Introduction
The film, Parasite, is directed by Bong Joon-ho and was released on May 21, 2019. The viewer follows the lives of individuals who choose to pursue employment opportunities from wealthy family. To achieve their goals, these family members design an ingenious plan of posing as qualified workers. The storyline presents unique observations regarding inequalities in the investigated Korean society. Most of the physical features, events, apartments, and relationships among the characters are symbolic. This literary device guides the viewer to appreciate the difficulties individuals intended to achieve upward social mobility have to go through.
Movie Analysis: Symbolic Objects
The selected film is characterized by unique features that make it possible for the viewer to appreciate the issues most individuals have to encounter in their lives. First, members of the wealthy Parks family appear to have their houses on a mountain. On the other hand, members of the poor Kim’s family live in a basement (Parasite). The film sends a unique message regarding the problematic issue of inequality and how it influences the life experiences of most people. The film has numerous staircases that make it easier for the viewer to understand the challenges many individuals have to experience to achieve their potential.
The action by Min-hyuk to offer a scholar’s rock to the Kim family takes the idea of symbolism to the next level. Specifically, the object appears to present a unique form of promise that anyone can remain optimistic and eventually become wealthy (Choi and Lee 870). The Kims’ move to pose as qualified workers could symbolize some of the tactics most people apply to achieve their goals. In a normal situation, such individuals would be unable to get good jobs since they lack adequate competencies. The act goes further to reveal that the country is characterized by reduced opportunities for those who want to become wealthy.
The film presents Geun-sae as an individual who has been living in a bunker for around four years. This decision is intended to prevent loan sharks from finding him (Parasite). To ensure that he is not exposed, Geun-sae decides to film the Kims so that he can report them to their employers (Parasite). These scenes show conclusively that most people are living in debt, thereby being unable to pursue their goals. The bunker becomes a symbol of stagnation since the person hiding in it would be unable to engage in fruitful economic activities.
Intended Meaning and Message
The scenes and activities presented in the film show conclusively that symbolism is a recurring cinematic device. Most of the portrayals depict specific social problems or challenges most of the citizens in the studied community have to go through (Sang-Hun 4). The decision to have the Parks living on a hill is a clear representation of the social inequality in society. This theme defines most of the issues observed in the film, including lack of job opportunities, diseases, and social stratification (Cha et al. 49). Those who intend to record upward mobility would need to overcome numerous hurdles as they focus on a better life (Scott and Pressman 479). The Kims are observed to live in a basement, a portrayal that reveals how the poor need to work hard if they are to find themselves at the top of the economic ladder.
The presented scholar’s rock symbolizes a unique form of optimism whereby the poor focus on practical strategies to eventually realize their potential. Through the lives of members of the Kims family, the viewer observes how most of the individuals work tirelessly and identify ingenious strategies to overcome poverty (Parasite). However, such a goal remains a mirage due to the challenges they have to go through. The portrayal of staircases across the city shows how citizens in the area need to overcome numerous hurdles to climb the social ladder (Huh and Cyn‐Young 411). The depicted bunker symbolizes consumer debt in Korean society. Those on the receiving end continue to grapple with increasing inequality, the inability to get timely medical services, and the absence of social protection programs.
Additionally, the tile “parasite” exhibits a word that has a double meaning. Specifically, the film intends to portray both the rich and poor people as parasites. For instance, members of the Kims family engage in malpractices intended to benefit or acquire money from the rich members of the described Korean society (Parasite). The Park family could also be studied as a parasite since it exploits the less fortunate to continue providing cheap labor. In the end, the director succeeds to portray a parasitic society whereby the poor remain disenfranchised and incapable of achieving their goals. Through the lens of Parasite, the relevant authorities and agencies could introduce evidence-based policies to empower the poor.
Conclusion
The events, staircases, basements, bunkers, and inequalities are evident in the studied film symbolize the challenges many Koreans have to go through as they pursue their social and economic goals. The confidence and desire of the Kims to break the recorded barriers complicate their situations since they are unable to achieve their aims. The reader realizes that the process of climbing the social ladder is characterized by unique obstacles, including debt, unemployment, reduced opportunities, and poor health conditions. The message this film presents should, therefore, inform better and more sustainable programs to empower more citizens in Korea.
Works Cited
Cha, Moon-Kyung, et al. “When People Low in Social Class Become a Persuasive Source of Communication: Social Class of other Donors and Charitable Donations.” Journal of Business Research, vol. 112, no. 1, 2022, pp. 45-55.
Huh, Hyeon‐Seung, and Cyn‐Young Park. “A New Index of Globalisation: Measuring Impacts of Integration on Economic Growth and Income Inequality.” World Economy, vol. 44, no. 2, 2021, pp. 409-443.
Joon-ho, Bong, director. Parasite. CJ Entertainment, 2019.
Sang-Hun, Choe. “In Seoul Basements, ‘As if Heaven Had Crashed Down’.” New York Times, 2022, p. 4.
Scott, Robert H., and Steven Pressman. “The Not Good Society: Institutional Weaknesses Revealed by COVID-19.” Journal of Economic Issues, vol. 55, no. 2, 2021, pp. 477-483.