Blog Entry 3-Parasite
I have to admit, I regret how long it took me to finally sit down and watch Parasite, but I am so glad that I did. The film was incredible both cinematically and narratively and I certainly understand the critical acclaim it warranted. To me it felt like a two act play, the first half focusing on the family’s takeover of household positions and the second being the mysterious unraveling of secrets. In the beginning, the film has a slower pace with a clear structure as Ki-woo infiltrates the Park family household and recommends his sister as an art tutor who in turn frames the driver and recommends their father to be his replacement who finally sets up the mother for employment after sabotaging Moon-gwang. The predictable nature of the film’s opening half is juxtaposed with the remainder of the film, which follows a series of lies and secrets that begin to unravel each other. As a viewer, I thought that the housekeeper’s reappearance would merely expose the family’s ruse, but her husband being hidden in the basement’s secret passage was a twist I never saw coming, let alone the bloody massacre at the end of the film. I think one of the things I was most impressed by, and what made Parasite feel so different from most other films I’ve seen, was its ability to combine and play with genre. From heist to horror, I never could have predicted how it would end.
The first half of Parasite had an Ocean’s Eleven feel to it; A down-on-their-luck family using cons and performances to sneak their way into the wealthy household with their unique skills was a very familiar narrative device. However, this family heist was more than just a fun narrative device. It also highlighted the class disparity between upper and lower Korean households. The mise-en-scene in both physical homes is a clear juxtaposition between the wealthy Park family and poorer Kim family, reminding me heavily of certain neorealist themes. By highlighting class inequality, the struggles of the lower class, and coping through illegal means, this portion of the film also reminded me of Kurosawa’s film High and Low.
Funnily enough, the middle portion of Parasite was most like what I expected from the film: a horror flick. I had gone into the viewing with memories of friends saying it was scary and super creepy, so I was left anxious in the first heist portion. However, the single shot of Geun-se’s eyes peeking over the basement staircase made me jump. Combined with Yeok-kyo’s ghost story overlaying the shot, I was terrified and felt horrible for Da-song. Had I seen something like that in my home, I would have been haunted too! Even since watching, I still get the image in my head occasionally and have to shake it away. I personally think the most successful horror moments are ones of anticipation and this creepy, home invasion reveal certainly met expectations.
However, the film quickly pivots to what I can only describe as a Tarantino-esc fight sequence to conclude the narrative. Compared to the slower pace and calculation of the first portion of the film, the Kim family battle with the housekeeper and her husband was a drastic escalation in energy and narrative pace. It was somewhat gruesome, but hardly compares to the garden party scene full of blood and crazed stabbings. While I understood how the plot had advanced to that moment, the first and last 40min of Parasite feel like completely different films and yet it somehow made sense. I was left so impressed because the plot moves seamlessly from genre to genre, creating a beautiful contrast between their differing elements, but also demonstrating their compatibility.
The ending of the film is something I would like to dedicate additional time to because of how much is packed into the last 20 minutes. The shock factor of the birthday party murders is undeniable, but the rush of adrenaline from the escalating violence is quickly brought down by the realization of where Kim Ki-taek went to hide. Because the film well establishes the “husband in the basement” storyline with Geun-se, viewers already have a sense of what Kim Ki-taek’s fate will be for the coming years. The truly gut wrenching part is Ki-woo’s narration vowing to become rich enough to one day buy the house and free his father because the picturesque vision is swiftly revealed as nothing more than a dream. Kim Ki-taek’s future remains uncertain and given their failed venture, it is doubtful whether or not Ki-woo will ever be able to free his father or if he is going to die down in the basement alone. It’s a tragic ending and highlights the cycle of poor families suffering and desperately trying to obtain wealth only now there are material stakes that Ki-woo must consider. Where he had merely wanted to be wealthy before to have a relaxed lifestyle and live well, now his father’s life quite literally depends on him.
