Why Bong Joon-ho’s “Parasite” is the Greatest Film Ever
Warning, there are spoilers.
The first time I watched “Parasite” it had me at the edge of my seat, or in this case, sitting up in my bed with a clenched jaw and watery eyes. The mid-September air was cold and fit the atmosphere of this genre-contradicting film. I couldn’t believe what I had just witnessed. I sat there watching the end credits with so much built-up emotion and a huge ‘WTF’ moment that had me angry, sad, and wanting for more.
In early February 2020, the film “Parasite,” followed by its brilliant director Bong Joon-ho, took home four Oscars at Hollywood’s 92nd Academy Awards. It made history as the first non-English South Korean film to be awarded Best Picture and International Feature Film. It’s a great film, to say the least.
The film starts with the Kim clan, a poor family living in a basement apartment in South Korea who can barely make ends meet to feed themselves. The eldest son then falls upon a great opportunity to work for the Park family, a high-class family with a dreamlike home, where he pretends to be a highly educated student from Seoul’s prestigious university. He then plans out a way to get his family into the Park home so they too can share the wealth and climb the social ladder.
As it follows, the Kim family then infiltrates the home of the Parks, and the worlds between rich and poor are forced into an orbit setting off the climax to the film. The Kims are then faced with a living secret in the Park family home, which leads to a jaw-dropping, eye-watering, heart-wrenching, emotional turn of events for unsuspecting viewers. The film then concludes with a strong and silent letter that’s narrated by the film’s main character, transitioning to an empty silence for the film’s credit score.
Before watching the movie, I unintentionally prepared myself by reading a profile on Bong in Vulture Magazine, written by E. Alex Jung, titled “Bong Joon-ho’s Dystopia Is Already Here” for a college assignment. I already had some interest in the film before reading it, but little did I know that Bong’s words, creative mind, and actions would influence me to watch his thriller.
In the article, it told about the metaphors that Bong said he incorporates in all his films, mainly depicting social and economic differences and the tension between rich and poor. This is clearly visible in this film.
Like the creative and emotion-filled films he makes, Bong too depicted strong flashes of emotion through his anecdotes that had serious and comedic undertones, more specifically, the story of how he lied to now-infamous Harvey Weinstein to save a powerful fish scene in “Snowpiercer,” another film Bong directed.
He told Vulture Magazine, “Harvey hated it. Why fish? We need action!” He added, “I had a headache at that moment: What do I do? So suddenly, I said, ‘Harvey, this shot means something to me.’”
To that, he said Weinstein replied, “Oh, Bong? What?”
“It’s something personal,” Bong said. “My father was a fisherman. I’m dedicating this shot to my father.”
Weinstein quickly replied, “You should have said something earlier, Bong! Family is the most important. You have the shot.”
“I said ‘Thank you,’” he said laughing. “It was a fucking lie. My father was not a fisherman.”
I was struck with amazement at his quick wit. I needed to see for myself how his brain worked in creative filmmaking and eventually had a “Parasite” movie night by myself.
“Parasite” incorporates comedy, horror, drama, romance, and mystery which all progresses between scenes, making this a true masterpiece. It’s never a dull moment.
In what was a suspenseful scene, the patriarch from the Kim family tries to convince the matriarch of the Park family that the Park’s housekeeper has tuberculosis, which ends with a fade-to-black moment. The scene then transitions to an awkward and comedic moment where both Mr. Kim and Mrs. Park interact in an uncomfortable and secret handshake inside of a shower. The silence is soon broken by a whimpering question of hygiene, which leads its viewers to a flash of humor as Mr. Kim does a child-like thinking face. The scene then quickly shifts to sad silence, natural wind sounds, and blue tones to conjure the emotion of loss, confusion, and sadness.
For the entire film, “Parasite” takes the audience on a wild ride that fills viewers with so many emotions that feel all too real by the time the credits roll-up. The feeling of pain, loss, anxiety, and sadness, overbear the mind and body of the viewer. How can a movie feel so real? What was this sensation? Well, that’s the creative genius of Bong Joon-ho.
This movie was traumatic, but I had to watch it again and dissect it once more. I needed to sit through it in a dark room, no phone, no distractions; just me, a glass of gin and tonic, and Bong’s masterpiece.
As I sat there, I witnessed more emotions than before.
Like a piece of art in a museum, this film displayed itself once again, but it had a new meaning. My first time watching it, I was very entertained by the physical actions of the characters and progression of the film that I didn’t realize the subtle emotions, gestures, and expressions that I made as an audience member. It was a moment of self-awareness.
This film reflected dreams, hopes, and fears that I had within me. As someone who has worked multiple jobs at a time to make ends meet, I understood what it’s like to feel this overbearing weight of debt and waiting for an extreme opportunity to change it all up. I would work countless hours, wake up early, sleep late, and find time to keep up with my studies while trying to maintain a social life, all with the hopeful idea that one day I would live a luxurious life. The dream of having substantial wealth that one day you can have more than enough to provide for your family.
But, it’s not always that simple. I would still starve, I was always tired, and overwhelmed. In short, it always felt like a pipe dream, which is why I have learned to appreciate life for what it truly is and now continue to apply gratitude toward what I have. However, as this film shows, some are not as fortunate to take things slow and easy, even in their darkest moments.
For the Kim family, they had no food, no water, no substantial wealth. What they had was a loving family and an opportunity to change their fate, which they took.
At the end of the film when the only son from the Kim family is left reading his letter to his father in the cold winter eve, he talks about working hard, climbing the social ladder, and then living a good life where he could care for his parents and their issues would go away. The dream that most Americans have; the American Dream.
The film then transitions to the poor basement apartment where the realization that this far-fetched dream will not be achievable. As he lays there hopeful, it’s easy to feel empathy for him, which then becomes your own.
“Parasite” has been by far the best film I have ever watched. It deserves all of its recognition, and no other film is like this. Bong Joon-ho is unique and after watching his other films, they are just as special.
For those who haven’t seen “Parasite,” it is definitely a film that open-minded movie-goers should watch and appreciate. Perhaps your experience may differ from mine, but in all honesty, this movie spoke different levels to me and is simply a great film.
