November 2, 2019 and November 10, 2019
Campus Event Reflection
Parasite is a Korean movie by the same director that directed the movie Snowpiercer. In this movie, there are two families. One that is rich, the Parks; and one that is poor, the Kims. The Kims end up manipulating the Parks into hiring all of them without realizing they are related. The whole movie is about the division in class.
The Kim Family lives in a half basement, while the Parks live in a huge home. The Kims literally live under the richer, who have the homes above ground. This shows the idea that the poor live under the rich. Without the rich, the poor would not have a place to live. Later in the film, it is revealed to the Kims that the former housekeeper was keeping her husband alive in the underground bomb shelter in the Parks home. And finally, at the end of the film, we learn that the father of the Kim Family is living in that same bomb shelter. This shows that their is always someone living under the rich, literally and figuratively. The husband of the housekeeper is even seen thanking the father of the Park Family and eventually, we see the father of the Kim Family do the same.
This movie shows how, in our society, the rich cannot survive without the poor being under them. Whether it be literally, like when the original housekeeper is hired and the mother of the Park Family is struggling to just keep the dishes clean; and therefore, hiring the mother of the Kim family. Or like in the finally moments when we see that, yet again, another person living under the noses of another, new family in the Park household. It relates to International Affairs because it shows the division of class in South Korea.
I do have a couple questions. I wish it was explained how the former housekeeper got so beat up when she returns. She tells her husband that she will tell him later when he asks about it, but that never has the chance to happen once they find out about the Kims manipulation. Did she maybe get beat up by the loan sharks that are after her husband, or did something else happen to her? I also want to know what happens to the friend that gave the main character his way into the Park Family. Does he return and find out what happens? Is he still friends with the main character? Does he find the daughter from the Park Family?
Overall, I really enjoyed this movie. I even saw it twice! Because I am a Korean Major, this movie was even more beneficial for me. I was able to see sort of what’s the situation with class is like in South Korea. And, I was also able to hear more native speakers have conversations and use slang words.
I definitely recommend this movie, if you haven’t seen it!