Parasite The Rich and Me

 Parasite is a Korean movie commenting on the disparity in lifestyle and culture of families at the extreme ends of the social class, the top rich and the bottom poor. Theme is anchored on social stratification to dramatize dissatisfaction, discomfort, unfulfilled needs and materialism of both social classes. The rich have the goods, skills and the cash to afford almost anything including exacting service and loyalty. The poor yet skilled family only have services creatively misrepresented deceitfully to be compensated at a premium.

Movie directed by award winning Korean director Bong Joon-ho successfully set up the lifestyle and residence of the affluent Park family to contrast agianst the hand-to-mouth survival of a poor, opportunistic yet talented Kim family in their cramped semi-basement quarter. With the stage set, the story and the drama of the social commentary unfold linearly, logically. Treatment is light, amusing and not depressing as the distressing theme was dealt with in a humorous way.

From the start, Parasite already established the class differences, gaps and the forthcoming racketeering to be committed against the privileged. Spotting opportunities for a get-quick-rich scheme, Kim family taps forgery, manipulation, schematic staging and almost anything without remorse and justification though discretely respecting the kindness accorded to them by the Park family.

Midway, the struggle expands not just between the rich and the marginalized family but by two poor families serving the rich, the Kims and Moon-gwang and husband Geun-sae. The fired cook displaced by the maneuvering of the Kim family returned stretching the stratified story with sub plots, surprises and interesting violent twists.

While simplistically, Parasite is about the poor family infiltrating and creeping into the rich's house; the rich dependent on the labor of the poor, parasitism is more appropriately applicable to them. The rich man's wife needed someone to do household chores and a sounding board, their daughter needing a tutor and a sexual partner, the young son, artistic coach and the husband, a driver.

Parasite leaves you devastated with senses assaulted thinking the rich are different from you and me. Parasite is a story told well, movie crafted well and portrayals acted well by Koreans with a universal appeal of what being human is. Each human being has talents with burdens to bear. Common between the rich and the poor is a family to care for. Collectively it is the family that binds the individuals, father and mother concern for their young son and daughter, son and daughter finding opportunities for their mother and father and the mother looking after the welfare of her partner.

Regardless of stature though, the family has shared struggles. The struggle which initially was light and amusing evolved into a dark, bloody, tragic state without any clear closure.


What is clear though is life is more painful for those at the lower strata of the society.

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I got jolted by the movie Parasite, scared by the two marginalized Parasite families and amused with one scheming Korean family especially when initially I was the only moviegoer in the 100-seater cinema house.

I left the room devastated with my senses assaulted thinking are the rich different from you and me? Or do the yous and mes face more exciting lives?

A story told well, movie crafted and portrayals acted well  by Koreans with a universal appeal of what being human is. Each one of us has talents with burdens to bear. Collectively it is the family that binds but the unit too has shared struggles regardless of stature.