We often watch movies during our leisure or simply just for fun, but how often do we end up talking to ourselves, that makes sense? I ‘am not talking about an action pack or some nonsensical movies which literally gives us nothing, but a movie with message and how it reflects our society and our day today lives. This article is not meant to explain the plot of the movie ‘Parasite’ (with some few exceptions) but to know some metaphorical concepts and the reason behind it, however Spoilers ahead!
The opening scene dives directly into the desperate difficult world of the Kim’s family. Their semi apartment speaks volume and their neighbor constantly changing their Wi-Fi password which they need to access apps for menial jobs. The landscape rock signifies the hollow promises. As soon as the rock arrives in their lives, the Kim’s family’s luck begins to turn for the better. But a selfish use of their newfound good fortune, throwing others under the bus as their circumstances improves, comes back to haunt them. Staircases are an evocative symbol in the movie. It represents the division of class and power.
The obvious question is who is the parasite? The Kim’s family get all of their jobs through false pretenses- The kids pretend to be university students, the father pretends to have been a driver all his life, the mother pretends to be associate with a respectable concierge housekeeping firm, all of them were hired to satisfy the wealthy Park’s family. The Parks are aggressively useless people who chew up and spit out their help, they are high in the food chain. On the other hand the basement- dwellers could also be easily viewed as parasitic along with Kim’s. The two families rely on the Park’s for income, food and shelter and enter their house deceptively, aggressively competing with each other. ‘Parasite outlines how the working classes are forced into conflict against one another, while families like the Parks live a comfortable life, fuelled by the labour of the many individuals beneath. The movie does not favour any class in particular.
The ending of ‘Parasite’ is pure fantasy: Father and son hugging on the bright, green lawn of the Park house that is now rightfully theirs, May be if the movie ended right there it could be a happy ending but the camera goes down to that half basement. In reality, Can the Son sink stones into the water? Or can he really buy that mansion? Of course not. That’s the cruelty of the Film and the fantasy we only dream of.
Atsulo Thyu