Parasite (2019)

About Parasite

Parasite is a South Korean dark comedy thriller directed by Bong Joon-ho. The plot revolves around two families - the wealthy Park Family and the poor Kim Family. The Kims hatch an intricate plan to improve their socioeconomic status, which over time starts to unravel, leading to a series of events that have grave consequences for both families.

Making / Production

The film was produced by Kwak Sin-ae and Moon Yang-kwon, and co-produced by Bong Joon-ho. The script was written by Bong and Han Jin-won, and is highly acclaimed for its commentary on the class divide.

Actors

• Song Kang-ho portrays Kim Ki-taek, the father of the Kim family. His portrayal of a desperate man resorting to devious means to uplift his family was praised for its depth.
• Lee Sun-kyun plays Park Dong-ik, the wealthy entrepreneur who becomes the target of the Kim family's scheme.
• Cho Yeo-jeong is cast as Yeon-kyo, Park Dong-ik's naive wife, who becomes an easy prey for the Kims.
• Park So-dam plays Kim Ki-jung, the daughter in the Kim family who posses as an art therapist to infiltrate the Park's household.
• Choi Woo-shik portrays Kim Ki-woo, the son in the Kim family who first infiltrates the Park's home as an English tutor.

Trivia / Interesting Facts

• The film was originally titled 'Decalcomania' in reference to the symmetrical design technique, symbolizing the two families in the movie.
• Parasite made history by being the first South Korean film to win the Palme d'Or at Cannes Film Festival in 2019.
• The rich house in the movie was a set built from scratch and the poor house was a semi-underground neighborhood manually created considering the class distinction.
• The rain sequence in this film took 3 weeks to shoot and required the usage of large water tanks to create rain.

Awards

Parasite won numerous awards, most notably the Palme d'Or at the 2019 Cannes Film Festival, the Golden Globe for Best Foreign Language Film, and four Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Original Screenplay and Best International Feature Film, making it the first South Korean film to receive the Palme d'Or and the first non-English language film to win the Best Picture Oscar.

Quotes

• "You know what kind of plan never fails? No plan at all."
• "She's rich, but still nice."
• "With no plan, nothing can go wrong."

Music, Soundtrack

• "A Glass of Soju" - a melody played during significant moments in the film, mainly during tragic sequences.
• "The Belt of Faith" - a music piece that contributes to the mounting tension in several scenes.
• "The Age of Parasites" - a piece that resonates with the film's overall theme of class struggle.