The Kims, Ki Taek (Song Kang-Ho), Ki Woo (Choi Woo-sik), Ki Jung (Park So-dam), and Chung Sook (Jang Hye-Jin), have struggled their entire lives to make ends meet. They are ill-suited for any job that might make their living any easier, until one day, the perfect opportunity presents itself. Yeon Kyo (Cho Yeo-jeong), along with her husband and two children are in need of some help around their house--a tutor, personal driver, etc., all of which come with a significant salary. Parasite tells the story of a family willing to do whatever it takes to make their lives a bit easier, regardless of what that means for the people around them. But how far is too far?
The 2020 Oscar-winner for Best Motion-Picture of the Year is an incredible honor, especially considering a foreign film had never before won that award. With that resumé, Parasite has a lot to live up to, making it difficult for viewers to come into the film for the first time with a fresh set of eyes and no expectations. In reality, being awarded the honor of “Best Motion-Picture” can be damning and make it difficult for new viewers to appreciate the film. Now, with as much respect as possible, I don’t believe that, based on the other 2020 nominees that I’ve seen (Jojo Rabbit, Marriage Story, etc.) that Parasite was the obvious decision for best picture like many say it was. This isn’t to say that the film is undeserving of the prize; it possesses every aspect of a great film: outstanding acting, a compelling story, and a message that transcends audiences of nearly every background. What separates it so clearly from the rest of the pack, and the reason, I believe, it was awarded the Oscars’ highest honor, is that no foreign film, regardless of how groundbreaking and unique, has been able to capture an American audience quite like this one. While similar emotions have been evoked in the past, Parasite manages to cultivate a wide-range of emotions in ways that only the greatest filmmakers have been capable of. So, while I believe that there are other valid victors that could have been chosen (and that Parasite is oversold to some degree in terms of its prowess over the aforementioned films), the Academy had legitimate cause to choose it as the winner.
As previously mentioned, Parasite possesses nearly every characteristic of an Oscar-winning film, starting with its story. There is no legitimate reason to believe that anything that transpires throughout the film has a place in a story about a lower-class family trying to find their way in the world, particularly one that uses humor as a device to attract viewers throughout the majority of its telling. However, writer-director Bong Joon Ho and his co-writer Jin-won Han regularly introduce viewers to a new set of expectations as the story unfolds. What initially feels like an entirely humorous approach toward relaying the world’s issues to Parasite’s audience is eventually molded into something more serious and horrifying than viewers could have ever expected. Viewers can never be entirely sure what is to happen next, keeping them on the edge of their seats and creating a bond between audience and film that can’t be broken. There are moments when that bond is tested, however; at least for viewers not familiar with the customs and culture of South Korea. While the film is modern and relatable in most aspects, being unfamiliar with some of the vernacular and things of that sort does make it difficult from time to time for viewers to appreciate what is being said and done. This disconnect is essentially the only thing keeping Parasite from truly stomping out the competition and being the clear winner. However, while that bond is tested, the depth of Han and Ho’s writing keeps viewers intrigued and involved from beginning to end.
The reality of things in terms of foreign films is that American viewers can often struggle to make connections between acting and the emotion (often due to a language barrier). This is neither the fault of the actor nor the viewer, but simply a difficult reality that plays a role in whether or not viewers are able to appreciate a film. Parasite manages to bridge that gap of misunderstanding as the actors, particularly Kang-Ho, displays emotion smoothly and brilliantly. From beginning to end, their purpose is clear and viewers feel as if they are part of the experience, providing new meaning for everything that occurs throughout Parasite.
Parasite’s message is spread thin as to force viewers to determine their own meaning behind the film. The depth provided by the writing, direction, and acting allows those viewers to find multiple meanings, including those that pertain directly to them. The writing never relents and provides viewers with insight into the lives, backstories, and hardships of the characters involved. With a number of instances of foreshadowing (many of which are overlooked until some additional research is conducted) Parasite leaves viewers’ heads spinning, attempting to anticipate what might happen next, leaving them, regardless of their cinematic prowess, unable to see what’s coming. Parasite lives up to the gargantuan hype and never fails to entertain.
Directed by Bong Joon Ho.
Written by Bong Joon Ho & Jin-won Han.
Starring Song Kang-Ho, Cho Yeo-jeong, Choi Woo-sik, Park So-dam, Lee Jeong-eun, etc.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/10
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