One of the overarching themes around the films I’ve been reviewing so far this year is the ability of writers and directors to mix tones together. When this is done well, it can lead to incredibly intriguing films that almost defy genre and end up giving us something completely new and original. If done wrong, however, it can end up coming across as a mess and confuse the viewer as to what they’re meant to be feeling, if anything. The reason I raise the importance of this ability here is that I have rarely seen the control of tone displayed as well in recent years as well as in Bong Joon-Ho’s Parasite.
Parasite is a South Korean film about a poor family, where the son, Ki-Woo, fakes being an English tutor to get a job in the home of a rich family, the Parks. Upon entry, he begins to recommend members of his own family, pretending that they are qualified professionals. Really, that’s all you need to know going in, as knowing any more regarding the plot itself would really take away from the experience. From there, the film really digs into the comedy of the situation, whilst never letting the comedic moments take away from the more serious themes and situations. This is where the blend of comedy and tension is absolutely key, in some scenes you’re laughing before being caught off guard and stunned by something within seconds. The fact that this can be done without one ultimately affecting the other is a great credit to both the direction and the acting. The film spends the majority of the time in between the two households, with both beautifully realised and laid out for the viewer.
The acting across the board is impressive, everyone plays their roles incredibly well, although the two actors that stood out for me were Song Kang-ho as the father of the poor family, Kim Ki-taek and Park So-dam as the daughter of the poor family, Kim Ki-jeong. Both play their roles with a bit more complexity than a lot of the other characters, Ki-taek is a father who is dedicated and determined, whilst also struggling to keep his act together, a lot of his best acting is done through facial expressions, whilst Ki-jeong is a lot more confident and assured, she also adds to a lot of the comedic moments due to this, especially in the first half of the film as she begins to take control. Their performances were so strong and so crucial to this film either working or not that I think both were unlucky to miss out on Oscar nominations, when Bong Joon-Ho gives credit to the stars of the film for being able to elevate a screenplay already brimming with life and character, he is absolutely right to do so.
The film plays a lot with the concept of levels and the idea of spatial awareness. Levels come into play on both a wider and a smaller scale, both in the levels of the houses themselves and what that means in terms of status and where those houses are positioned and what that means for them as the film progresses. When I saw the film, it was followed by a satellite Q&A with the director, where he spoke about the initial conception of the film as a potential play. This makes a lot of sense, as the film puts in the work early on to make you aware of the space in both houses, where people and rooms are located and this knowledge and sense of awareness pays off massively later on in the film as events begin to escalate. This was something I really liked about the film that helped to make it feel more real and added to the suspense as the film went on.
The cinematography in this film is absolutely gorgeous, some of the shots in the Park household are so dreamlike and minimalistic, they really help to get across the absolute level of wealth it must take to live somewhere like that. This is of course contrasted with the Kim household and the neighbourhood that they reside in, especially in one late rain-soaked scene. There is a lot of foreshadowing in the film, the script and storytelling is very clever and this is a film that I feel will richly reward repeat viewings. A lot of the visuals are going to stick with me for a very long time too, there’s so many evocative shots and sequences I can think of. I feel that one of the greatest strengths of the film is that it doesn’t treat the situation as simplistic, the Kim family aren’t good just because they’re poor, just as the Park family aren’t all bad because they’re rich. There are questionable decisions and ideologies on both sides and it makes for a much more interesting film and story overall.
One quote that has resonated with a lot of people comes from a recent awards acceptance speech from the Parasite director, Bong Joon-Ho – “Once you overcome the one-inch tall barrier of subtitles, you will be introduced to so many more amazing films,” Parasite gets it’s wide UK release this Friday and in this sense, I could not agree with this quote more. This is a film that not only deserves the hype, but surpasses it and I can’t recommend it enough. It’s an absolute ride, funny, tense, thought-provoking and up there with my favourites of the year so far.
Overall rating – 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟/5
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