that scene, and the whole movie, also end on a Picardy third, a special type of musical resolution that is famous because Bach and a few other composers often used it to end their pieces. The son has a hope for the future, but in reality his story is over
@__@ He's the only one in his family who's seen the "people in the basement," the people his family call "ghosts." Legit didn't realize until right now that the boy was suffering for the whole movie from the discomfort of having his class bubble popped.
Bong Joon Ho tends to do that a lot. His movie Snowpiercer has many parallels drawn from Willy Wonka and the chocolate factory. You could almost call it a dark sequel to Willy Wonka.
The fact that the two poor families were fighting each other was one of the most depressing things about parasite, I was just like dang y'all could easily work together to swindle the rich family and both have enough to live on but no, whoever got into a more powerful position decided they wanna get rid of the other family. It's like the poor people were looking into a mirror and didn't like what they saw so they just wanted to get rid of the image by any means necessary and it all ended with both families losing smh. You see this all the time in real life, poor people lose their jobs but instead of blaming the corporations and the politicians they've bought, they blame immigrants, even though we all know the rich love immigration because they get to exploit immigrant labor. This is how they get poor people to constantly vote against their own self interests: "No you guys are awesome and so are we the rich, we're not the problem, the problem is Mexicans and people on food stamps begging for handouts, they're the ones sucking the life blood out of this country and they deserve your ire".
On the whole topic of class solidarity - we have a saying in Germany "first food, then morals" so it's basically saying that you need basic necessities satisfied before you can afford to care about others or behave in a moral way. I feel like that's very true in Parasite.
But consider the fact that this is a false dilemma. Class solidarity is not a purely moral choice. It is a strategic imperative, if the working class wish to upgrade their material situatuon. So, in this case the so called "morals" will bring the food. Even in the case of Parasite, the possibility of the two poor families working together would result in a win-win situation.
That's also covered (sort of) in psychology through theories like Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs. Survival-based needs like shelter and food come before more complex needs like self-actualisation and connection to other people.
@@ShinGarugamesh "That's your wishful thinking" It is not. Class solidarity improves material conditions. In fact, class solidarity is *the only* way to improve material conditions under capitalism. Otherwise you end up working for the goals of the ruling class. Licking the boot harder won't put it on your feet.
@@GreeceIsGVX yes, but you can't have morals if you don't have food, and you can't have food if you don't have class solidarity morals. That's the dilemma
Fun fact, the last shot of Memories of Murder was directed at the real life killer, knowing he would probably watch a movie about his unsolved murders. The killer was also identified a few years ago
Apart from the 3 classes in the movie, there's a fourth one: the people the Kims try to present themselves as in the first half, further establishing just how big the class divide between the Parks and the Kims really is.
I love how efficient that method is at showing just how large the divide is. The poor family presents itself as middle-class or even rich and they're still nowhere near half of what the rich family has. It's staggering.
Yep, and this ties pretty closely to Ki-woos's friend who introduces him to the Parks in the first place. It's at once generous and pitiable, since his line to Ki-woo is in the neighborhood of "It's fine that you get to hang with her while I'm gone because you're harmless." It gets at providing true help to the Kims while at the same time denying the idea of class mobility at all. And (as I think Mrs. Kim remarks on?) his going-away gift to Ki-woo is a symbolic rock, which is perhaps a nice gesture in the middle and upper classes but totally worthless to the destitute Kims.
*_Luke 19.10 for the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost.”_* *_Matthew 11.28 Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For My yoke is easy and My burden is light."_* _Jesus Christ loves you. Only Jesus Christ saves. Repent and be saved. God bless you, and the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you and your family._ ----
*_Luke 19.10 for the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost.”_* *_Matthew 11.28 Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For My yoke is easy and My burden is light."_* _Jesus Christ loves you. Only Jesus Christ saves. Repent and be saved. God bless you, and the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you and your family._ ----
the last shot of Song kang Oh watching the camera directly in memories of murder, can also be interpreted as the character looking at the killer directly, as then, the murderer of the real case was still unknown (it changed this year tho), as if if he is saying "I know, I know you're guilty, and I know you're watching this film". it's may be the most common interpretation of this scene, and also seem coherent with his "skill" that he is bragging about in the movie, and yet, it can have many different meanings
According to Bong Joon-ho himself, this shot is kind of a revenge against the killer. The shooting was quite haunting for him, and he knew the killer would probably go watch the movie about his own killings (there's an analogy between the real life killer going back to the theaters and the movie killer who allegedly went back to the murder scene at the end). So yeah, your interpretation is very accurate. There's also a third, metaphorical meaning. The character is looking at Korean society as a whole... The mysterious killer is kind of an incarnation of evil, of "bad", which is kind of paired with the violence of the South-Korean dictature in the 80's (police brutality, riots, inequalities). I don't know how to put it exactly english, but this shot is also accusating Korean society for its own past violence, that's still haunting it despite it's economic outstanding success (hinted to us thx to the detective living in a nice house, with a nice family, and selling DVD players in a nice suite). God this movie is so dense and rich and amazing.
The actor Kang-Ho Song presented the emotion in such perfection. Just notice the muscle on his face changed at that moment, that's brilliant. No wonder he will always be Bong Joon-Ho's favorite actor.
As a Korean, I believe the movie showed very unique Korean cultures that make the universal inequality issue to be more intensified. One example would be the enormous amount of money Koreans have to spend for private education (such as private tutoring and cram schools). I think the new book, “South Korea: The price of efficiency and success” is great to learn the unique Korean cultures.
Bong Joon-ho stated in an interview that it was indeed his very intent : depicting something that he thought to be a very specifically Korean situation. So he was very surprised by how audience from any country could still relate to this, and concluded : "Essentially we all live in the same country, called capitalism". Thanks for the book recommendation btw :)
luluesmail cultural uniqueness is an illusion. Every cultural characteristic came to be depending on what kind of economically efficient options are viable in the locality. In the end, most everyone wants the same thing: fulfillment of base necessities, then egos. 9 out of 10 What options are available for each society determine their cultural development, not the other way around. And the 1 out of 10 are cultural choices that are still considered economically tolerable despite there being better efficient ways, and the moment they become intolerably unviable they die out.
The Kim kids would not have been able to attend private academies due to their family's financial situation, and would have fallen behind their peers academically. The wealthy Parks hired private tutors, which are oft-seen as a status symbol (I started my teaching career in a private academy in Korea).
@@mangrove That's not very different from the situation in the UK or I suspect the US. The specifics in the film may be Korean but the overall problem is fairly universal
I believe maybe that last shot in Memories of Murder was also intended for the real killer. At that time, the killer was still unknown and might be watching the movie
"You don't have to do a lot of digging to get what Bong Joon-ho is trying to tell you." Idk cuz I've seen an astonishing amount of journalists write that the Park family are supposed to be the victims/heroes. Maybe it just proves that rich people are as oblivious as their avatars
non are heroes, all are protagonists. Legally they're victims, and morally the Kim family are victims (but also perpetrators). Just because a few journalists spout their opinion, doesn't mean rich people think what you claim they do at all.
*_Luke 19.10 for the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost.”_* *_Matthew 11.28 Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For My yoke is easy and My burden is light."_* _Jesus Christ loves you. Only Jesus Christ saves. Repent and be saved. God bless you, and the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you and your family._ ----
Really felt that bit about seeing Parasite through the lens of the rest of BJH's filmography, I watched all his films (save for Barking Dogs cause I couldn't find a version with subs) in December and then rewatched Parasite last week and it was glorious. It's so interesting how threads of each film overlap with one another like that......BJH is so cool
@@jeffsedam9827 I live in a third world country and poor people usually just wallow in their misery and become bitter, jealous, and angry whenever someone gets any perceived wealth or upper hand. Even amongst family members, whenever someone gets a promotion, buys a bigger house, or even goes on vacation abroad, the rest of the family usually start talking behind their back and subtly shunning them away because they're "rich" now. Poor people rarely have time to be nice because they're too busy being angry about their situation.
@@ivyk9064 I live in a third world country and can confirm that what Jeff Sedam said is correct. I can also confirm that you're full of shit. Poor people are often much more generous than the rich, because they (we) know what it feels to live in hardship. More likely your family just hates you personally lol.
i think the thing so intriguing about parasite is that although the kims watch the rich family act in such elitist and grotesque ways they still yearn to be rich … to live in the house, to be the 1%… bong joon ho’s take on the class system is so multifaceted and truly fascinating… cant wait to see what he does next :))))
*Asian Horror Movies:* "Starting with a supernatural image of evil approaching far away, leading you to a horrifying yet depressing truth." *American Horror Movies:* _SPOOKY SCARY SKELETONS._
R Rainwater Right. Just like I see weeaboos who don’t see the truckloads of putrid vapid fap-material crap anime spewed out from Japan every year but only see the cream of the crop and get a false worshipfulness of anime in general. It is common anywhere in the world, that ppl will only get to see top 10% stuff good enough to get exported overseas, but for domestic fare they have great easy exposure of the bottom 90% as well so they get the wrong idea that the grass is greener on the other side. It’s applied Sturgeon’s Law.
I love that when every poor of the world ends wachting Parasite, we just take a deep breath, look at each other whith the look that every poor of the world knows: "he's not going to make it".
He did not have to buy the house to free his father. He could have cased the joint and broken in when the owners were on vacation (or when it was otherwise vacant, eg _fir the sale). The kid was an idiot. Cheers! :)
To me the last frames, the 4th wall break, is bong Joon ho horrifically ripping us out of his world and saying that upward social mobility is also impossible irl.
"... a director digging for answers to the central unsolvable problem of our current social and economic stratification." COMPLETELY disagree! What Bong Joon-ho is doing (among other things) is pointing out that the problem is EXACTLY thinking that these problems have no solution. The lack of imagination (to think of a different system) IS A PROBLEM. This is one of the main themes of Snowpiercer. Also about Snowpiercer: That the ending says several other things, among them is that the future belongs to future generations, and that there is hope: the father observes that the ice is melting.
Filipe Dilly I think when he said “unsolvable”, he simply meant difficult to deal with, mentally and physically, not actually impossible. This would then clear up your disagreement, so it depends on you literally you read his words.
@@Christian-vq3lr I obviously disagree with you. If he meant that he should have used the words you used ("difficult" and so on), even more because it was at the end of the video (ie. the conclusion). But what I found interesting in your answer was the use of the word "literally".
I think he is pointing out that there is no plausible solution presented in all the films, therefore the problem is presented as unsolvable. Destroy the system means death, negotiating individually means a one time individual solution that has no societal impact, and try to beat the system alone within its rules is a pitiful tragedy.
@@slaughterhome It depends on what he meant there: If he meant that I read "literally" the use of the phrase in the video ... he would be correct. But my point was precisely this, within what I said I do not think that the author of the video gave reasons for making a free "interpretation" of what he said. Even because he ended up analyzing at least one of the films in a "reductionist" way (Snowpiercer, in this case). If he meant that it depends "literally on me", as if the author were free of the criticisms I made ... right there I find it funny to use the word "literally". Because of the meaning of that word. What I think supports my argument is how the author of the video "understood" or even "placed" Snowpiercer in its logical construction, so I pointed it out at the end in the comment. Another way of saying this is: Using the definition "social stratification" (or social rigidity) as the central problem while saying that this is "unsolvable" is tantamount to agreeing with the very power structure in place on the Snowpiercer Train.
I remember talking to a friend of mind who felt the movie didn't it make it's point very well because "The poor family were assholes" and I was like "that's the point though, class solidarity always comes when it's too late. it's the reason Mr. Kim ends up avenging the very man who killed his daughter."
to me he wasn't avenging him, he killed mr park because he realised that to him there was no difference between the man in the basement and himself, ie he plugged his nose in response to both of them
And the "class solidarity" didn't get him anywhere either. He murdered the rich guy who looked down on him, and what was the result? Both of their kids die because they can't get help.
It's interesting that this video mentions the different conclusion of bong jun hos' film because I remember hearing a korean reviewer theorizing that each of the conclusion mentions how his view of social class has changed over time. (from somewhat optimistic view to believing that its negative view)
So....am i the only person who read this movie as a parody/subversion of k-dramas (korean soap operas)? Like, the vast vast majority of k-dramas are about class differences but usually peddle a fantasy about the elite--that they're powerful, smart, and ultimately good at heart. A young woman (and sometimes a young man) will meet a rich and handsome person who will reveal their heart of gold by lifting them out of poverty. Parasite shows a more realistic scenario (in some ways) of how the wealthy and poor actually interact. I'd say it also specifically takes a lot of the visual styling from k-dramas ESPECIALLY in how the son is filmed at the end of the movie when he fantasizes about buying the house. Plus, the plot of the movie (a housekeeper whose family is secretly living in their client's basement) is the same as the drama Stars falling from the skies. The actress who plays the sister is also a pretty well-known k-drama actress (I'm not sure how big the korean film industry is and how much cross-pollination there is, that could just be a coincidence). Edit: thanks everyone for the great k-drama recs in response to this comment!
@@pablogonzalez9842 The son has been in some k-dramas I think, I saw him in fight my way. I'm not sure if he's mainly a k-drama actor but he has been in some lol
kind of a new interpretation i never thought of. but i think i had been feeling what u said subconsciously, while i was watching the film. so i sort of agree with u
Why not. K-dramas aren't that mainstream outside of Korea, though, so that's why everyone in the West leave this aspect out. Anyways, that's one extra layer to an already perfect film.
I heard the stare ending in Memories of Murder also serve as sort of a 4th walll break Since it's based on a real story and the real killer were never captured, he looks at the audience as some sort of message if the killer were to see the movie
You might have already heard this, but the killer was found just recently. www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/memories-murder-serial-killer-identified-30-years-1241310
8:42 This is very obvious in the scene where they escape the house and end up descending staircases in the rain for the next several minutes until they reach their home. :,(
This is interesting. In the Spanish subtitled version of the film, which I saw in theatres, the "nice because she's rich" sequence wasn't translated like that at all, rather: "she's *attractive* because she's rich".
Finally, finally someone who actually gave proper analysis of parasite. not to sound all holier than thou but every take on this film is so surface level when it comes to how it critiques class, your section on class solidarity was so spot on. Loved this.
Some recognize this critique, but reject it. In any case, the Kims were truly evil people, and the movie does not portray the Parks as evil at all. Disdainful at most. (And possessing of higher olfactory sense, which is not a sin.) Cheers! :)
8:55 oh my that never dawned on me before. It's actually amazing how many times I had to rewatch that movie since I wanted to truly grab at every ounce of metaphor and meaning and yet still you managed to show me even more
Thomas Flight also recently made a video about the visual architecture of Parasite and he elaborated more on the details and structures within the movie. You should check his channel as well.
@@lemonringo566 Thank you for that wonderful recommendation I just finished watching it and it was brilliant. Already subscribed to that guy and I'm checking out his other videos.
@@codydavis3100 Yes, thank you for mentioning it. Really good insight. The attention to detail is really one of a kind in this movie, it really has been done perfectly.
I'm actually writing my college integrative paper on this film and how it relates to Marx's ideas on class struggle and alienation (as well as Rousseau's notion of amour propre). Good to see how other people have also done their research and made connections to Marx's work! Parasite is nothing if not a criticism of capitalism. I wish I could cite you as a scholarly source, but alas I must return to the very small number of academic journal articles on the subject :')
To help you out a bit. Bong went to yonsei university (Top 2-3 university in Korea) to study sociology in 1988 as a freshman. That school and that department is still known as being quite leftist and was at the forefront of the student protests for democratization against the military dictatorship (I know this first-hand cuz, my uncle, now a sociology prof in the US, was in the same cohort as Bong and my uncle literally said we were all leftists lol. and my uncle is kind of a socialist even today). Bong also said in previous interviews that he attended student protests in his freshman year so he was ideologically motivated. One thing that nobody says or observed, was that Bong said in another interview that the scholar's rock is just a rock; not a metaphor as the son said. It is materialistic. (Try to look at different interviews he did in other film festivals I can't find where he said it but he did reference it a couple of times.) Now to those who know Marx and Hegel and the dialectics, the rock is not Hegel's version of the dialectic. It is not an idea of class elevation that makes the rock special which in turn creates options for other ideas. Rather, it is closer to Marx's version of the dialectic where a material (the rock) is used to implement an idea (class struggle) to change the outcome (to secure the class elevation through keeping their jobs), though it failed in the movie (the rock was used to stop a rise amongst the lower classes). It can be interpreted as class struggle and a revolution is no longer a viable option in the current system we live in. He also said something similar in an interview that this movie doesn't promote revolution but implies that class struggle and revolutions are more difficult in this day and age because you cannot identify who the enemy is.
@@Fenrir214 Wow that is actually super helpful and good to know! I figured Bong must have had some kind of experience with leftist thought. I had no idea about the Yonsei university stuff. Still, I don't think you could call Bong a communist. Perhaps a socialist. He seems rather pessimistic about society as a whole, criticizing both the rich and the poor (as opposed to Marx's very morally binary thinking, identifying the bourgeoisie as the oppressors and the proletariat as the oppressed). To me, he is criticizing capitalism as a system, since it is this system that causes the characters to behave in the way they do. Parasite doesn't have the blind optimism of communism (which claims that the working class are uncorrupt and able to cooperate harmoniously), and so in that sense it reveals a deeply distressing reality about our society: capitalism has commodified human beings and turned them against each other, and it is not going to change anytime soon. I don't think Parasite is supposed to "unite the workers" of the world, but rather expose the ugliness of capitalist society. And then perhaps new solutions can be found. I also heard that interview about how the rock doesn't actually have any intrinsic meaning. I thought it was very funny and an interesting commentary on how we like to impose value and meaning on things that have none. I think that's an interesting connection you make with Marx's response to Hegel's dialectic. The way I see it is that the rock doesn't have any intrinsic meaning, it's just a rock (material). However, Kiwoo ascribes meaning to it, wanting to believe it will bring his family luck and prosperity. He puts his faith into a pipe dream, that of moving up in society, just like he puts his faith into an empty symbol (the rock).
@@rachellesavard6069 Yeah Bong is closer to anti-capitalist than marxist or socialist. But even then he's not completely anti-capitalist but just wary of the system itself.
What many people fail to notice is that this movie Parasite is basically an homage to the Korean CLASSIC novel, The Dwarf. (aka 난장이가 쏘아올린 작은 공) The book, written in the 80s, is made up of several short stories that have connecting plotlines and characters. The writer in this book speaks up about the gap between the rich and the poor, and by portraying the main character, The Dwarf (in the movie it may be Ki Taek) as a physically disabled man, showing the brutal reality that the poor family has to fight against. This book is a Must-Read for all middle/high school students in Korea and if you read the novel, you will be able to have a broader understanding of Parasite. If you loved the movie, I think its time you see the book as well
The ending shot of memories of murder is the best. The film is based on a true story, and (similar to in the movie) at the time of its release the killer was still not caught. the detective looked directly at the camera into the crowd, searching for the killer who could be in the audience. Creepy as hell
For some reason, I get the feeling that Bong Joon-ho would make a really good China Mieville adaptation. I'd love to see how he would do something like the City and the City.
I don't see how the endings are incompatible. The mistake, I think, in your assumption is that you use them as "happy endings" and therefore as proposed solutions, but I think that in the long term they are very clear as to what they have to say: In Okja, we see how the girl simply couldn't defeat the system and how playing by the rules of that system (money) will only give you a small personal victory, but no real change. (it's not really a happy ending) In Parasite, it's actually a very sad ending precisely because we know that the boy cannot possibly gain the life he wants by working IN the system. (tragic ending, not a solution to the problem but the essence of the problem). In Snowpiercer, it becomes apparent that those class wars will not lead to anything good if the goal is not to completely change the system. Snowpiercer's ending is the only hopeful one. Yes, it's unsure if we can make it and it's obvious that there will be great sacrifices in order to change the system and rethink our way of life... but it is the only way there is. Snopiercer is the only movie that actually "proposes" a solution, we just see it as vague or unsatisfying because we are afraid of the fall of capitalism. But let's face it... it has to fall.
It's not hopeful, is suicidal. If you are trying to change the society and it gets killed, there is no victory, only change. The end of this movie is not about trying to start again, is "we failed because two don't make a society". Capitalism has to go, but if all that it takes it's blow society up with the system, then we didn't "need to start" because when almost no one have left, and they can't restart society, than doesn't mean anything. The whole point is that there must be a positive aftermath.
@@arxidiaTOUtsolia I'm taking literally because you wrote it literally. And the point is that the director seemed to be showing that he don't see any exits, contrary to you that see hope in a movie that ends with failure.
Now it would be interesting to see if Bong makes a 'socialdemocratic' movie. Social Democracy is about reforming the system. I think this topic remains to be dealt with in his film?
I don't know what Bong Joon-ho's background was before becoming a film maker, but it might be worth considering that he has probably experienced his own journey through the class system as his films have become more successful. An evolving point of view is bound to contribute to an evolving creative expression. I also find myself reflecting that in order to make a film that reaches a broad audience with messages about class a film maker probably needs to be or have the assistance of millionaires in the film industry. How can these people be anything but ambiguous towards class, they want the middle/lower class to buy movie tickets so that they can stay in the upper class :/
"But we all know that the boy will never be able to afford the house, even with his fathers life hangs in the balance...." because there is no balance.
brilliant script and brilliant video, as usual! saw parasite at long last today and can finally allow myself to watch this! was not disappointed. i am constantly in awe of your work! thank you for creating your videos!
As a Bong Joon-ho fan since he released The Host (yeah, since that long), I would highly recommend Snowpiercer (not the Weinstein cut), Mother and Memories of Murder.
Meet the son of Parasite Director Bong Joon-ho, Korea’s upcoming filmmaker Hyomin 🎬 Check out his first video interview ever!!! ruclips.net/video/ScNMFbaSSF4/видео.html
Just saw it last night. Fantastic! One dangling thread through; the original English tutor who knew both families. He would have come back after the big event.
Another funfact that you might missed if you're not familiar with asian culture and values/korean language. In korean and most asian culture, using honorifics term and correct speech level is really big deal as in to show your espect to elder/higher ranks. There are 9 speech levels in korean, though only 2/3 of them still often used till today. Most people will resort to 존댓말/jondaemal (formal speech) to speak within business setting and address strangers (it can be pretty hard to know someone's rank/age within first meeting). When the relationship has been established, and if so you've grown familiar with the person, you might want to drop the formalities and use 반말/banmal (informal speech) instead. But it can only applies when the other person agrees to do so. But for someone younger/ of lower ranks it's never appropriate to talk to elder/someone with higher ranks with banmal. (Unless the person allows you to do so). What's interesting is, at 4:26 Ki Woo's mother despite her position/rank still chooses to use jondaemal (with a bit of casual tilt)to talk to Moon-Gwang. This may indicate, she still "respect" Moon-Gwang and try to drawing the boundaries to stay at business/formal sense. But Moon-Gwang, try to cross the boundaries by getting familiar and address Ki Woo's mother by calling her 언니/older sister and pleads to her by adressing herself as 저 (this is one of the most polite way to address yourself when speaking with higher rank/position). When the power dynamic changes at 4:49, Ki Woo's mother tries to get Moon-Gwang's favor by crossing previous boundaries and addressing her 동생아/hey, litlle sister... Moon-Gwang, not only reject Ki Woo's mother favor, but she also cusses and forsaking all the honorifics and speech level, despite being younger. This tiny dialogue really add more depths within the shift of power dynamic. Edit: article about Korean speech level and honorifics asiasociety.org/korea/understanding-korean-language
That's an interesting take on the last scene of Memories of Murder; makes a lot of sense. I also took it as a super meta take - he knows the serial killer is in the audience, watching the film (since they still hadn't caught him when the film was made), and when he says the killer could be "ordinary" it not only creates a tension with the audience that the killer could be among them watching and they'd never know, (and by extension, killers could be any ordinary we may think we know) but also a goad to the killer himself: We know you're watching.
unfortunately the killer already caught for other murder cases in late 90s and can't watch the movie . a few months ago s.korea police department use the DNA machine and got the info that the killer is already in the prison all this time lol
Recently watched Parasite, Memories of murder, The Host and Barking Dogs Never Bite. He is one of my favorite directors now. Fun to se all of them in a short period of time and she how they relate to each other. The actors of course... he uses the same actors over and over, but also the topics. The Host is a great horror movie but still deals with the same topics. And the same actors are doing completely different characters
I would even say that “nice because she’s rich” reveals that the problem isn’t so much that someone is nice because they’re rich, but the fact that humans are greedy and money magnifies what they are as a person.
There is nothing to indicate that she was nice because she was rich, rather than simply both nice and rich. The characters in the film are limited to the two families, rich and poor. The rich family happened to be nice. The poor family happened to be despicable (as required by the story). Cheers! :)
When it comes to class solidarity I think it also is important to point out that the classes only came together when a supernatural event happened saying that in a normal society class solidarity doesn't exist.
having lived past two decades in korea, i can tell you that korean society itself is very clear and present in psyche regards to social class so it's natural for any artists in korea to be affected by it and even portray it; it's very different from my southern upbringing.
I think Jung-woo Ha and Kang-ho Song are talented actors . it took me a while to figure it out that Kang-ho Song played in Snowpircer and Jung-woo Ha played the villain in the movie Chaser. i think it's time that foreign actors as well be nominated actors categories . both deserve to be recognized for their talents , at least Dong-seok Ma got cast into The MCU .
There are so many TRASH video essayists on youtube now but this is great! Not overly stylized or heady or wordy just a guy with something to say with some good examples! I respect it
Sisko(DS9): Do you know what the trouble is? The trouble is Earth-on Earth there is no poverty, no crime, no war. You look out the window of Starfleet Headquarters and you see paradise. It's easy to be a saint in paradise, but the Maquis do not live in paradise. Out there in the demilitarized zone all the problems haven't been solved yet. Out there, there are no saints, just people-angry, scared, determined people who are going to do whatever it takes to survive, whether it meets with Federation approval or not.
I would argue that the movies do not have conflicting answers to the problem of the class system, but actually all point to the same answer: do something, take action when/how you can. He doesn’t tell you specifically what to do bc he doesn’t have the answer, but also bc you don’t give a map to someone who hasn’t decided to take the trip yet.
in snowpiercer when the group walks up the stairs in the fancy car, they pass two women. one covers her nose like she smells something bad. the park family in parasite does the same thing to the kim family. i just thought this was interesting.
You speak about the lower class showing solidarity in Snowpiercer - Kinda, but in the end reflects the themes of Mother and Parasite. Curtis unites the lower class behind him as they fight their way to the front, but Wilford reveals that he was in league with Gilliam - another lower class character Curtis himself looked up to and respected. This shows that if the lower class are not fighting amongst themselves, than there will be those that betray their fellow needy to the wealthy/higher ups to benefit themselves.
not only that they cannot be nice do to being poor and not having class solidarity, but also that their efforts in class solidarity would not help them out of the situation. Thier wages would could not be saved up in their lifetime to get out of poverty...not only is being poor a reason for them not being nice, but the fact that being "nice" would grant them friendship/support but not basic necessities...that's pretty darn hard to ignore in an effort to create connections/share troubles within your class
When I was watching this movie at AMC, I yelled out "내가 더 착해!" , just as she was saying that line. 봉준호 감독 is genius......he knows exactly how audience would react to certain situation.
I’m not sure if you left it out intentionally, but you left out “Shaking Tokyo” which he tackled the rising social issue of Hikikomoris of Japan. The Movie “Tokyo!” Which is three separate film done by 3 different directors is a cult classic and one of my personal favorites. Michael Gondry’s piece might even feel eerily familiar to the idea of a “parasite” as well.
Aside from the movies he listed, it's cool that The Irishman was about unionism! Cool to hear people talk about solidarity in a mainstream movie, even if it was made murky by Hoffa's ties to organized crime. (Tho since before the mob was helping industry bosses against the unions, I really can't blame the Teamsters for persuading the mafia to switch sides; if there's gonna be a mafia bullying people, might as well have them bully on the side of working people tbh)
Name me a movie where a businessmen are not evil but the opposite. You can count pro-capitalist movies on two hands if not one. Almost all movies are anti-capitalist. That socialist train was going since movies started existing.
@@SiMeGamer Mainstream Hollywood movies only manage to be """anti-capitalist""" by portraying a certain rich guy as "evil", and even then it's usually a gritty, up-and-coming Elon Musk figure who saves the day. And that is as pro-capitalist as it gets, because the Elon Musks and Marc Zuckerbergs ARE the current face of capitalism. Your first sentence tells me that you haven't quite grasped what all of this is about. Nice capitalists vs. evil capitalists is a false dichotomy. Anti-capitalism means transcending that false dichotomy by actively fighting the class structure of society. Now, can you name me some movies that advocate that? Because I can't think of any, at least no mainstream ones.
If you want a film-maker who really understands class, Ken Loach is your guy. I encourage everyone to watch „Pride“. That‘s a movie about class that people need to see.
His dad made a big point about not making plans as it results in disappointment. At the end of the movie, the son decides to make a plan.
that scene, and the whole movie, also end on a Picardy third, a special type of musical resolution that is famous because Bach and a few other composers often used it to end their pieces. The son has a hope for the future, but in reality his story is over
You gotta have faith, Arthur. We're gonna be on Tahiti in no time, but we just need MORE MONEH
I think people should have plans but not very detailed only a big scheme and know that you have to work for that pass
All plans are disappointing. The son will never be able to BUY such house!
@Crazeh Boi no wonder some angsty teen killed him
"Like any good film critic, I determine what the themes of a movie are by looking it up on Wikipedia."
GOLD
😂😂😂
fken hell hahahaa
Please Patrick make a video about this film. Por favor.
🤣🤣🤣🤣
I know right? Validation!
I love that there's an entirely different horror movie in there if you look at it from the young boy's perspective
Idk that stair case shot almost made me shit myself
@@zachfakelastname Yeah, legit it scared me. I don't do well with ghosts that look real.
@@zachfakelastname i had trouble sleeping the first night i saw the film. Rofl
@__@ He's the only one in his family who's seen the "people in the basement," the people his family call "ghosts." Legit didn't realize until right now that the boy was suffering for the whole movie from the discomfort of having his class bubble popped.
Bong Joon Ho tends to do that a lot. His movie Snowpiercer has many parallels drawn from Willy Wonka and the chocolate factory. You could almost call it a dark sequel to Willy Wonka.
The fact that the two poor families were fighting each other was one of the most depressing things about parasite, I was just like dang y'all could easily work together to swindle the rich family and both have enough to live on but no, whoever got into a more powerful position decided they wanna get rid of the other family. It's like the poor people were looking into a mirror and didn't like what they saw so they just wanted to get rid of the image by any means necessary and it all ended with both families losing smh. You see this all the time in real life, poor people lose their jobs but instead of blaming the corporations and the politicians they've bought, they blame immigrants, even though we all know the rich love immigration because they get to exploit immigrant labor. This is how they get poor people to constantly vote against their own self interests: "No you guys are awesome and so are we the rich, we're not the problem, the problem is Mexicans and people on food stamps begging for handouts, they're the ones sucking the life blood out of this country and they deserve your ire".
Replace Mexicans with Muslims and you've got the situation in Europe.
this is an interesting point!!
nothing sucks more than smashing solidarity in the us
good case bro
It's like crabs in a bucket
On the whole topic of class solidarity - we have a saying in Germany "first food, then morals" so it's basically saying that you need basic necessities satisfied before you can afford to care about others or behave in a moral way. I feel like that's very true in Parasite.
Cant care about your favourite man if you hungry.
But consider the fact that this is a false dilemma. Class solidarity is not a purely moral choice. It is a strategic imperative, if the working class wish to upgrade their material situatuon. So, in this case the so called "morals" will bring the food. Even in the case of Parasite, the possibility of the two poor families working together would result in a win-win situation.
That's also covered (sort of) in psychology through theories like Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs. Survival-based needs like shelter and food come before more complex needs like self-actualisation and connection to other people.
@@ShinGarugamesh "That's your wishful thinking"
It is not. Class solidarity improves material conditions.
In fact, class solidarity is *the only* way to improve material conditions under capitalism. Otherwise you end up working for the goals of the ruling class.
Licking the boot harder won't put it on your feet.
@@GreeceIsGVX yes, but you can't have morals if you don't have food, and you can't have food if you don't have class solidarity morals. That's the dilemma
Fun fact, the last shot of Memories of Murder was directed at the real life killer, knowing he would probably watch a movie about his unsolved murders.
The killer was also identified a few years ago
Fun fact indeed😉
Wasn't identified last year?
@@Ratchet2431 whoops, yeah. It felt like I read the announcement right after I first saw the movie, I guess more time time passed than I remembered
@@vshazam who is the killer, i'm curious?
@@Xerxezkov he was already in prison for another murder, they found him by advanced DNA investigating techniques and he admitted the crime.
Apart from the 3 classes in the movie, there's a fourth one: the people the Kims try to present themselves as in the first half, further establishing just how big the class divide between the Parks and the Kims really is.
word
I love how efficient that method is at showing just how large the divide is. The poor family presents itself as middle-class or even rich and they're still nowhere near half of what the rich family has. It's staggering.
dang every time I read comments someone always blows my mind lmao
Yep, and this ties pretty closely to Ki-woos's friend who introduces him to the Parks in the first place. It's at once generous and pitiable, since his line to Ki-woo is in the neighborhood of "It's fine that you get to hang with her while I'm gone because you're harmless." It gets at providing true help to the Kims while at the same time denying the idea of class mobility at all. And (as I think Mrs. Kim remarks on?) his going-away gift to Ki-woo is a symbolic rock, which is perhaps a nice gesture in the middle and upper classes but totally worthless to the destitute Kims.
*_Luke 19.10 for the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost.”_*
*_Matthew 11.28 Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For My yoke is easy and My burden is light."_*
_Jesus Christ loves you. Only Jesus Christ saves. Repent and be saved. God bless you, and the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you and your family._
----
In fact, both the mother and the ex-housekeeper call each other "sis". Eonni means big sister, while dongsaeng means little sister.
Its part of korean culture
it's an honorific that signals a polite tone
*_Luke 19.10 for the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost.”_*
*_Matthew 11.28 Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For My yoke is easy and My burden is light."_*
_Jesus Christ loves you. Only Jesus Christ saves. Repent and be saved. God bless you, and the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you and your family._
----
the last shot of Song kang Oh watching the camera directly in memories of murder, can also be interpreted as the character looking at the killer directly, as then, the murderer of the real case was still unknown (it changed this year tho), as if if he is saying "I know, I know you're guilty, and I know you're watching this film". it's may be the most common interpretation of this scene, and also seem coherent with his "skill" that he is bragging about in the movie, and yet, it can have many different meanings
According to Bong Joon-ho himself, this shot is kind of a revenge against the killer. The shooting was quite haunting for him, and he knew the killer would probably go watch the movie about his own killings (there's an analogy between the real life killer going back to the theaters and the movie killer who allegedly went back to the murder scene at the end). So yeah, your interpretation is very accurate.
There's also a third, metaphorical meaning. The character is looking at Korean society as a whole... The mysterious killer is kind of an incarnation of evil, of "bad", which is kind of paired with the violence of the South-Korean dictature in the 80's (police brutality, riots, inequalities). I don't know how to put it exactly english, but this shot is also accusating Korean society for its own past violence, that's still haunting it despite it's economic outstanding success (hinted to us thx to the detective living in a nice house, with a nice family, and selling DVD players in a nice suite).
God this movie is so dense and rich and amazing.
I think the most disturbing part is that the killer was caught and watched the film. I wonder what he felt.
The actor Kang-Ho Song presented the emotion in such perfection. Just notice the muscle on his face changed at that moment, that's brilliant. No wonder he will always be Bong Joon-Ho's favorite actor.
No, it is a look into the audience's eye, asking "Who is at fault? What do I do? What would you do?"
The real culprit was caught in September 2019. He is already in prison for another crime and is a man in his fifties.
As a Korean, I believe the movie showed very unique Korean cultures that make the universal inequality issue to be more intensified. One example would be the enormous amount of money Koreans have to spend for private education (such as private tutoring and cram schools). I think the new book, “South Korea: The price of efficiency and success” is great to learn the unique Korean cultures.
Bong Joon-ho stated in an interview that it was indeed his very intent : depicting something that he thought to be a very specifically Korean situation. So he was very surprised by how audience from any country could still relate to this, and concluded : "Essentially we all live in the same country, called capitalism".
Thanks for the book recommendation btw :)
luluesmail cultural uniqueness is an illusion. Every cultural characteristic came to be depending on what kind of economically efficient options are viable in the locality. In the end, most everyone wants the same thing: fulfillment of base necessities, then egos. 9 out of 10 What options are available for each society determine their cultural development, not the other way around. And the 1 out of 10 are cultural choices that are still considered economically tolerable despite there being better efficient ways, and the moment they become intolerably unviable they die out.
The Kim kids would not have been able to attend private academies due to their family's financial situation, and would have fallen behind their peers academically. The wealthy Parks hired private tutors, which are oft-seen as a status symbol (I started my teaching career in a private academy in Korea).
@@mangrove That's not very different from the situation in the UK or I suspect the US. The specifics in the film may be Korean but the overall problem is fairly universal
Thank you for the book rec!
I haven't even seen the trailer when I went to see the movie
I thought it was gonna be a horror or thriller
It was even better than I expected
Same here
did they do the bell check in the beginning in the movie theatre?
it is horror when you think about it
The scene where they descend to the basement is probably my favorite mid-plot genre shift
I believe maybe that last shot in Memories of Murder was also intended for the real killer. At that time, the killer was still unknown and might be watching the movie
Amirullah Zulkifli chills.
... oh god
The killer was recently discovered. He was already in prison for another murder.
They just got the killer recently
@@lemonringo566 Who's the name of the killer?
"You don't have to do a lot of digging to get what Bong Joon-ho is trying to tell you."
Idk cuz I've seen an astonishing amount of journalists write that the Park family are supposed to be the victims/heroes. Maybe it just proves that rich people are as oblivious as their avatars
non are heroes, all are protagonists. Legally they're victims, and morally the Kim family are victims (but also perpetrators). Just because a few journalists spout their opinion, doesn't mean rich people think what you claim they do at all.
*_Luke 19.10 for the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost.”_*
*_Matthew 11.28 Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For My yoke is easy and My burden is light."_*
_Jesus Christ loves you. Only Jesus Christ saves. Repent and be saved. God bless you, and the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you and your family._
----
The Park father was a victim wasn't he? The Parks are not the only victims. (The original made was a victim too.) But they _are_ victims.
Cheers! :)
@@lukeh567 Some people are asses. Some are trolls. Some are trollish asses. Some are asinine trolls. Cheers! :)
Really felt that bit about seeing Parasite through the lens of the rest of BJH's filmography, I watched all his films (save for Barking Dogs cause I couldn't find a version with subs) in December and then rewatched Parasite last week and it was glorious. It's so interesting how threads of each film overlap with one another like that......BJH is so cool
"I was poor, and i was rich, and believe me - being rich is much better"
Cher quote?
Where is that quote from? Is it from the movie?
The Wolf of Wall Street
BrainXTC it’s what the dude the wolf of Wall Street is based on, said
That bit of Ready or Not was just...
**chef kiss**
It's hard to live an honrable life and give to others and find joy when you live in poverty.
Nonsense my experience is that poor people many times are very generous.
@@jeffsedam9827 I live in a third world country and poor people usually just wallow in their misery and become bitter, jealous, and angry whenever someone gets any perceived wealth or upper hand. Even amongst family members, whenever someone gets a promotion, buys a bigger house, or even goes on vacation abroad, the rest of the family usually start talking behind their back and subtly shunning them away because they're "rich" now.
Poor people rarely have time to be nice because they're too busy being angry about their situation.
@@jeffsedam9827 that's such an oblivious rich boy answer
@@jeffsedam9827 This is correct.
@@ivyk9064 I live in a third world country and can confirm that what Jeff Sedam said is correct.
I can also confirm that you're full of shit. Poor people are often much more generous than the rich, because they (we) know what it feels to live in hardship.
More likely your family just hates you personally lol.
i think the thing so intriguing about parasite is that although the kims watch the rich family act in such elitist and grotesque ways they still yearn to be rich … to live in the house, to be the 1%…
bong joon ho’s take on the class system is so multifaceted and truly fascinating… cant wait to see what he does next :))))
*Asian Horror Movies:* "Starting with a supernatural image of evil approaching far away, leading you to a horrifying yet depressing truth."
*American Horror Movies:* _SPOOKY SCARY SKELETONS._
And unnecessary jumpscares and extreme violence.
I see you only watch mainstream american movies and only award winning japanese movies.
Atlist we get stuff like Death by Daylight
And meme horror characters
Did you watched "The Wailing"?
R Rainwater Right. Just like I see weeaboos who don’t see the truckloads of putrid vapid fap-material crap anime spewed out from Japan every year but only see the cream of the crop and get a false worshipfulness of anime in general.
It is common anywhere in the world, that ppl will only get to see top 10% stuff good enough to get exported overseas, but for domestic fare they have great easy exposure of the bottom 90% as well so they get the wrong idea that the grass is greener on the other side. It’s applied Sturgeon’s Law.
I love that when every poor of the world ends wachting Parasite, we just take a deep breath, look at each other whith the look that every poor of the world knows: "he's not going to make it".
He did not have to buy the house to free his father. He could have cased the joint and broken in when the owners were on vacation (or when it was otherwise vacant, eg _fir the sale).
The kid was an idiot.
Cheers! :)
Every film of Bong Joon-ho is about class levels, however Parasite is so much more, should win an oscar this year for best picture
To me the last frames, the 4th wall break, is bong Joon ho horrifically ripping us out of his world and saying that upward social mobility is also impossible irl.
I don't think the endings contradict each other. They all agree that remaining in the system changes nothing.
Yours is the most thoughtful comment on here, even beating the shallow dive this video took into deeply complicated issues, like "class" and cultures.
"It a smaller story taking place inside a bigger system." And it's done so well.
"... a director digging for answers to the central unsolvable problem of our current social and economic stratification."
COMPLETELY disagree!
What Bong Joon-ho is doing (among other things) is pointing out that the problem is EXACTLY thinking that these problems have no solution. The lack of imagination (to think of a different system) IS A PROBLEM.
This is one of the main themes of Snowpiercer.
Also about Snowpiercer:
That the ending says several other things, among them is that the future belongs to future generations, and that there is hope: the father observes that the ice is melting.
Filipe Dilly I think when he said “unsolvable”, he simply meant difficult to deal with, mentally and physically, not actually impossible. This would then clear up your disagreement, so it depends on you literally you read his words.
@@Christian-vq3lr I obviously disagree with you. If he meant that he should have used the words you used ("difficult" and so on), even more because it was at the end of the video (ie. the conclusion).
But what I found interesting in your answer was the use of the word "literally".
I think he is pointing out that there is no plausible solution presented in all the films, therefore the problem is presented as unsolvable. Destroy the system means death, negotiating individually means a one time individual solution that has no societal impact, and try to beat the system alone within its rules is a pitiful tragedy.
@@filsd What's interesting about his use of the word "literally"?
@@slaughterhome It depends on what he meant there:
If he meant that I read "literally" the use of the phrase in the video ... he would be correct. But my point was precisely this, within what I said I do not think that the author of the video gave reasons for making a free "interpretation" of what he said. Even because he ended up analyzing at least one of the films in a "reductionist" way (Snowpiercer, in this case).
If he meant that it depends "literally on me", as if the author were free of the criticisms I made ... right there I find it funny to use the word "literally". Because of the meaning of that word.
What I think supports my argument is how the author of the video "understood" or even "placed" Snowpiercer in its logical construction, so I pointed it out at the end in the comment.
Another way of saying this is:
Using the definition "social stratification" (or social rigidity) as the central problem while saying that this is "unsolvable" is tantamount to agreeing with the very power structure in place on the Snowpiercer Train.
I remember talking to a friend of mind who felt the movie didn't it make it's point very well because "The poor family were assholes" and I was like "that's the point though, class solidarity always comes when it's too late. it's the reason Mr. Kim ends up avenging the very man who killed his daughter."
Avenging the man who killed his daughter? How was that avenging him? The basement dweller loved Park and was killed by Chung-sook
to me he wasn't avenging him, he killed mr park because he realised that to him there was no difference between the man in the basement and himself, ie he plugged his nose in response to both of them
@@LinneaPetisme Oh thank you! I like this better
And the "class solidarity" didn't get him anywhere either. He murdered the rich guy who looked down on him, and what was the result? Both of their kids die because they can't get help.
@@krombopulos_michael pretty sure that little kid will live
It's interesting that this video mentions the different conclusion of bong jun hos' film because I remember hearing a korean reviewer theorizing that each of the conclusion mentions how his view of social class has changed over time. (from somewhat optimistic view to believing that its negative view)
So....am i the only person who read this movie as a parody/subversion of k-dramas (korean soap operas)?
Like, the vast vast majority of k-dramas are about class differences but usually peddle a fantasy about the elite--that they're powerful, smart, and ultimately good at heart. A young woman (and sometimes a young man) will meet a rich and handsome person who will reveal their heart of gold by lifting them out of poverty. Parasite shows a more realistic scenario (in some ways) of how the wealthy and poor actually interact.
I'd say it also specifically takes a lot of the visual styling from k-dramas ESPECIALLY in how the son is filmed at the end of the movie when he fantasizes about buying the house. Plus, the plot of the movie (a housekeeper whose family is secretly living in their client's basement) is the same as the drama Stars falling from the skies. The actress who plays the sister is also a pretty well-known k-drama actress (I'm not sure how big the korean film industry is and how much cross-pollination there is, that could just be a coincidence).
Edit: thanks everyone for the great k-drama recs in response to this comment!
Natalie Mullins couldn’t agree more! The son seemed like the typical k-drama lead during the fantasy sequence. From his hair to his clothing.
@@pablogonzalez9842 The son has been in some k-dramas I think, I saw him in fight my way. I'm not sure if he's mainly a k-drama actor but he has been in some lol
That's one interpretation that I never thought of much.
kind of a new interpretation i never thought of.
but i think i had been feeling what u said subconsciously, while i was watching the film.
so i sort of agree with u
Why not. K-dramas aren't that mainstream outside of Korea, though, so that's why everyone in the West leave this aspect out. Anyways, that's one extra layer to an already perfect film.
Seriously Bong Joon Ho created these masterpieces, he has to win Best Director & Picture at the Oscars. If not we’ll riot.
I heard the stare ending in Memories of Murder also serve as sort of a 4th walll break
Since it's based on a real story and the real killer were never captured, he looks at the audience as some sort of message if the killer were to see the movie
You might have already heard this, but the killer was found just recently. www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/memories-murder-serial-killer-identified-30-years-1241310
8:42 This is very obvious in the scene where they escape the house and end up descending staircases in the rain for the next several minutes until they reach their home. :,(
Of course. Having assaulted the maid, they are back to where they belong. F'ing assholes.
Cheers! :)
This is interesting. In the Spanish subtitled version of the film, which I saw in theatres, the "nice because she's rich" sequence wasn't translated like that at all, rather: "she's *attractive* because she's rich".
Just Write grew up with Parasite
Wait, wrong RUclipsr! Lol
Finally, finally someone who actually gave proper analysis of parasite. not to sound all holier than thou but every take on this film is so surface level when it comes to how it critiques class, your section on class solidarity was so spot on. Loved this.
Some recognize this critique, but reject it.
In any case, the Kims were truly evil people, and the movie does not portray the Parks as evil at all. Disdainful at most. (And possessing of higher olfactory sense, which is not a sin.)
Cheers! :)
@@zapazap God is not real
@@dangboor4277 so you say. Cheers!
@@zapazap Exploitation of lower classes is not evil? You must come from privilege to not recognise the structural problems.
@@weirdforces Were they paid a fee for there services? I believe they began to dress better and to eat wagu beef.
I just saw this movie and it completely blew me away. I think it really deserves best picture but I doubt it will win.
8:55 oh my that never dawned on me before. It's actually amazing how many times I had to rewatch that movie since I wanted to truly grab at every ounce of metaphor and meaning and yet still you managed to show me even more
When they escape the house they are also always moving downwards, emphasized by all the staircases they use to get home.
Thomas Flight also recently made a video about the visual architecture of Parasite and he elaborated more on the details and structures within the movie. You should check his channel as well.
@@lemonringo566 Thank you for that wonderful recommendation I just finished watching it and it was brilliant. Already subscribed to that guy and I'm checking out his other videos.
@@codydavis3100 Yes, thank you for mentioning it. Really good insight. The attention to detail is really one of a kind in this movie, it really has been done perfectly.
@@fernwhite9158 I think this or 1917 gets Best Picture. A lot of good movies this year but those are the 2 I'm hoping for.
MOTHER was sooooooooooo good
I'm actually writing my college integrative paper on this film and how it relates to Marx's ideas on class struggle and alienation (as well as Rousseau's notion of amour propre). Good to see how other people have also done their research and made connections to Marx's work! Parasite is nothing if not a criticism of capitalism. I wish I could cite you as a scholarly source, but alas I must return to the very small number of academic journal articles on the subject :')
Rachelle Savard good luck! There’s so much to cover...
To help you out a bit. Bong went to yonsei university (Top 2-3 university in Korea) to study sociology in 1988 as a freshman. That school and that department is still known as being quite leftist and was at the forefront of the student protests for democratization against the military dictatorship (I know this first-hand cuz, my uncle, now a sociology prof in the US, was in the same cohort as Bong and my uncle literally said we were all leftists lol. and my uncle is kind of a socialist even today). Bong also said in previous interviews that he attended student protests in his freshman year so he was ideologically motivated.
One thing that nobody says or observed, was that Bong said in another interview that the scholar's rock is just a rock; not a metaphor as the son said. It is materialistic. (Try to look at different interviews he did in other film festivals I can't find where he said it but he did reference it a couple of times.) Now to those who know Marx and Hegel and the dialectics, the rock is not Hegel's version of the dialectic. It is not an idea of class elevation that makes the rock special which in turn creates options for other ideas. Rather, it is closer to Marx's version of the dialectic where a material (the rock) is used to implement an idea (class struggle) to change the outcome (to secure the class elevation through keeping their jobs), though it failed in the movie (the rock was used to stop a rise amongst the lower classes). It can be interpreted as class struggle and a revolution is no longer a viable option in the current system we live in. He also said something similar in an interview that this movie doesn't promote revolution but implies that class struggle and revolutions are more difficult in this day and age because you cannot identify who the enemy is.
@@Fenrir214 Wow that is actually super helpful and good to know! I figured Bong must have had some kind of experience with leftist thought. I had no idea about the Yonsei university stuff. Still, I don't think you could call Bong a communist. Perhaps a socialist. He seems rather pessimistic about society as a whole, criticizing both the rich and the poor (as opposed to Marx's very morally binary thinking, identifying the bourgeoisie as the oppressors and the proletariat as the oppressed). To me, he is criticizing capitalism as a system, since it is this system that causes the characters to behave in the way they do. Parasite doesn't have the blind optimism of communism (which claims that the working class are uncorrupt and able to cooperate harmoniously), and so in that sense it reveals a deeply distressing reality about our society: capitalism has commodified human beings and turned them against each other, and it is not going to change anytime soon. I don't think Parasite is supposed to "unite the workers" of the world, but rather expose the ugliness of capitalist society. And then perhaps new solutions can be found.
I also heard that interview about how the rock doesn't actually have any intrinsic meaning. I thought it was very funny and an interesting commentary on how we like to impose value and meaning on things that have none. I think that's an interesting connection you make with Marx's response to Hegel's dialectic. The way I see it is that the rock doesn't have any intrinsic meaning, it's just a rock (material). However, Kiwoo ascribes meaning to it, wanting to believe it will bring his family luck and prosperity. He puts his faith into a pipe dream, that of moving up in society, just like he puts his faith into an empty symbol (the rock).
@@rachellesavard6069 Yeah Bong is closer to anti-capitalist than marxist or socialist. But even then he's not completely anti-capitalist but just wary of the system itself.
@@Fenrir214 Boong said it was about how we could get along together. He was more like Andrew Yang, rather than Bernie Sanders.
What many people fail to notice is that this movie Parasite is basically an homage to the Korean CLASSIC novel, The Dwarf. (aka 난장이가 쏘아올린 작은 공) The book, written in the 80s, is made up of several short stories that have connecting plotlines and characters. The writer in this book speaks up about the gap between the rich and the poor, and by portraying the main character, The Dwarf (in the movie it may be Ki Taek) as a physically disabled man, showing the brutal reality that the poor family has to fight against. This book is a Must-Read for all middle/high school students in Korea and if you read the novel, you will be able to have a broader understanding of Parasite. If you loved the movie, I think its time you see the book as well
Man, I got to see Parasite.
he’s an absolute GENIUS amongst other amazing directors like steven spielberg. EVERY scene has deep meaning
The ending shot of memories of murder is the best. The film is based on a true story, and (similar to in the movie) at the time of its release the killer was still not caught. the detective looked directly at the camera into the crowd, searching for the killer who could be in the audience. Creepy as hell
For some reason, I get the feeling that Bong Joon-ho would make a really good China Mieville adaptation. I'd love to see how he would do something like the City and the City.
I was hoping BJH will readapt the Sonmi-451 story from Cloud Atlas as a stand alone movie.
Your critics are actually very good. the only ive found on yt. Just know. I love you man.
I don't see how the endings are incompatible. The mistake, I think, in your assumption is that you use them as "happy endings" and therefore as proposed solutions, but I think that in the long term they are very clear as to what they have to say:
In Okja, we see how the girl simply couldn't defeat the system and how playing by the rules of that system (money) will only give you a small personal victory, but no real change. (it's not really a happy ending)
In Parasite, it's actually a very sad ending precisely because we know that the boy cannot possibly gain the life he wants by working IN the system. (tragic ending, not a solution to the problem but the essence of the problem).
In Snowpiercer, it becomes apparent that those class wars will not lead to anything good if the goal is not to completely change the system. Snowpiercer's ending is the only hopeful one. Yes, it's unsure if we can make it and it's obvious that there will be great sacrifices in order to change the system and rethink our way of life... but it is the only way there is.
Snopiercer is the only movie that actually "proposes" a solution, we just see it as vague or unsatisfying because we are afraid of the fall of capitalism. But let's face it... it has to fall.
Excellent analysis.
It's not hopeful, is suicidal. If you are trying to change the society and it gets killed, there is no victory, only change. The end of this movie is not about trying to start again, is "we failed because two don't make a society". Capitalism has to go, but if all that it takes it's blow society up with the system, then we didn't "need to start" because when almost no one have left, and they can't restart society, than doesn't mean anything. The whole point is that there must be a positive aftermath.
@@HDloly The movie is meant to be allegorical. You are taking it way too literally.
@@arxidiaTOUtsolia I'm taking literally because you wrote it literally. And the point is that the director seemed to be showing that he don't see any exits, contrary to you that see hope in a movie that ends with failure.
Now it would be interesting to see if Bong makes a 'socialdemocratic' movie. Social Democracy is about reforming the system. I think this topic remains to be dealt with in his film?
Glad he and his team won Big!! This will hopefully shine a light on so many movies people write off because they have to actually read subtitles.
I love his movies, I was hooked after I saw Memories of Murder for the first time.
I don't know what Bong Joon-ho's background was before becoming a film maker, but it might be worth considering that he has probably experienced his own journey through the class system as his films have become more successful. An evolving point of view is bound to contribute to an evolving creative expression.
I also find myself reflecting that in order to make a film that reaches a broad audience with messages about class a film maker probably needs to be or have the assistance of millionaires in the film industry. How can these people be anything but ambiguous towards class, they want the middle/lower class to buy movie tickets so that they can stay in the upper class :/
"But we all know that the boy will never be able to afford the house, even with his fathers life hangs in the balance...." because there is no balance.
Are you saying his father's life dies not hang in the balance? Cheers!
brilliant script and brilliant video, as usual! saw parasite at long last today and can finally allow myself to watch this! was not disappointed. i am constantly in awe of your work! thank you for creating your videos!
As a Bong Joon-ho fan since he released The Host (yeah, since that long), I would highly recommend Snowpiercer (not the Weinstein cut), Mother and Memories of Murder.
My favorite film essayist by far. Eloquently spoken my friend.
I watched this one then went to watch snowpiercer and man this guy is on point with class commentary
Dude I literally just watched it last night for the first time. Loved it
Does this video spoil anything? I'm watching Parasite this weekend, and don't want any plots given away
Grubby bum yeah I’d come back to this video after you see the movie. He covers overarching themes the director uses in his films
@@Dontworryaboutit961 thanks! I'll see if I can get my housemates to watch it tonight
No you didn't, you watched it a week ago.
Meet the son of Parasite Director Bong Joon-ho, Korea’s upcoming filmmaker Hyomin 🎬 Check out his first video interview ever!!!
ruclips.net/video/ScNMFbaSSF4/видео.html
What an astute analysis of Bong's filmography. Excellent.
Just saw it last night. Fantastic! One dangling thread through; the original English tutor who knew both families. He would have come back after the big event.
Another funfact that you might missed if you're not familiar with asian culture and values/korean language.
In korean and most asian culture, using honorifics term and correct speech level is really big deal as in to show your espect to elder/higher ranks. There are 9 speech levels in korean, though only 2/3 of them still often used till today.
Most people will resort to 존댓말/jondaemal (formal speech) to speak within business setting and address strangers (it can be pretty hard to know someone's rank/age within first meeting).
When the relationship has been established, and if so you've grown familiar with the person, you might want to drop the formalities and use 반말/banmal (informal speech) instead. But it can only applies when the other person agrees to do so.
But for someone younger/ of lower ranks it's never appropriate to talk to elder/someone with higher ranks with banmal. (Unless the person allows you to do so).
What's interesting is, at 4:26 Ki Woo's mother despite her position/rank still chooses to use jondaemal (with a bit of casual tilt)to talk to Moon-Gwang. This may indicate, she still "respect" Moon-Gwang and try to drawing the boundaries to stay at business/formal sense.
But Moon-Gwang, try to cross the boundaries by getting familiar and address Ki Woo's mother by calling her 언니/older sister and pleads to her by adressing herself as 저 (this is one of the most polite way to address yourself when speaking with higher rank/position).
When the power dynamic changes at 4:49, Ki Woo's mother tries to get Moon-Gwang's favor by crossing previous boundaries and addressing her 동생아/hey, litlle sister...
Moon-Gwang, not only reject Ki Woo's mother favor, but she also cusses and forsaking all the honorifics and speech level, despite being younger.
This tiny dialogue really add more depths within the shift of power dynamic.
Edit: article about Korean speech level and honorifics asiasociety.org/korea/understanding-korean-language
Totally nailed it. Great job Sage!
Loved this movie and loved this video. You deserve WAY more subs dude. Keep the content coming! :)
That's an interesting take on the last scene of Memories of Murder; makes a lot of sense.
I also took it as a super meta take - he knows the serial killer is in the audience,
watching the film (since they still hadn't caught him when the film was made), and when he says the killer could be "ordinary"
it not only creates a tension with the audience that the killer could be among them watching and they'd never know,
(and by extension, killers could be any ordinary we may think we know)
but also a goad to the killer himself: We know you're watching.
unfortunately the killer already caught for other murder cases in late 90s and can't watch the movie . a few months ago s.korea police department use the DNA machine and got the info that the killer is already in the prison all this time lol
greatvid! Its been a long time I didnt like a video like this one. Great essay. We can see the effort it took
Perfect analysis of Bong’s universe!
thanks for fast conclusion of other Bong Joon-ho's films
Recently watched Parasite, Memories of murder, The Host and Barking Dogs Never Bite. He is one of my favorite directors now. Fun to se all of them in a short period of time and she how they relate to each other. The actors of course... he uses the same actors over and over, but also the topics. The Host is a great horror movie but still deals with the same topics. And the same actors are doing completely different characters
Omg snow piercer is becoming a tv show here in the states! I hope Joon-ho got a say in the making of the series so that it is made to his liking
I would even say that “nice because she’s rich” reveals that the problem isn’t so much that someone is nice because they’re rich, but the fact that humans are greedy and money magnifies what they are as a person.
I'd say it's easy to be nice when you're not struggling to feed your family
Self-interest is natural, I never have done a favor for a person without them thanking me, or the other way around.
@@ragefury1817 Yup, that's exactly the point.
There is nothing to indicate that she was nice because she was rich, rather than simply both nice and rich.
The characters in the film are limited to the two families, rich and poor. The rich family happened to be nice. The poor family happened to be despicable (as required by the story).
Cheers! :)
If it is greed that the movie shows being magnified by material greed, it is the greed of the Park family. Cheers! :)
When it comes to class solidarity I think it also is important to point out that the classes only came together when a supernatural event happened saying that in a normal society class solidarity doesn't exist.
Reminds me of Watchmen
having lived past two decades in korea, i can tell you that korean society itself is very clear and present in psyche regards to social class so it's natural for any artists in korea to be affected by it and even portray it; it's very different from my southern upbringing.
Song Kangho to Bong Joonho and Park Sangwook is how Michael Caine & Christian Bale is to Christopher Nolan
Beautiful analysis
I think Jung-woo Ha and Kang-ho Song are talented actors . it took me a while to figure it out that Kang-ho Song played in Snowpircer and Jung-woo Ha played the villain in the movie Chaser. i think it's time that foreign actors as well be nominated actors categories . both deserve to be recognized for their talents , at least Dong-seok Ma got cast into The MCU .
There are so many TRASH video essayists on youtube now but this is great! Not overly stylized or heady or wordy just a guy with something to say with some good examples! I respect it
Do you have any recommendations on not-trash video essayists? I'm always on the search for good channels.
Sisko(DS9): Do you know what the trouble is? The trouble is Earth-on Earth there is no poverty, no crime, no war. You look out the window of Starfleet Headquarters and you see paradise. It's easy to be a saint in paradise, but the Maquis do not live in paradise. Out there in the demilitarized zone all the problems haven't been solved yet. Out there, there are no saints, just people-angry, scared, determined people who are going to do whatever it takes to survive, whether it meets with Federation approval or not.
The Federation is a meddling asshole.
Cheers! :)
I would argue that the movies do not have conflicting answers to the problem of the class system, but actually all point to the same answer: do something, take action when/how you can.
He doesn’t tell you specifically what to do bc he doesn’t have the answer, but also bc you don’t give a map to someone who hasn’t decided to take the trip yet.
To add this
Bong joon ho is sociology major !!
Heh! I wonder what he thought of Midsommar?
@@floraposteschild4184 well Ari Aster is in his list of favourites !!
As a sociologist, this pleases me so much.
Solid essay! Love whenever your videos come out. Thank you.
in snowpiercer when the group walks up the stairs in the fancy car, they pass two women. one covers her nose like she smells something bad. the park family in parasite does the same thing to the kim family. i just thought this was interesting.
Thank God for Bong Joon Ho , in these times of superheroes movies.
This is what makes me glad that I have subscribed this Channel! Many thanks, brother. This is a great video!
His movies also emphasize the effects of American imperialism.
this video just perfectly hits everything on the head good work
Duude you need to make more videos about Snowpiercer! It's criminally underrated!
I just watched it last night! PHENOMENAL
Always happy to find a new video of yours in my inbox
This is fucking amazing. I love that you mentioned Marx. You deserved more suscribers.
The Park Family and Moon-gwang and her husband didnt know it but they are hermit crabs fighting for new shells
E Molina yup! I saw it as “when you leave your house and the roaches (Moon-Gwang & husband) declare war on the rats (Park Family)”
Brilliant description!
You speak about the lower class showing solidarity in Snowpiercer - Kinda, but in the end reflects the themes of Mother and Parasite. Curtis unites the lower class behind him as they fight their way to the front, but Wilford reveals that he was in league with Gilliam - another lower class character Curtis himself looked up to and respected. This shows that if the lower class are not fighting amongst themselves, than there will be those that betray their fellow needy to the wealthy/higher ups to benefit themselves.
The best review of Parasite ever.
not only that they cannot be nice do to being poor and not having class solidarity, but also that their efforts in class solidarity would not help them out of the situation. Thier wages would could not be saved up in their lifetime to get out of poverty...not only is being poor a reason for them not being nice, but the fact that being "nice" would grant them friendship/support but not basic necessities...that's pretty darn hard to ignore in an effort to create connections/share troubles within your class
Great video, Bong-Joon Ho is amazing. I really love stories about socioeconomic themes
When I was watching this movie at AMC, I yelled out "내가 더 착해!" , just as she was saying that line. 봉준호 감독 is genius......he knows exactly how audience would react to certain situation.
I’m not sure if you left it out intentionally, but you left out “Shaking Tokyo” which he tackled the rising social issue of Hikikomoris of Japan. The Movie “Tokyo!” Which is three separate film done by 3 different directors is a cult classic and one of my personal favorites. Michael Gondry’s piece might even feel eerily familiar to the idea of a “parasite” as well.
This year was totally the year for criticisms on class differences, and I love it! Gotta get that socialist train going!
Aside from the movies he listed, it's cool that The Irishman was about unionism! Cool to hear people talk about solidarity in a mainstream movie, even if it was made murky by Hoffa's ties to organized crime.
(Tho since before the mob was helping industry bosses against the unions, I really can't blame the Teamsters for persuading the mafia to switch sides; if there's gonna be a mafia bullying people, might as well have them bully on the side of working people tbh)
1917 = Trump
Parasite = Bernie
Name me a movie where a businessmen are not evil but the opposite. You can count pro-capitalist movies on two hands if not one. Almost all movies are anti-capitalist. That socialist train was going since movies started existing.
@@SiMeGamer Hahahahahahahaha
@@SiMeGamer Mainstream Hollywood movies only manage to be """anti-capitalist""" by portraying a certain rich guy as "evil", and even then it's usually a gritty, up-and-coming Elon Musk figure who saves the day. And that is as pro-capitalist as it gets, because the Elon Musks and Marc Zuckerbergs ARE the current face of capitalism.
Your first sentence tells me that you haven't quite grasped what all of this is about. Nice capitalists vs. evil capitalists is a false dichotomy. Anti-capitalism means transcending that false dichotomy by actively fighting the class structure of society. Now, can you name me some movies that advocate that? Because I can't think of any, at least no mainstream ones.
I am glad for this video for introducing me to the word and concept of a superpig.
Yo! Where's the spoiler warning for all of Bong Joon Ho's movies???!
In the title
I wanted to watch Snowpiercer but whelp
@@balthazarmayrena600 You still should, it's hella good and he pretty much only spoiled the last few shots. The journey there is worth the watch.
It's implied when he lists the movies
This is amazing! as always! Many thanks for this! Greetings from Argentina! :)
The Host looks great, imma have to watch that soon
Mother is my favourite of his, SO DAMN GOOD
If you want a film-maker who really understands class, Ken Loach is your guy. I encourage everyone to watch „Pride“. That‘s a movie about class that people need to see.