “grind” endlessly for even the most basic commodities. People of color know the generational burden of never being able to fully rest at the end of each day. I think this movie is a visual reminder of that fact. Parasite is full of vibrant moments that we get to see the Kim family feel like they have won- even simplicities like basking in the sunlight or playing in a lavish green backyard. These moving visuals demonstrate the family’s fleeting joy at such a dangerous cost.
An element of important note, and one that is a vital criticism of this film is the use of Native stereotypes. The Parks allow their youngest to wear and play with stereotypical Native pieces from Amazon. The imagery continues throughout the film, and increases in the end. As much as I enjoyed the film, I do think it’s important to speak about, despite whatever the director’s intentions were. Writer, comedian, and citizen of the Cherokee Nation, Shea Vassar, has an article about this topic that better encapsulates the discussion of this (*the article does have spoilers*).
This film has its moments of devastation and grief that add commentary on the plight for those in or nearing poverty to “come up.” Without giving too much away, the ending is unsettling and incredibly thought provoking. It is a great reminder that no matter how established we may feel– marginalized people will always have to fight systems that were designed to keep us at the bottom of society. The film does well in displaying a generation of a family wanting to not have to fight for their lives just to make ends meet.
The blissful idea of simply having enough.
This 2-hour film can be streamed on MAX or Hulu or rented from Youtube for $4.