Review of Parasite (2019) by Markhreviews — 02 Nov 2019

In “Parasite,” Writer/Director Bong Joon Ho continues his critique of capitalist economies that, in his judgment, inevitably create economic divides resulting in class warfare. In his earlier films “Okja” (2017) and “Snowpiercer” (2013), Bong used a platform of science fiction to soften the message. With “Parasite,” he employs slapstick and dark humor to leaven a story that, in lesser hands, might have become painfully didactic.

Setting his story in Seoul, Bong has the benefit of dealing with class warfare and economic inequality without the complication of race. South Korea is one of the most ethnically homogeneous countries in the world – 96% of the population is Korean.

Bong’s pacing of his story is impeccable. In Act One, we are introduced to the Kim family, literally and figuratively living in the lower reaches of the city, the parents unemployed and struggling, the kids getting by on street smarts. When workers come by spraying white clouds of pesticide in their rodent-infested section of the city, the father advises to leave the windows open: “It’s free extermination.” At the other end of the economic spectrum is the Park family, wealthy beyond reason and totally reliant on others to do anything requiring physical or mental heavy lifting. Bong underlines his premise by conveying clearly that, while they have great wealth, the Parks are not endowed with a particularly high level of intelligence, common sense or self-awareness.

When a wealthy friend of the Kim son creates an opportunity for him to tutor the Park daughter, the Kims use this entry point as leverage, creating jobs for every member of the family within the Park household. So far, the story, is light, bright and slapstick, with only a small vein of dark humor. This tone offers opportunities for non-threatening exposition. Remarking on the Parks’ unlined faces, Mr. Kim intones: “Money is like an iron. It smooths the creases out.”.

In Act Two, the story takes a darker turn, initially by exploring the consequences of the Kims’ actions on one of the displaced workers. By the end of the film, class warfare has escalated from bland observations (Mr. Park observes that those who ride on the subway have a “special smell”) to full-on emotional and physical violence. For me, Bong’s thoughtful, subtly-crafted story invoked a fair amount of thought and introspection.

“Parasite” won the top prize at this year’s Cannes Film Festival and is South Korea’s entry for Best International Feature Film at the Oscars. It’s one of the finest films of the year.