Films and other types of media have been a source of entertainment and discussion for many individuals throughout the years. With the evolution of cinema as art, people start seeing it as a way to channel their concerns in an engaging manner. Social and political critique has been presented as the underlying message in many movies, some of which are still considered film classics. Bong Joon-ho’s recent black comedy movie Parasite is an intriguing and poignant social critique. Through its clever storytelling, cinematography, and plot, the piece highlights the struggles of the poor in South Korea. In the modern age, people often forget that poverty is a problem that affects both rich and less developed countries alike. Poor people of nations hailed for their wealth suffer considerably because their voices are not being heard. This paper aims to prove that Parasite sheds light on the poor’s economic situation in South Korea; despite its black humor, the movie aims to show how people from developed countries can still struggle financially.
Parasite surprised many when it demonstrated that even advanced countries such as South Korea could have citizens unable to escape dire poverty despite their hard work. Bong Joon-Ho directed a movie that follows the life of an impoverished family that comes up with a plan to become hired by a wealthy family. The director attempts to critique modern South Korean society and highlight the existing divide between the rich and the poor. Unfortunately, the movie’s plot can be easily adapted for any developed country since the income gap is one of the most topical issues faced by affluent societies. According to Bradshaw (2020), the film contains a considerable extent of universality that makes Parasite comprehensible for a viewer from any part of the planet. Indeed, it seems that the language utilized by the director appeals to the issues of both the affluent and working social classes. The visible issue of financial inequality is a polarizing one, and there are certainly arguments in support of the existing economic structure, including the one in South Korea.
However, it might be claimed that the movie’s interpretation may make people criticize South Korea overly harshly. According to Fickling (2020), the director unintentionally depicts and emphasizes only one side of the topic as South Korea has plenty of significant achievements within the scope of overcoming economic inequality as well. It should be admitted that the latter statement seems rational; nevertheless, only by the creative and understandable exaggeration of a problem, the public attention may be attracted, which is among the primary aims of the film.
Then, it might be stated that Bong Joon-ho provides a realistic framework for understanding the movie. The overall surrealism of the picture is accompanied by so many accurate and notable details that the audience gets a clear vision of what is being emphasized and humiliated and why (Dinneen, 2020). However, Tamny (2020) states, “the main contradiction within Parasite is the film’s broadest narrative about seething hatred among the poor for the evil, haughty and surely stupid rich” (para. 15). Despite the latter argument containing some rationale, it seems inappropriate – the movie demonstrates a clear intention to exaggerate the issue in order to humiliate and put an emphasis on it.
Movies that depict various social problems can significantly influence public opinion and draw attention to these issues. Movie Parasite works in the same fashion, by showing the life of a low-income family in South Korea, it seeks to highlight the problem of poverty in developed countries. This may result in the implementation of actual policies that aim to tackle the existing situation. Cooper (2020) writes that “Despite being the best-educated labor force in the developed world, young Koreans face rising unemployment rates, including among college graduates” (para. 8). On the other hand, some people may suggest that life in developed countries is relatively prosperous for everyone compared to life in less developed parts of the planet. Fickling (2020) claims that “Just 13% of Korea’s working-age population are living in poverty” (para. 11). This may imply that some people may suggest that life in developed countries is relatively prosperous for everyone compared to life in less developed parts of the planet. However, such an assumption does not seem convincing as, again, given the intentionally exaggerated context, the director only stresses the issue.
Finally, the movie tends to promote a deeper understanding of South Korea’s history, culture, and socioeconomic condition, as well as a critical look into the media that people consume. For instance, Cooper (2020) suggests, “Despite the perception that higher education is a sure-fire path to economic opportunity, the college-degree arms race has instead reinforced inequality of the sort explored in Parasite” (para. 8). The education and tutoring systems prevalent in Korea have not provided the youth with sufficient skills to live in the world, which is a clear idea that is visible from the plot for everyone. Yoon (2020) opposites this, claiming that the viewer is not acquainted with the South Korean context and is not able to percept such ideas appropriately – that the country does not provide opportunities at all. However, the international target audience seems to be educated enough to understand the movie, and the Oscar nomination proves this.
To conclude, Parasite demonstrates a significant and understandable delivery of several crucial problems of nowadays. The director has done a considerable amount of work so that not only the domestic viewer but also the international one could get its messages. It was proved that the film sheds light on the poor’s economic situation in South Korea, with an exact extent of exaggeration that puts the necessary emphasis on the fundamental problems.
References
Bradshaw, P. (2020). Parasite review – brilliantly brutal battle of the wretched and the rich. The Guardian. Web.
Cooper, P. (2020). What “Parasite” tells us about higher education and inequality. Forbes. Web.
Dinneen, S. (2020). Parasite movie review: Bong Joon Ho’s surreal social commentary is a work of rare genius. CityAM. Web.
Fickling, D. (2020). What ‘Parasite’ misses about inequality in South Korea. Bloomberg. Web.
Tamny, J. (2020). Bong Joon-ho’s ‘Parasite’ Is Overrated, Implausible, Class-Struggle Nonsense. Web.
Yoon, H. (2020). Why Parasite misses the mark as a commentary on South Korean society. The Guardian. Web.