Dong-ik isn't a terrible guy, but he isn't a great one either. 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. Moon-gwang begs Chung-sook not to say anything to the Parks, but Chung-sook threatens to tell them. The director even created a hash tag to warn people not to spoil the movie for others. Ki-taek, the father, begins working as the Park family chauffeur after the Kims have removed their previous chauffeur from his position, and similarly Chung-sook, the mother, replaces Moon-gwang, the housekeeper who has served the home longer than the Parks have even lived there. 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. It is a tonal juggling act that first feels like a satirea comedy of manners that bounces a group of lovable con artists off a very wealthy family of awkward eccentrics. Parasite Analysis: Navigating the Shift At its exact mid-point, Parasite undergoes a massive tonal shift. resource to ask questions, find answers, and discuss thenovel. These themes cross all cultural-barriers and can speak to the 99% anywhere in the world. 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. Whats their function? Hes skewered classicism in all of his films to some degree. Ki-taek, who acted upon his anger, still remains beneath another rich family. Required fields are marked *. Sam Kench is an internationally-awarded screenwriter, independent filmmaker, and film critic. The Kim family is destroyed; Ki-jung is killed, Ki-woo is left brain-damaged, and Ki-taek is forced into hiding after he snaps and acts out a classism-driven murder in the chaos of the birthday party. Ki-taek and Chung-sook, the patriarch and matriarch, are having trouble finding employment, and their children, Ki-woo and Ki-jung are trying to help in whatever way they can. However, she makes a grave mistake by letting Moon-gwang back into the Park family home, thereby unleashing a Pandora's box she can't close. Min-hyuk offers Ki-woo his tutoring job while he's away noting that the family of the girl he tutors is not necessarily the best judge of character. The metaphorical themes are presented in as literal a way as possible with the act of this stabbing. He may be the youngest of the Park family, but he is by no means the dumbest. 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. She returns to the house to check on her husband, who is living in a secret subterranean bunker. That he also manages to go into hiding in the Park's basement as did Geun-sae is pretty impressive given all the people that had to be going in and out of the house. After getting referred for a tutoring gig, he orchestrates a plan in which his whole family begins working for the same wealthy family. The rock is ultimately Ki-woos downfall. Parasite study guide contains a biography of Bong Joon-ho, literature essays, quiz questions, major themes, characters, and a full summary and analysis. Yes, he receives help from Ki-jeong and Ki-woo with the peaches, but he is the one who must do the talking afterward. The Kim father and children quickly take cover as Mrs Kim decides to let Moon-kwang in. Here are our rankings of the most intelligent and least intelligent characters. Surprisingly, Ki-Woo turns out skilled in his artifice: as Ki-Woo explains, "I dont consider this a crime. The visual effects The Kims return to find that their apartment has flooded with sewage water and try to rescue whatever valuables they can, including the fortune rock gifted to Ki-woo. This same subject of class is less overt in Parasite but far more grounded and effectively subtle to the point of never overshadowing the story being told for the sake of its themes. Upload images to make storyboards and slideshows. How to Capture the Perfect Light. But, probably because of his age, his parents don't take his observation very seriously, to their ultimate doom. Moon-kwangs appearance at the Park residence is when the film truly starts to take a shocking, sharp turn in pace and direction. She is brusque and unsentimental like her daughter, toughened by life in poverty. She takes great pride in her work as a housekeeper, and loses her job unexpectedly after the Kims make her peach allergy look like active tuberculosis. Living in a small, musty semi-basement in the slums of Seoul, South Korea. She is also too easily swayed by Ki-taek's fakery of Moon-gwang's supposed tuberculosis diagnosis. He even tells Ki-woo that the best plan is to have no plan, because then you will never be disappointed when the plan doesnt play out the way you wanted it. Personality cool and cynical. 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. 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. 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. One set of stairs descends to the central Kim familys dingy semi-basement apartment in modern-day Seoul, while another ascends to the front door of the ultrawealthy Park family, for whom the cash-strapped Kims work. When Ki-woo goes into the basement, Geun-sae attacks him and bludgeons him in the head with the rock. He deciphers a message, delivered in Morse code via a flickering light, that his father now inhabits the bunker. Thats all I can say without giving away major spoilers! Parasite was the first film since Marty in 1955 to win the top prize of both The Oscars and the Cannes Film Festival. The musty smell follows Ki-Jung wherever she visits, revealing her poverty. He translates the code and realizes that it is a message from his father, who is living in the bunker. RELATED: 5 Reasons Why HBO's Parasite Is A Good Idea (& 5 Why The Movie Should Be Left Alone). The operatic music and effects when Mrs Park spotted Moon-kwang coughing into a tissue as she ascends the stairs into the house. For Part 3, to read the Character discussion, go here. In our Parasite movie analysis video, this mid-point scene was the focus. Today and maybe forever the Kims remain underground. Kim Ki-woo (Choi Woo-sik) and his family live on the edge of poverty. Parasite represents the most focused and refined approach to class as a subject that Bong Joon-ho has achieved, and thats certainly saying something given his impressive body of work. Kevin has a much deeper plan. Lee Jeong-eun, who plays Moon-Gwang the housekeeper, also provided the vocalization for Okja the super pig in Bong Joon-hos previous film. Relationship Status involved with his student Da-Hye. One night, as the Parks are away on a camping trip to celebrate Da-songs birthday, the Kims break into the liquor cabinet and lounge in the Parks living room getting drunk and discussing their newfound comfort and the precarious situation. Ki-woo visits the Parks in their gigantic home, where he is introduced to the spacey and out-of-touch Mrs. Park. Lets shift gears from a Parasite summary to a Parasite movie analysis. The first half of Parasite plays out largely as a comedy-drama with a compelling narrative and thought-provoking themes. Same thing with script and movie analysis: Look at each character and think about why they exist and what their function is. 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. More books than SparkNotes. Mrs. Park is a beautiful, wealthy, and ditzy head-of-household who prides herself on not being able to do domestic chores. Guen-sae manages to get the jump on Ki-woo after he fails to murderGuen-sae with the rock given by Min. 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. 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. He is a violent and desperate man, and ends up going on a killing spree after the Kims kill his wife, Moon-gwang. Dong-Ik purchased the beautiful home from its architect some time ago. Review: Class warfare is on full display in director Bong Joon-hos provocative Parasite. These steps are involved in many of the films pivotal moments, including those in the gruesome final act. Like the Park family's young boy, Ki-Woo used to be a Scout as a child. The real Parasite movie ending is more bleak and, unfortunately, more realistic. 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. The lawn itself is huge, and is the first thing that any visitor sees. If you are interested in reading through the rest of the script, you can find it below. Because I plan on going to this school next year." Staircases are among the many things in Parasite that could be considered metaphorical, as becomes a refrain of the Kims son, Ki-woo (Choi Woo Shik). Ki-woo makes some rather poor choices, too, though. I hope to see you in the RESPONSE section about this weeks script: Parasite. Bong shows us this vision: Ki-taek ascends the bunker stairs and embraces his son. The Kim family moves in for the weekend and luxuriates. Profession stay-at-home housekeeper. He also does a great job in coaching his father's performance for Yeon-gyo so that she will get rid of Moon-gwang. Best summary PDF, themes, and quotes. Ki-woo wakes up in the hospital and learns about what happens. 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. After expressing some doubt at the lies he would have to sell to land the tutoring gig, Ki-woo enlists the help of the artistic Ki-jeong to forge university papers for him in order to land the job. Dong-Ik has a housekeeper to keep his mansion comfortable and a chauffeur to drive him from the busy workplace to his peaceful home. The film constantly threatens to come apartto take one convoluted turn too many in ways that sink the projectbut Bong holds it all together, and the result is breathtaking. Youve never seen a movie quite like Parasite. Dammit. Find out how you match to him and 5500+ other characters. At every point, the viewer understands whose perspective were supposed to follow due to the tracking shots as we move with each character. For a quick breakdown on satire, including a segment on Parasite, here's an explainer that will answer all your questions about how satire works. "Parasite" is a film that follows 10 main characters up close (8 of whom are shown below - the other two are not shown for obvious reasons which will become apparent after you have witnessed the movie) with 10 different "characteristics" that need to be captured in the frame - the looks, the personality, the deep pathos that oozes from each character's situation and by giving us . Each has their own distinct backstory, personality, world view, and voice. Grabbing the knife Geun-se wielded, Ki-taek stabs Mr. Park and runs away. 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. 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. Moon-kwangs husband, enraged at the Kim family for leaving Moon-kwang for dead, attacks Ki-woo by strangling him and striking him in the head with the very fortune rock that Ki-woo brought. account. Before long, mom and dad are in the Park house too, and it seems like everything is going perfectly for the Kim family. Their camping trip had been cancelled due to the heavy downpour. Has a housekeeper to keep his mansion comfortable and a chauffeur to drive him from the busy workplace to peaceful. Tell them tell them musty semi-basement in the head with the rock tracking shots as we move with character. 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