re: Parasite (2019)

quote:

---

This is straight from Bong

quote:

---

Something I was struck by in the movie is that there's a huge lack of class solidarity between the various working class people. What inspired you to write the relationships that way?

You point out something very important. You know, in Mother, you see the have nots and the needy clawing at each other and hurting one another. On the other hand, in The Host, you see the solidarity between them, they save each other and they gather their strengths together. And you could say Parasite is closer to Mother, where the weak and have nots are fighting one another. And that's sad, but it's also realistic. And from those moments, you get this element of sadness, but also the comedy, as well.

---

---

This was actually the biggest thing that struck me while watching the movie. The old housekeeper called the new housekeeper "sister," expecting/hoping that she would be sympathetic as a fellow working-class stiff. Instead, the new housekeeper accused the old one of stealing the family's food to feed her husband, which was ridiculous considering the new housekeeper and her family were the grifters. But she saw the old housekeeper and her husband as a threat to her family's con. I was sitting there thinking it was in everyone's best interest to cooperate, not see each other as competition, and of course it all went downhill from there.


I seem to remember Bong saying in an interview that he wasn't really expecting Parasite to be a big hit overseas; he wrote it for the South Korean audience. For a little perspective, here's a video about those basement apartments:

https://twitter.com/QuickTake/status/1226687426560741376

Also, since the film puts the spotlight on economic inequality, here are a few links that provide a little insight on South Korea:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chaebol
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Korean_ruling_class

https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/what-parasitemisses-about-inequality-in-south-korea/2020/01/11/fa9bdace-34d6-11ea-971b-43bec3ff9860_story.html
https://www.theguardian.com/inequality/2017/aug/02/south-koreas-inequality-paradox-long-life-good-health-and-poverty

One interesting thing is that among working-age people, economic inequality is relatively low, but for retired people it's really bad. There is a lot of angst about the future.

quote:

---

It's like people don't watch Korean movies

---

I mean, yea. Most people don’t watch many Korean movies

quote:

---

Not hard to do nowadays.

---

Sure, but most people don’t watch half of the American award contenders. What makes you think they’ll start watching more Korean movies?

quote:

---

Same thing happened with Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. Wasn't a huge hit in Honk Kong, just another of good Kung Fu movies they've been producing but Hollywood acted like it was revolutionary or something because it got traction and was shown in the US.

Parasite is a good movie but it's winning shows that Hollywood doesn't really watch Asian movies or pay attention to them.

---

I don't really understand why this would be relevant. Every year there are better American movies than the ones nominated for Best Picture. Parasite is good. It's Bong's fourth best movie. Crouching tiger was good. Any number of Zhang Yimou movies, like Hero and House of Flying Daggers, were just as good or better. So what?

Parasite was a massive hit in Korea, though. Over 10 million people saw it in theaters. They are a population of 51 million.

Rented it on youtube for $3.99 today...

somehow was able to avoid all spoilers/ trailers for it...

did not know really anything about it.

I really enjoyed it.

may rewatch it bc i was so concerned with reading the subtitles, i wasn't able to appreciate the directing/actual moviemaking of it.

It's on Hulu. Go watch it, if you haven't seen it.