Both ends took us away from La La Land and pierced us with a Parasite thorn instead.
With no surprise, Parasite has just won the 92nd Academy Award for Best Picture. While back in 2016, La La Land almost had the same success. Two movies produced differently, kinda actually…. but not really! What do you really think is the aspect that makes these movies an Oscar-Worthy? Well, in my opinion it lies in the ending scene.
Bong Joon-ho and Damien Chazelle came from a very different movie background. However, both shared the same ideas on how to put an end to their movie. And that is by giving some sort of “false hope” to all of the viewers.
I was on my second time watching Parasite until the thoughts hit me deeply. Parasite and La La Land are two of my ultimate favorite movies of all time. It was… breathtakingly beautiful and mesmerizing. The soundtrack was lovely, cinematography-wise was gorgeous and the actors delivered such a great performance. I could say I wish nothing more to be fixed or to be added, even with the “sad” ending which most people find displeasing.
I believe the ending of La La Land is the actual charm of the movie. The ending scene is where Mia, in a developed, more successful life stage, came to Sebastian’s jazz club with her new partner. When Mia was still with Sebastian, it was Sebastian who dreamed of having his own Jazz club. And he finally reaches his dream without Mia on his side. Then the scene changes to Mia who watches Sebastian play his piano in a sorrowful way the moment he sees Mia came with someone new.
The lights went out, the music turned dramatic. Suddenly the scene recreates a different universe of the story. A parallel universe where Sebastian is not going on a tour with his band, Mia has a full audience at her play with Sebastian attending it and more of what if(s). Damien shows the life Mia and Sebastian should have had.
“Just as they reach the door, and as David steps out, Mia turns and looks back at Sebastian. He looks at her. Their eyes lock. A hint of a tear in both… And, ever so subtly, for just a fleeting second, Mia smiles. It’s the kind of smile you could miss if you blinked — but it’s enough to signal to Sebastian that she recognized the melody he played, and that she still remembers it, and still thinks of it to this day… Then she walks out the door. Sebastian glances at his fellow musicians. Then, he nods, and they launch into a new chart.”
Mia’s smile is perfect. It was like Mia said through her smile to Sebastian that they both did it, they have their own life and accomplished their dream with the help of each other. Sebastian also seems couldn’t ever be more grateful of Mia as his fingers running gracefully and fluidly through the keys.
We all knew the ending of the movie. Mia and Sebastian did not end up with each other for good. But instead of leaving us with one ending, Damien chooses to give us an alternate ending. The ending packs an emotional punch of what would be the life if Mia ends up with Sebastian. And that is called the dream sequence.
A dream sequence is a series of events in a film, television show, performance or book that are a dream experienced by one of the characters. It used to set apart a brief interlude from the main story. In La La Land’s case the interlude consist of a fantasy, vision and a dream. In La La Land, Damien shows the sequence with images of a life where Mia and Sebastian got married, have children and live happily ever after. In that universe, Mia and Sebastian looked very happy together. It was like they’re meant to be.
However, reality doesn’t work that way. Damien emphasizes it by giving a cold, harsh truth to our beloved couple where they each achieve their own dreams without each other by their side. I think it’s a genius way to end the movie because without it, it would become your usual love romance movie. But with the appearance of alternate ending, it gives people hope and expectations. We are also forced to face the reality that not all our dreams turns out the way we imagine it to be. But one thing we could remember is that it might not be the ending we expected, but it’s a happy ending after all. It ends with admiration and unspoken feelings.
The same ending is being recreated in Parasite. The epitome of devastating social satire movie also delivers a heart-wrenching dream sequence. The movie ends when Ki-Woo was writing a letter to his father who is stuck in the basement of the house of Park family which they previously served. He’s stuck there to stay away from the police because he had killed his master who seemingly discriminate low class people just like he is. In order to survive, he must stay in the dungeon for God knows when.
The scene then goes with Ki-Woo’s own narratives, reading the letter he will probably could never send to his father. In the letter, Ki-woo said that he plans to earn money to help his father out. While he reads his letter, the scene depicts a scene where Ki-woo indeed by years later manages to buy the house, looking like a successful man from head to toe, something he’s not in the present time. As he and his mother, Chung-Sook looks around the house (which they very familiar with), Ki-Taek then slowly came out from the basement and reunited with Ki-woo and Chung-Sook. The scene was emotionally wrapped, but the happiness doesn’t last long. It then goes back to Ki-Woo who fell asleep while writing the letter to his father. The scene is all tangled and we can’t help but feel pity for both Ki-Woo and Ki-Taek.
I honestly love the scene between written letters by Ki-Woo and the cinematography which are in sync in a way that feels like this dream destiny might turn out to be the simplest reality hit that take you backpedal to the truth. How difficult he wishes it to take place and it never will. It’s so miserable that in any case, they’re back at the same specific place, but losing two members in the process.
“Ki-woo, you know what kind of plan never fails? No plan at all. No plan. You know why? If you make a plan, life never works out that way.”
Bong offers us a chance of a world that is full of hope and dream. Through the images of successful Ki-Woo, we can be optimistic and all that he will rescue his dad one day. He’s smart. He’ll figure things out even if it takes him years or even decades. We all have faith in him. But what makes Parasite a classic is that deep down, we know it’s a fact that the boy would in no way be able to ever buy that house. How exactly can Ki-Taek receive Ki-Woo’s letter? And the chances are low if Ki-Taek is able to pass up the stairs. The irony between a twist of hope and faith is what makes the movie deserves an Oscar.
I first felt that La La Land and Parasite are baiting me to another happy ending movie but no, they make sure to make you leave the theater with a heavy heart so you will feel the weight of a harsh reality because life isn’t picture-perfect like that. It allows us to remember the existence they by no means had, giving them closure, while allowing them to circulate on and live their new lives.
Different from La La Land where the main characters are all in a happy state, Parasite gives a slightly different alternate ending. Damien and Bong shows that you can either have one or the other, which is a very.. very realistic. They did not exaggerate anything that could possibly make the audience have high hopes. The ending is a non conventional happy ending and that’s the charm of the two movies.
The “could have been” ending scene was about giving the audience a depiction of how things should have happened. Both offers a very enchanting experience. And what I mean by enchanting experience by giving us a movie we need: a human film.
