Parasite, social satire and film history at the 92nd Academy Awards

On 9 February 2020, one particular film in particular caused surprise, joy and discussion at the Oscars. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, which awards the Oscar every year, recognised "Parasite" as the best film of the year. Since 1929, it is the first time in the history of the Oscar ceremony that a non-English-language film has won in this category. Precisely this year, the Oscars were again criticised for their lack of diversity and the many female directors who went unrecognised. In this context, the celebrated victory of Parasite was a much-needed sign from the Academy for the deserved recognition of international cinema. 

The South Korean masterpiece also received an Oscar in the categories of best director, best original screenplay and best foreign language film. Thus Parasite won in three of the five major categories ("The Big Five"). Before that, it had already won numerous awards at various smaller and larger film festivals, including the Palme d'Or in Cannes and the Golden Globe Award for best foreign language film. But it was not only Parasite's Oscars that brought tears of joy to the audience's eyes; other moments too, such as Eminem's surprise appearance of the evening or Joaquin Phoenix's acceptance speech (best leading actor).

But what exactly does the obviously much-celebrated film actually deal with? Thriller, comedy, social satire – however you want to categorise it – once you've seen it for the first time, you won't forget it quickly. According to the director, the fact that Parasite's release coincides exactly with the 100th anniversary of Korean cinema in 2019 is merely a very fitting coincidence.

The story revolves around two, at first glance very different four-member families: the poorer Kims and the wealthy Parks. The protagonist (Ki-woo), the youngest son of the Kim family, is asked by a former school friend (Min) to take over his position as an English tutor, as he has to go abroad for a year due to his studies. The problem: Ki-woo doesn't study at a prestigious university like his friend, but he and his family live by folding pizza boxes. The two quickly agree that a certificate can be easily forged. After all, it's just about English lessons and Ki-woo can teach that just as well, if not better, than Min's wealthy student friends. Soon after, Ki-woo becomes a permanent English teacher for the oldest daughter of the wealthy Parks. But that's only the beginning. After the Parks have searched in vain for a suitable art teacher for their son's alleged talent, Ki-woo is quick to smuggle in his own sister as a supposed art therapy student. Thus, the entire Kim family gradually replaces all the employees in the Parks' household in an elaborate, almost playful plan. Thus the parasite is born. Whether it will remain the only one in the film remains to be seen for now.

After this brief introduction, a very specific idea or expectation emerges about how the story will unfold. Especially when you see Parasite for the first time, you will notice that the film develops into something completely different from what you could have imagined at a certain point. You can only sit there surprised and shaking your head, wondering what will happen next. It's as if the film actually contains two stories in one. The first, more predictable yet still interesting half of the story extends precisely to the temporal midpoint of the two hours and twelve minutes long film. The turn the film takes after the doorbell rings is as unexpected as it is brutal.

The symbolism in Parasite is unobtrusive and yet so immense at the same time. Bong Joon Ho has long been known as one of the top directors in the Asian region, and three of the 20 most successful South Korean films alone come from him. Parasite deals with the gap between rich and poor and the increasingly noticed grievances in our present-day society. On the one hand, the Kims' basement flat without privacy from drunken people at night who like to relieve themselves at their window without noticing that someone lives there. And on the other hand, the private and protected villa of the Parks, which sits on a hill with a large garden and huge windows, from which the sky seems within reach. 

Yet the film is far from remaining so superficial, because the most brutal and saddest scenes in the film do not show the struggle between rich and poor, but rather how the working class fights over the scraps of the wealthy. The affluent, on the other hand, exploit others without getting their own hands dirty. This lack of solidarity in the poorer social class is often a decisive factor that one should not ignore. Fittingly, a conversation excerpt between the Kims about how they talk about the mother of the Parks:

Ki-taek (Father): "She's rich, but still nice."

Chung-sook (Mother): "Not 'rich but still nice'. She's nice because she's rich. Hell, if I had all this money, I'd be nice, too!"

Another recurring motif in Bong's films is climate change and who suffers from it the most. The moment in Parasite, through which ultimately all facades collapse and at which the extent of climate change is also clearly visible, is the sudden and extremely heavy downpour. Both families experience it – however in completely different ways. The Parks merely have to cancel the camping trip for their son's birthday and can then comfortably – with the meal already prepared by the housekeeper – watch the rain from the sofa. In contrast, the Kims lose almost all their possessions that night. Through the rain, their flat is completely flooded and uninhabitable. Just as the water flows downwards, the Kims' path also goes only downhill. So those who can least afford it suffer the most from the extreme weather event.

A symbol of hope for a better life is the stone that Ki-woo's school friend gives to the Kim family at the beginning of the film. But this hope dissolves at the latest when the stone becomes a tool of violence. The song "Soju", which is played in the credits of the film, also deals with how much one would have to work for the wealth of the Park family. The original title of the song was originally "565 Years", so long someone from the Kim family would have to work, for example, to be able to afford the Park family's house. The director wanted to clarify the hopelessness once more with this. 

According to Bong, as long as he and his son live, the social situation that he depicts in Parasite will not change. Do you share his view?