I wasn’t sure what to expect from “Parasite“. I hadn’t heard much about this film, so I was definitely taking a chance with my coins (movie tickets are expensive)!
After the opening credits, I had even less hope! I saw subtitles. Had I known I would be reading subtitles for two hours I would’ve PASSED.
However, after the first 10 minutes it didn’t matter… The movie was THAT GOOD!
Background
The film is set in Seoul, Korea and follows two families from vastly different socio-economic backgrounds. We’re introduced to the Kims – a working-class Korean family, living in a cramped basement apartment in what appears to be a less desirable part of the city. It’s clear from the daughter, Ki-jung, trying to find the best spot in order to access a neighbor’s wi-fi signal, to the father, Ki-taek, folding a stack of pizza boxes, that this family is struggling to make ends meet and will probably take any odd job for money.
So, when the son, Ki-woo, learns of a tutoring job offered by the “well-to-do” Park family, he jumps at the opportunity. Once he’s hired, one-by-one, the Kims manage to slyly maneuver their way into the Park household, by taking on the roles of assistant, driver, and housekeeper – all while the Parks are completely unaware they’re related.
Substance
At first blush, it’s easy to write the Kims off as scammers, liars, manipulators, and hustlers, or (as the title suggests) parasites latching on to a host.
But…that’s the easy take. It’s much harder to see the Kims as a close-knit family who developed these character flaws as a means of survival, just to have a small bit of comfort.
This film tackles the very real challenges and hard choices the working poor battle daily. For instance, social stigmas or the woes of navigating unexpected life events, all while trying to maintain consistent employment.
One scene depicts this well. After a heavy rainfall, the Kims’ basement apartment floods. They manage to wade through the water and salvage a few remaining items, then quickly evacuate with others to a nearby shelter. The next day, they must put the personal problem of losing everything they’ve ever owned, aside. Mrs. Park needs all her employees to set-up the backyard for her son’s extravagant birthday party.
Real Life
If you’re thinking this is merely creative writing and rational people would take a day off to sort out their affairs, you’d be wrong.
A Pew Research study found many workers never take days off out of fear of losing their job. In fact, the United States has some of the most egregious stories of people working through hardships. A New York Times article reported that 45 percent of Americans have no paid sick leave. Consequently, they work through significant personal challenges – like going to work while undergoing cancer treatments, being extremely ill, or in one troubling case, working while passing kidney stones.
Throughout “Parasite” you get the sense that the Parks have a particular disdain for common people. The Parks often gossip among themselves about their employees or use them for free “therapy “sessions, but rarely take the time to learn more about them beyond the service they provide.
Still, empathy for the working poor will likely become more difficult as the wealth gap widens. The problem is two-fold: The working poor, so used to making ends meet, seem not to grasp how deep the wealth divide actually is, and the super rich aren’t doing much to even the playing field. Check out this video on wealth inequality.
Should you see the film?
Yes! To recap, “Parasite” is great because it examines the complexities of working-class people desiring a better life, juxtaposed by the seemingly unaware and carefree life of the wealthy. Nevertheless, the film illustrates that no matter our station in life, our actions do have consequences. And those consequences may never be what we expect.
The Academy Awards got it right with this one. And I don’t say that often.
What do you think about Parasite? Tell us in the comments!
