Soon enough, Ki-woo and Ki-taek secure positions in the Park household for their parents as well. Of the Kim family members, she is the most talented scammer. "Parasite" displays the world of the impoverished and the hypocrisy of capitalist "laws." The family lives in abject povertyfirst trying to survive through the precarious work of folding pizza boxes and then finding a hustle by pretending to be middle class, educated and helpful. It seems that Ki-jeong had the most passive hand to play in the situation despite setting off the entire disastrous plot, never going as far as Ki-woo as he forms a romantic relationship with the Parks daughter, or harbouring as much resentment against the Parks as Mr and Mrs Kim. He writes his own letter back, in which he dreams about buying the house for himself and reuniting his family. To take advantage of all of CharacTours features, you need your own personal After the run-in with Moon-gwang and her husband, Ki-woo becomes exceedingly attached to the lucky rock that his friend gave him, and carries it around as a totem. As Da-song faints in fear, Mr. Park yells at Ki-taek to throw him the car keys, so that they can take Da-song to the hospital. As Ki-woo first arrives at the Park house, were treated to an awe-inspiring view of the front lawn an immaculately manicured space with trimmed hedges and trees surrounding the perimeter. The focus of this bi-weekly series is a deep structural and thematic analysis of each script we read. Ill do my best because Bong Joon-hos Parasite is unquestionably one of the best films of the year. I hope to see you in the RESPONSE section about this weeks script: Parasite. Da-song was so shocked at seeing a strange man creep up the stairs with his bug-eyes wide open that he suffered a seizure, and this trauma also explains for the many creepy portraits that Da-song draws. He takes a liking to Ki-jeong and trusts her, but unjustifiably suffers the most at the hands of Moon-kwangs family and the Kim family, suffering two seizures resulting from shock. This paper aims to study the gap between the rich and poor reflected in movie Parasite. "Parasite"is so perfectly calibrated that theres joy to be had in just experiencing every confident frame of it, but then thats tempered by thinking about what Bong is unpacking here and saying about society, especially with the perfect, absolutely hauntingfinal scenes. Ki-jeong, Ki-woos sister, is the main brain behind the scam operation that brings in the rest of her family into the Park residence. Moon-kwang reveals that a large cabinet in the basement is actually hiding the entrance to a secret underground bunker, where her husband (Park Myung-hoon) had been living in secret the past few years. Refresh the page, check Medium 's site status, or find something interesting to read. Geun-sae is Moon-gwang's husband, who is living in the bunker underneath the Parks' house, hiding out from the loan sharks who want to kill him. Geun-se worshiped Mr. Park and his professional success but continued to live beneath him. Moon-gwang is pretty remarkable in that she has not only managed to ward off people from taking her job up until the Kim family, but she has also managed to keep her husband hidden in the Park family basement for alongtime. Their camping trip had been cancelled due to the heavy downpour. This causes Da-song to faint, and Mr. Park (Lee Sun Kyun) immediately demands that Ki-taek drive them to the hospital instead of tending to Ki-jung. The next day, Mrs. Park calls each of them in to work on Da-song's birthday party, which will take place on the lawn. Characters from Parasite (2019). RELATED: The 10 Worst Family Movies Of All Time, Ranked. His decision to kill Mr. Park at the end is a shocking and perhaps poor one, but not entirely unjustified. as an art student at a middle-class family. Guen-sae manages to get the jump on Ki-woo after he fails to murderGuen-sae with the rock given by Min. The brilliant set dressing of Parasite combined with the striking architectural-design choices perfectly reinforce the themes of the film, but more on the themes after we finish our Parasite summary. Let me know if, like me, you wanted to re-watch the film from the top immediately after it ended. Mr Kim is visibly affected, even sniffing his own shirt. Be sure to watch our video essay on the scene for more detail and deeper Parasite analysis. For Part 1, to read the Scene-By-Scene Breakdown discussion, go here. Best summary PDF, themes, and quotes. More books than SparkNotes. Ki-woo visits the Parks in their gigantic home, where he is introduced to the spacey and out-of-touch Mrs. Park. Her family members have joined her in working for the Park family. I tried to avoid it. The characters are a reason for the success and we've ranked how smart they are. Ki-woo prepares a letter in response, swearing that he would work hard to earn enough money to eventually buy the house and free his father. The thought that the panties were placed their intentionally to sabotage the chauffeur did not even cross Mr Parks mind. What ensues from this point on is a chaotic, discordant frenzy, where the tension set from the moment we discover the hidden bunker never eases. He works as a list writer for Valnet, Inc. covering Screen Rant. What is Parasite about? The next day, the Kim family is invited back to the Parks as they decide to throw a birthday party for Da-song. As Mrs Park eats in the kitchen, she shares with Mrs Kim the story of the trauma Da-song experienced when he was younger. Your email address will not be published. These papers were written primarily by students and provide critical analysis of Parasite by Bong Joon-ho. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Your email address will not be published. Mrs Kim taking advantage of the open lawn to practice her hammer-throw skills, at the expense of someones window. Parasite broke a number of financial records as well, including the highest foreign film opening weekend of all time for the UK box office, and a number of records with the Indie Box Office. Ki-woo, the son, is gifted a scholars stone or suseok by a friend and given a recommendation for a tutoring job with a wealthy family. If not for the homicidal tendencies of the Kim family, she may well have lasted longer. Ki-woo is what really gets the Kim family through the Park family's door. Nominated for Best Picture at this year's Academy Awards, this Korean film certainly has a wide fanbase all over North America. Im someone who doesnt mind spoilers, but even I wouldnt wish the spoilers on my worse enemy. Director Bong Joon-Ho himself has described Parasite as a cross-genre film, dipping its toes into the regions of dark comedy, satire, thriller and family drama. This secret basement reveals an even lower level of status below what we had thought was the floor with the Kim family. 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. Now, the exquisite building is home to Yeon-Kyo, her husband Dong-Ik, and her two children. This is where director Bong Joon-Hos commentary on social status and the wealth divides becomes even more prominent, pitting the Kims against Moon-kwang and her husband as they each threaten to reveal the truth about each other to the Parks. At its exact mid-point, Parasite undergoes a massive tonal shift. With its overwhelming plot and acting, this motion picture retains a long-lasting effect and some kind of shock. It wasnt just awards records that Parasite broke in 2019. When Ki-taek throws the keys, they land under Geun-sae, who is fighting with Chung-sook. Moon-kwangs husband escapes up the basement and into the house. Ki-Jung's family was much better off in her childhood when her father owned a cake shop. Chung-sook takes over as the housekeeper. The local pizza shop informs the Kims that one in four of the pizza boxes they folded were faulty and could not be used. The metaphorical themes are presented in as literal a way as possible with the act of this stabbing. Official Screenwriting Blog of The Black List. For Part 1, to read the Scene-By-Scene Breakdown discussion, go here. Especially one with so many twists and turns that the best writing about it will be long after spoiler warnings arent needed? The musty smell follows Ki-Jung wherever she visits, revealing her poverty. Why he trusts Kim Ki-woo given what we know and learn about him is a valid question. Director Bong Joon-Ho himself has described Parasite as a cross-genre film, dipping its toes into the regions of dark comedy, satire, thriller and family drama. 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. The Question and Answer section for Parasite is a great Very soon, the Kims also manage to displace the longstanding housekeeper to make room for Mrs Kim to join the operation. Mr. Park is the head of the Park household. NEXT: Parasite: D&D Alignments Of The Main Characters. director Bong Joon-hos insightful and engaging comedy/thriller became one of the most talked-about films of the year and set a new precedent for the mark a South Korean movie can leave on United States movie-going audiences. Bonus points: sharing my fave moments only, because every scene in the movie is priceless. Each has their own distinct backstory, personality, world view, and voice. He is traumatised not once, but twice at the sight of Moon-kwangs husband, and is also the youngest and most innocent character. Kim Ki-woos life changes when a friend offers to recommend him as an English tutor for a girl hes been working with as the friend has to go out of the country for a while. Couldnt she have chosen to do so in broad daylight? I have so much to say about this film that I was practically overflowing with thoughts for a good 24 hours after watching it. account. Not only does he have to create suspicion about her, but he has to then convince Yeon-gyo to dispose of Moon-gwang without actually advocating for it. What they dont realise is the effects their actions have. The lawn itself is huge, and is the first thing that any visitor sees. Stay up to date on the news from Silicon Valley, and how to take back control of your data and devices. The film is packed with social commentary, thrilling moments, and plenty of meaty writing worthy of a full , FREE: StudioBinders Screenwriting Software , The Ultimate Guide to Call Sheets (with FREE Call Sheet Template), How to Break Down a Script (with FREE Script Breakdown Sheet), The Only Shot List Template You Need with Free Download, Managing Your Film Budget Cashflow & PO Log (Free Template), A Better Film Crew List Template Booking Sheet, Best Storyboard Softwares (with free Storyboard Templates), What is an Antagonist in a Story Definition & Examples, What is Telos: The Ultimate Guide to Understand Telos for Video Marketing, What is an Anecdote Definition, Examples, and Functions, What is a Memoir Definition, Examples in Literature & Film. The clean, empty spaces of the Park home contrasted against the tight quarters of the Kim living arrangement isnt just symbolic, its visually stimulating without ever calling attention to itself. Elevation clearly equates to status; the parks have a multi-level home at the top of the hill while the Kims live below street level in a semi-basement, and the surprise 3rd party lives deep underground in a sub-basement. The most interesting part of this dynamic film is the variety of characters. Before long, mom and dad are in the Park house too, and it seems like everything is going perfectly for the Kim family. Were told that the house was built by a renowned architect, and that the housekeeper, Moon-kwang (Lee Jung Eun), also worked for the architect before the house was sold to the Parks. But rather than leaving viewers in this dreamy state, Bong pinches them and returns to the apartment. The contrast in appearance between the Kims semi-basement home and the lavish home of the Park family is impossible to miss. I left the cinema with my heart racing thats just how impactful this movie was. She calls Chung-sook sister, at which the Kims scoff. 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