UK KFA ‘Cultural Corner’
Review of the south Korean film ‘Parasite ‘
A Review by Ben Soton
Parasite was a film I intended to see before cinemas closed; however, it is now available online and on DVD. This columnist does not get invited to premiers and award ceremonies; although I have always argued that I should and have even purchased a tuxedo just in case.
It centres around the contrasting lives of two south Korean families; the wealthy Parks and the working class Kims. The Kims live in a semi-submerged slum and earn a living folding pizza boxes; whilst Nathan Park is a wealthy businessman with an alcoholic wife and two dysfunctional children and is able to employ an array of servants. Through their ingenuity the Park family find a way into the world of the Parks. Initially the two Kim children find employment as tutors for the younger Parks and soon obtain work for their parents as a chauffeur and housekeeper. Initially all seems to go according to plan but eventually their scheme comes tragically unstuck.
The film provides a limited but still necessary critique of south Korean society; basically, it’s not what it’s cracked up to be. If you have been watching the Daily Coronavirus Bulletin, or Hancock’s Half Hour, as it is starting to be called you may have heard how well south Korea has dealt with the pandemic. So far it has a death toll of 272 with 11,541 cases (source: Worldmeter); although this is a bit of a hard act to follow considering its northern neighbour, Peoples Korea has reported a death toll of zero. Just shows the dangers of being so isolated. Meanwhile Parasite exposes a myriad of problems; not simply inequality but also indebtedness, poor quality housing, limited welfare provision and also that south Korea has one the highest rates of tuberculosis in the world. Meanwhile in the opening scene we see the Kim children try to get WIFI to work in their house; this is in the country home to the technology giant Samsung.
Parasite also touches on the limited legitimacy of the south Korean state, established after World War II and since then has acted as a cipher for its US imperial masters. This is shown by the relative ease in which Ki Jung, the Kims daughter forges a university degree to enable her brother Kim Ki-woo to work as a tutor. This might also explain how the position of the elite is somewhat temporal. In a later scene we are informed that many wealthy south Korean families have large cellars beneath their houses; in the event of a north Korean invasion or in the case their creditors call.
What a place to live!
(Ben Soton is an independent journalist and writer who writes on culture , tv and films – UK KFA does not necessarily endorse all opinions or views expressed in this review)
