Parasite (Korean Movie)

The movie makes an effort to show that there isn't really a direct villain of the movie, but broad societal issues surrounding the relationship between the rich and the poor. The Parks worst offence was basically First-World Problems, which was made ever so clear by the third act as the Kims are dealing with their home being flooded out and all the Parks care about is a surprise birthday party. It's even said explicitly that they are good, kind, even generous people but only because they literally can afford to be. I think the movie would have been significantly more flawed if it chose an Eat the Rich mentality here.

Basement apartments are pretty common in areas where there aren't concerns about flooding, for obvious reasons. I used to live in a complex designed the same way, with high windows at ground level, although it was a college apartment buildings and not the urban family environment.

One thing I like about the movie is that it portrays the rich family as being painfully naive. It's what makes them easy marks — they're starved for friendship and love.

Mrs. Park is just sad.

And drug-addicted. Her name-dropping OxyContin sounds typical for a rich party girl who went to school in the US.

The parents both crave genuine friendship. The daughter is so desperate to find someone who understands her that she falls for her tutor in a very short time frame. The son latches on to another woman for maternal affection since his own mother seems unable to give it to him. The whole family seems not to know how to connect to each other anymore even if they want to.

Contrast with the Kims, a flawed bunch with questionable morals who nonetheless actually seem close to each other.

Edited by M84 on Feb 21st 2020 at 5:21:46 PM

There is also an undercurrent that because they can afford housekeepers, tutors and personal drivers that ends up acting as a buffer to building their family relationships. Mr. Park is a distant figure for the first half of the film, with an implication of a loveless marriage, though it comes as a surprise when they start getting intimate on the couch. The Kims definitely come across as a much closer family, in part because they don't have the same number of distractions.

It kind of reminds me of my dad's family, he is second of nine kids and they moved around a lot until settling down where the last three kids were raised. Because of that he's not quite as close to his younger siblings because moving around meant the others were his more consistent friends.

The Kims are closer in part because they don't really have anyone or anything else. They're drowning almost literally given the flooding that ruins their home but they're drowning together.

Money doesn't buy happiness...though it sure buys a hell of a lot.

Edited by M84 on Feb 21st 2020 at 5:33:46 PM

I also find it kind of hilarious how the movie led to a rise in demand for the Ram-Don noodle dish even though the whole point of the scene was to show one of the ways the Parks are insensitive. Noodle companies are even using the movie to try to bolster sales.

Capitalism, amirite? It's so good at making money that it even finds a way to use media specifically calling out capitalism to do it!

Kind of like how Joker is going to have a live concert run with undoubtedly pricey tickets.

Edited by M84 on Feb 21st 2020 at 6:40:43 PM

I've never met anyone who thinks that Mrs. Park is a drug addict. Though I have absolutely no recollection of Oxycontin being mentioned in the movie.

Anyway, in news that shouldn't surprise me but still does, of course the President of the United States takes the time at a rally to complain about a foreign movie winning best picture.

And he's even mocking Brad Pitt cause the guy made some liberal comments.

Man what a douche.

I don't think Mrs. Park is a drug addict, per se. But she definitely seems overmedicated, probably as a result of boredom.

The multiple scenes where she's passed out in the middle of the day seem to indicate something along those lines.

"Capitalism, amirite? It's so good at making money that it even finds a way to use media specifically calling out capitalism to do it!

"

Rule of the ferengi: think that critize them are good for buissness.

So I recently watched the movie and it was so good. I can easily see why this film won four Oscars, including Best Picture.

I find it kind of interesting that the discussions of the film I read on the internet spend all their time accusing all the characters of being different kinds of parasites, but the Netflix movie description describes the relationship between the Kims and the Parks as symbiotic.

I'd say the Kims are the more parasitic since they're the ones outright lying and conning the Parks.

Parasitism is technically a kind of symbiosis. Plus the Parks do take advantage (to an extent) of the Kims' skilled labour while barely providing them with a living wage. And I'm finding it curious that just about every thinkpiece on the movie leaves out Moon-gwang and Geun-sae altogether.

I'm pretty sure the implications are that the Parks actually pay better than any of the other jobs they normally work, why they are so enthusiastic about stealing the jobs of other working class members. The whole movie is about how they're leeching off money from people who are too stupid to see it.

It's just that quest for the Korean Dream, so to speak, and to be rich is itself a trap.

The Kims also blow through their new wages quickly.

Edited by CharlesPhipps on Mar 10th 2020 at 7:34:16 AM

Parasitism is technically a kind of symbiosis. Plus the Parks do take advantage (to an extent) of the Kims' skilled labour while barely providing them with a living wage.

... what. Okay, seriously. What is with the demonization of the Parks? This is a ridiculous untruth, considering that A: they were very explicitly being paid above market value for the jobs they were in, B: They were living better than they were in the past despite the fact the until the mother got the maid position, these were part-time gigs, C: Jessica wasn't even doing her job. Like, there's plenty to criticize the Parks for. "Taking advantage and underpaying for labor" is not among those things. If anything, the opposite is true; one of their implicit flaws is the fact they prefer to just throw money at a problem rather than deal with it.

... also yes, technically it's a form of symbiosis if you break down the terms to its literal meaning (of "living together") but you know that's not what he meant.

Oh by the way, does anyone know anything about seizures? What Mrs. Park says about the kid's seizure ("if he doesn't see a doctor in 15 minutes he'll die!") sounds like Artistic License – Medicine, but I don't know enough about the subject to be sure. Then again, if it's wrong, it's entirely in-character for her to have just read random scary BS online and bought it completely.

Edited by Larkmarn on Mar 11th 2020 at 12:29:23 PM

I am not sure about posters in English-speaking countries, but in France the posters said "cherchez l'intrus" which sort of means "spot the odd one" (for a derogatory meaning of odd, intrus also meaning intruder). They meant us to wonder who was going to be a parasite. Which is interesting because obviously many characters can be viewed as parasites (who expected someone to secretly live in the house?).

The idea that the Parks may be parasites depends on how far you view that Capitalism Is Bad. This is a political statement (or maybe just a question) that the film is making.

Edited by gropcbf on Mar 11th 2020 at 10:18:50 AM

Seizures can lead to permanent brain damage/death if left untreated. The figure I've seen most is around 30 minutes.

I'm not a doctor, but I wouldn't be surprised if that number drops a bit in children.

And that's one of the valid critiques of the Parks I mentioned. But them underpaying their labor is not.

Kinda like how the YMMV used to tear into Mr. Park for not doing more to save Geun-Se when, you know, the dude isn't just an "utterly broken man on the verge of death, thanking him and praising him" but also a trespasser who just stabbed a family friend while his own son is having a medical emergency. Like that's not a legitimate criticism of Park. Know what is? The fact that he's basically ignoring said family friend and actively trying to take care away from her.

Edited by Larkmarn on Mar 12th 2020 at 9:04:49 AM

Man that must have hurt Mr. Kim.

Right when they were doing Cowboys & Indians it seemed Mr. Park finally thought of him as a genuine friend but nope when it came down to it, Mr. Park didn't give a shit at all.

By God a woman was stabbed. I mean sure your son is having a seizure but at least give some concern to the other person visibly in critical condition.

A stabbing party isn't the place to look for rational, non-instinctive behavior.

So, I know these posts are a little older, and my following post is not going to be so much about Parasite as a film (saw it a while back, enjoyed it) but as someone who has relatives with epilepsy and a relative who died after a seizure, I believe it's important that people know how to handle the situation if they see someone have a seizure.

You do not necessarily need to call a medical professional if you see someone have a seizure. Grand mal seizures are the ones most commonly depicted in media ie. thrashing on the ground, and there are other seizures that involve movement, but there are also absence seizures, which is a 'briefly changed state of conciousness' according to the NHS (my family member describes it as akin to blacking out temporarily) where the person will typically be seen staring blankly. The following applies more to what you should do during a movement seizure, but some is applicable to absence seizures as well.

There are few situations in which you absolutely should call emergency services, including:

1. If the person has not had a seizure before. If you don't know (it's helpful if you know the person, or if they have a medical alert bracelet/necklace) assume they have not. Specially in Parasite, for the son's first seizure it is perfectly reasonable to call emergency services, but not to move him (more on that later)

2. If the seizure lasts more than five minutes, or the person has multiple in quick succession

3. The person is injured during the seizure or has difficulty waking up afterwards

IIRC in the film the son is picked up by his mother both times he has a seizure. Unless the person is in direct danger, DO NOT DO THIS. Moving someone while they're thrashing can cause serious damage. You should move them to the floor, gently shift them onto their side and move something soft under their head if you can. Don't hold them down or impede their movement, don't put anything in their mouth.

Give the patient space and stay calm. Try your best to keep other bystanders calm as well, and calmly explain to the patient what happened afterwards. Make sure they're alert and make sure they get home safely if needed.

I've never heard anything like "get him to a doctor or they'll die in 15 minutes"; in the context of the film I agree with Larkmann, that sounds more like something you hear on one of the mom's groups where they like to tell you that vaccines are evil.

Note I am not a medical professional, so I am listing my sources and more information here, I would highly suggest checking one or all o pages out. About 1/10 people in their lifetimes will have a seizure, so again, it is so important to know how to deal with these situations if they happen in front of you:

https://www.cdc.gov/epilepsy/about/first-aid.htm

https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/what-to-do-if-someone-has-a-seizure-fit/

https://www.epilepsy.com/living-epilepsy/parents-and-caregivers/about-kids/seizure-first-aid

https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/conditions-and-diseases/epilepsy/seizures-and-epilepsy-in-children

Edited by Pseudopartition on Jun 14th 2020 at 10:35:57 AM

I spent much of my childhood in an oxygen tent.

As such, I find it perfectly reasonable to freak the fuck out about seizures.

Edited by CharlesPhipps on Jun 16th 2020 at 4:33:16 AM