Directed by Bong Joon-ho, Parasite 2019 is a South Korean black comedy thriller film based on a struggling Kim family that tried to take advantage of an opportunity offered by their son when he worked at a rich family (Park family). The film is filled with greed and class discrimination, which are seen to threaten the newly formed symbiotic relationship between the Kim and Park families. As a result, Bong uses the class narrative to examine the structural inequality seen in modern society. Living in a poor neighbourhood, the Kim family engages in folding pizza boxes as their main source of income despite having competent teenagers, showing their ability to acquire better jobs. Their state is poor, so they cannot afford most of the basic needs, including things like pesticides, as they are seen opening windows during neighbourhood fumigation to try and deal with their infestation. After some time, Kim Ki-woo, the son of the Kim family, gets employed by the Park family as an English tutor; he decides to take advantage of the situation by inviting in the whole of his family as a strategy of helping them live a better life. Through this, they act as pests because they only take anything presented to them, making the Park family spend a lot on basic needs and other products.
Application of Concepts
Different sociological theories are often adapted by film creators when they want to develop an educative movie on various aspects that could help individuals view society differently. Bong Joon-ho is among the creative directors who have greatly adapted sociological theories and concepts in the film industry. Parasite is among the amazing films he has used to show his prowess in this sector. Deviance is one of the sociological concepts that is greatly shown throughout the film, whereby punishment is highlighted as a strategy to prove certain behaviour is unacceptable in society. Deviance, in this case, refers to the actions and beliefs considered unacceptable based on the norms and expectations of a society (Guzman, 2023a). On the other hand, it is essential to note that deviance is not always considered in every society; what might be assumed as wrong behaviour in a given location or by certain people might not be perceived the same way by others.
Parasite is filled with different depictions of deviance, especially when dealing with the Kim family. An example of deviance is first shown when Kim takes two glass water bottles when they inhibit the Park home. Such actions are unacceptable in society, given that the glass bottles he takes are expensive, but he does not consider this as he appears arrogant. Through his behaviour, the Park family might have to spend more money buying glass bottles, which might not be part of their initial budget. As a result of their behaviour, punishment was used against Kim and his sister as a flood that destroyed their home caused them to get injured (Fitria, 2021). The attitude of the siblings in the Kim family toward not acquiring a better job despite being competent enough is used to promote deviance in the film. In this case, both Kim and his sister can communicate in fluent English, which is beneficial in the country, especially when one considers being a tutor at a good school. Instead, they work for a pizza company by folding boxes, something that causes them to live in poverty.
Another sociological concept shown in the film is the myth of meritocracy highlighted through its characters. The myth of meritocracy perpetuates inequality in society by falsely assuming that every individual starts on a level playing field, neglecting the systemic advantages and disadvantages of economic, cultural and social capital (Guzman, 2023b). One of the scenes that shows the myth of meritocracy is when Ki-woo gives Mrs Park his forged credentials, but she gives them back immediately after taking a glance and explaining that they do not matter as Min-Hyuk referred him. Through this scene, Parasite shows how broken modern society is and the nature of the socioeconomic ladder. Moreover, disillusioned behaviour depicted throughout the film also shows the myth of meritocracy as it leads to the rise of unethical behaviour as individuals try to climb the social ladder. Kim greatly portrays this concept by showing a con-type talent that he uses to climb the social ladder (Khattami & Koiri, 2021). Through the film, Bong Joon-ho shows that meritocracy is an unfair solution for individuals living in the lower class as the capitalist society was developed in a way that hard work cannot get these people to the top.
The strain theory is an excellent example of a sociological theory highlighted in the film, showing why individuals engage in certain societal behaviours. According to Murphy and Robinson (2008), the strain theory explains that deviance is observed when society cannot provide its members equal opportunities to attain socially acceptable goals. Therefore, based on the film, deviant behaviour was mainly promoted due to the inability to access resources as the capitalist society has made it hard for people with low incomes to climb the social ladder. The scene of Kim-Woo picking two glass bottles could refer to him taking the opportunity to acquire aspects that he lacks. In this case, he was never allowed to use such items, which makes him grab them or take advantage of a situation where they are presented to him. Furthermore, the strain theory could also be used to explain why the siblings were unable to acquire better jobs despite having the capability of working in better places. For instance, capitalist society has made it hard to climb the ladder, and the poor struggle to acquire better opportunities compared to the rich despite having the necessary skills and knowledge to undertake certain roles.
Critical Analysis
Classism is one of the major areas that the film focuses on as it tries to educate the audience on different societal elements that people often assume as they relate to one another. In this case, Bong used the two Seoul families, the Park and Kim family, to analyse classism in modern society. The Kim family lives in a tiny apartment in a poor neighbourhood where they cannot afford basic needs like a Wi-Fi network and quality food. Through the shots made for different scenes about the apartment, one can note that the camera shots appear medium to close-up, emphasising the claustrophobic feeling of staying in a tiny apartment. On the other hand, the Park family is shown to be led by the head of a successful tech company, and they live in a rich neighbourhood with their children being able to acquire anything that they desire.
Gender relations are another aspect that Bong showed through his film as he tried to help the audience understand different societal depictions that might often be assumed but exist. As Hee-Jeong (2021) explains, Bong greatly highlighted gender roles through characters like Da-hye and her ensuing relationship with Ki-woo. In addition, women are shown by the Park family to have a place in taking care of children, as shown by Mrs Park, who is mostly seen with her children while the father is the sole breadwinner. On the other hand, the Kim family shows the opposite as they prefer working together, and all members have access to equal roles within the household. Through this, the film shows that gender roles are representative that the higher social class and wealth are tied with male power and that the higher one climbs the social ladder, the more patriarchal it becomes.
Reflection
The film greatly connects with my personal experiences and observations about society, especially on the myth of meritocracy. An example is how the marginalised groups and the poor struggle to climb the social ladder in society. In many cases, people often discriminate against individuals from these backgrounds, especially when they try to get some services or employment. For example, as the poor struggle to get educated, getting educated will not guarantee them a better-paying job as society is shaped so that you can easily get a job based on your connections or who you know. Being well-connected or having people in higher places will easily get someone a job, making it hard for people with low incomes to climb the social ladder.
Conclusion
Parasite is among the best educative films on how individuals should view society, as it is based on discussions of different elements affecting people in the modern world. Through the film, Bong educated the audience on different aspects like deviance, showing that engaging in unacceptable behaviour will likely lead individuals to be punished. The film also shows that capitalism has made it hard for the poor and people from marginalised groups to climb up the social ladder.
References
Fitria, T. N. (2021). Representation of symbols in “Parasite” movie. ISLLAC: Journal of Intensive Studies on Language, Literature, Art, and Culture, 5(2), 239–250. https://doi.org/10.17977/um006v5i22021p239-250
Guzman, C. (2023a). Social Control & Deviance. Lecture 6. University of Toronto.
Guzman, C. (2023b). Groups and Networks. Lecture 5. University of Toronto.
Hee-jeong, S. (2021). Gender in “Korean reality”: Bong Joon-ho’s films and the birth of “snob film.” Azalea: Journal of Korean Literature & Culture, 14(14), 289–310. https://doi.org/10.1353/aza.2021.0017
Khattami, R., & Koiri, Much. (2021). Kim family’s manipulative behaviors in Parasite (2019). LITERA KULTURA: Journal of Literary and Cultural Studies, 9(3), 29–37. https://doi.org/https://ejournal.unesa.ac.id/index.php/litera-kultura/article/download/47984/40880/#:~:text=The%20type%20of%20flattery%20in,the%20wishes%20of%20the%20subject.
Murphy, D. S., & Robinson, M. B. (2008). The Maximizer: Clarifying Merton’s Theories of Anomie and Strain. Theoretical Criminology, 12(4), 501–521. https://doi.org/10.1177/1362480608097154
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