Parasites took the main Oscars of 2020. And that's why

2024 Author: Malcolm Clapton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:44

The film by Korean director Bong Joon Ho surpassed Joker and 1917.

No one doubted that at the Oscar-2020 ceremony, the film Parasites would take a statuette in the category of Best International Film. Also, the prize for the best original script was not surprising. But all of a sudden, Bong Joon Ho won the Best Director nomination.

And then the picture took the "Best Film". This victory for the original Korean director looks even more fantastic when you remember that the competitors were Sam Mendes's 1917, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood by Quentin Tarantino, The Joker by Todd Phillips and The Irishman by Martin Scorsese.

Bong Joon Ho is Steven Spielberg in his prime Quentin Tarantino: ‘Korea’s Bong Joon Ho Is Like Spielberg in His Prime’.

Quentin Tarantino director

All this is no coincidence, because the film of the South Korean director turned out to be close and understandable to any thinking viewer. We tell how "Parasites" allegorically, but very clearly analyze important social issues.

The poor Kee family live in a filthy basement and are interrupted by unstable earnings. In particular, they fold pizza boxes, but even that they do it very badly.

The chance to get out of poverty came from where they did not expect: a friend of the eldest son asks to replace him as an English tutor for the pretty daughter of a local IT tycoon. Changing the name of Ki Wu to the sonorous Kevin and demonstrating a fake diploma forged by his sister, the young man gets a coveted job in the luxurious house of the Pak family.

Inspired by good fortune, Ki decide to pull off a risky adventure: by cunning to expel all the servants from the house of the rich and take the vacant positions themselves. At first, the plan goes smoothly. But one day something happens that no one expected. About this knocking down plot twist, the director asks everyone to be silent so as not to reveal the intrigue and not spoil the pleasure of those who have not yet gone to the cinema.

Genre substitutions and powerful social implications

The creator of "Parasite" Bong Joon Ho does not limit himself to the framework of one genre. The director's filmography includes the absurd detective "Memories of a Murder", and the post-apocalyptic thriller "Through the Snow", and the Netflix-produced adventure tale "Okja".

But in Parasite, Jun Ho went even further. The picture begins as an eccentric comedy, turns into a psychological detective story, and closer to the third act is reborn into a surreal thriller. At the same time, it is impossible to tear yourself away from the screen: despite the fact that the genre substitution acts like a kick every time, it is still terribly interesting to follow what is happening.

And all this genre variety is spiced with a powerful social drama. Class inequality has long worried Bong Chung Ho: the dystopia "Through the Snow" told about the confrontation between the poor and rich passengers on a train rushing to nowhere through a deadly frost. In "Parasites" the name itself hints at the essence of what is happening.

But the question is: who are the real parasites? The ragamuffins trying to rise at the expense of wealthy people, or the rich who do not know how to do anything? The elder Pak considers himself too important a person to drive himself, and his wife has no idea how to keep her own house in order.

So Bong Joon-ho tells the viewer that millionaires received privileges not because of being chosen or exclusive, but due to banal luck: they were in the right place at the right time. Poor people do not vegetate at the bottom of their lives because of stupidity or ignorance. On the contrary, the Kee family is not lacking in ingenuity. They just weren't as lucky as the Pakam.

The image of "extra people" and the atmosphere of powerlessness

South Korean society today is full of contradictions. On the one hand, Korea is drawn to Western culture. On the other hand, the country, like neighboring Japan and China, has very strong traditions. As a result, the bar set by society is prohibitively high: to be accepted everywhere, you must be rich, successful, beautiful, well-groomed - and at the same time humble, hardworking and respectful to everyone.

The fears of the eldest son of the Ki family are understandable, who, looking at the carefree guests of the Pak, hesitantly asks his rich student: "Do you think I fit?" To some extent, this line reflects the fears of anyone living in Korean - and indeed in any - developed society.

Another highly social leitmotif of the film is the impossibility of changing your life. Even with talents, the poor are not able to direct them in a positive direction (for example, Key Sr. tried to open a pastry shop, but went bankrupt) and becomes a criminal.

Artistic techniques and symbolism

The director uses expressive visuals to reveal deep content. By the very construction of the frame, Pong Chung Ho separates the poor and the rich. And the stairs personify the steps of the social hierarchy that the heroes have to overcome.

Knowing the main plot intrigue, it is even more interesting to revise the picture. In this way, "Parasites" are reminiscent of Jordan Peele's thriller "Get Out", in which hints of the essence of what was happening were skillfully hidden throughout the film, but the viewer for the time being did not notice them.

Bong Chung-ho repeatedly compares the poor with cockroaches - tenacious and almost indestructible insects. And the social gap between the wealthy and the poor is also expressed in the smell of poverty, which the latter, with all their desire, cannot hide.

Even if Parasite is your first South Korean film, fear not. This picture makes you laugh, sad, cry - in a word, empathize with the awkward heroes of Pong Chung Ho. After all, witty "Parasites" are available for understanding not only for the initiated, but also for everyone who loves a good movie made with love.