Exploring Visual Language and Symbolism in "Parasite"

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"Parasite" was my favorite film of the year by far, and this video essay aims to dig deep into the film's many symbols and how it uses cinematic language to tell the story of the harsh realities of class inequality.
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[@daniel_netzel]

Thanks for watching! I fully realize that this topic is pretty well exhausted at this point, but A) Parasite was my favorite movie of 2019 and I had a lot of thoughts and B) I took way longer than anticipated in making this one, so hopefully you all still enjoyed and aren't sick of people gushing about this movie yet. I'd love to know what your thoughts on the film were!

[@laurena227]

Glad you uploaded a video on it:) I was originally skeptical to click because of the amount of vids on Parasite, then I saw it was you who uploaded so I had to!:D

[@daniel_netzel]

That's so kind of you to say! I definitely fear that a lot of people will end up avoiding watching because of how much else there already is out there.

[@davidli7286]

This was fantastic and a different take from most of the other Parasite videos

[@tamaragonzalezalmendras3214]

No, thank you for doing this amazing review on an incredible good film like this. I have been watching lots of videos about Parasite (because I love it, too) and this one has perfect ideas and opinions. I specially liked what you said about poor people: they are expected to do twice the work, but rich people can skip it! Ugh it is so metaphorical 🤣

[@denniszenanywhere]

Good analysis but can you please put a spoiler or explainer in your title? You're revealing too much.

[@dxcSOUL]

I think what most analysts forget is Ki-jeong’s role. She was the only character who didn’t steal someone else’s job. She also routinely challenged the rich mother linguistically, where she switches between formal and casual language to the point where the mother wanted to earn her respect. The son also comments how she just naturally fit in the house when she’s bathing. But SHE was the one that was killed. Why? Maybe it’s because she was the closest to actually flawlessly cross that line. But society could not allow this.

[@emilyhuang5997]

She was the one who was closest to legitimately achieving upward mobility, but the moment she did (carrying a cake, celebrating her integration into the Park family), well... She crossed the line, and that couldn't happen. I also wonder whether there is significance in her being killed by a poor man as she is on the cusp of success, as if the road to upward mobility is such that we cannot allow others to achieve it before we do. Rather than solidarity and support for our peers who finally make it, there is resentment for being left behind.

[@minam8022]

YES, very much so. i think another interpretation is that she no longer had utility in the capitalist society they live in. the mother tells her that the cake is a "getting well" cake for da-song, implying that her job as his therapist was successful and therefore over. as soon as her utility to the parks ran out, her life was ended too. it's very pessimistic, and i love both interpretations. parasite is so good man

[@jeff__w]

“Why? Maybe it’s because she was the closest to actually flawlessly cross that line.” No, it’s because, dramatically, no other death in the Kim family works (or works as well). The father and son have a connection-Ki-woo promises his dad earlier that he actually _will_ get into university; they both stay alive so that Ki-woo can aspire to rescue his dad from the underground bunker-he’s still trying to be properly filial-even as he (and the audience) knows that aspiration _can’t_ be fulfilled. If Choong-sook, the mom, is killed by the housekeeper’s husband, that can be viewed by the audience as somehow legitimate because she kicked the housekeeper down the stairs, resulting in the housekeeper’s death-it’s too pat a resolution in a cinematic universe where Bong Joon-ho says _nothing_ gets resolved in the way you might want or expect. The killing of Ki-jeong allows the _least_ amount of resolution-it doesn’t allow the housekeeper’s death to be avenged, it leaves Ki-taek and Ki-woo in perpetual limbo and it doesn’t permit the audience to indulge in the fantasy that somehow, in the future, Ki-jeong _might_ fit in.

[@minam8022]

@@jeff__w that's also a good point! there are so many layers to this movie. ki-jung's death serves a dramatic role as well as a symbolic one, and i don't think any interpretation necessarily contradicts one another.

[@jeff__w]

@@minam8022 True.

[@TheHYEGUY]

It's all so metaphorical.

[@daniel_netzel]

Food would be better.

[@normap1229]

@@daniel_netzel A peach?

[@nilkanthadebnath2358]

@@daniel_netzel you forgot to add 'pooh!'

[@PViolety]

Anyone else on a parasite analysis binge?

[@itsmejenniferlee5411]

PURPLEY PRESENT 👋👋👋

[@tiffanypersaud3518]

PURPLEY PRESENT, yes.

[@durubarbak]

Me

[@karolparatareas5935]

I even have a homework about it XD

[@tokitoki4780]

Karol para tareas lucky, I would love doing a report on this movie, it was so good 😰

[@Nadia72639]

During the birthday massacre, Ki-taek is wearing the same exact grey shirt that Ki-woo was wearing in the very first scene, symbolizing they are back where they started.

[@Nadia72639]

@A N V Why the son went downstairs with the rock during the party? I think it was left up to interpretation. Did he go down there with the intention to finish them off? Probably.

[@Nadia72639]

@A N V He went down there assuming both of them were still tied up and he knew negotiation would be a difficult option, because there would always be two people that could blackmail them out of their position. We'll never know what he truly meant to happen down there

[@uranusouji9703]

I've heard this before and no the rock isn't fake, in the original script he had to look for it, but they ended up having it float symbolizing how the dream he so desperately clings to always comes back to him

[@arturintete2461]

Uranus Ouji mhm, it still floated. Please explain how a real rock floats?

[@ReviewPimpUSA]

You’re stretching it, the director didnt mean the rock to float, y’all clowns just making shit up to sound deep lmao

[@tinmeow]

Y'all missed the symbolism for the scene at <a href="#" class="seekto" data-time="261">4:21</a> - that was the Kims' pinnacle in the movie. Kevin laid on the grass basking in the sunshine, feeling awesome and all, but he laid on a spot which borders a shadow... a literal "foreshadowing" of the darkness that's about to dawn on them.

[@milagroscabrera5304]

oh my god. this movie is the best i've ever seen.

[@SoFine163]

Christine Cabia also notice the symbolism In the blocking of the scene where Kevin is holding his forged papers before heading to the Parks for the first time. He and Chung sook who will eventually survive are on the outside of the house but still not above the stairs. Ki Taek is inside the semi basement and Ki Jeung is nowhere to be found.

[@abbycabreza4458]

I thought this scene was also comparing both parents & sons. Theyre laying on the same couch in the same order as the Parks do later when Da-Sung is outside.

[@highwind1991]

I have to stop watching this movie on a nearly weekly repeat. And I need to stop watching every video and reading every article about it. But I can't help it. Parasite has spoiled me when it comes to other movies

[@daniel_netzel]

I feel you! I think I've seen it 6 times now? XD Obsessed is putting it lightly tbh.

[@highwind1991]

@@daniel_netzel and those repeat viewings have been me showing other people, and they all loved it. Everytime

[@AmazingGamingsh]

Adriano Vazquez Hahah, holy shit same.

[@jja.gaskeun]

Same here

[@pl4285]

I had been watching the parts of the movie for like a month over and over and finally stopped after watching together with friends.

[@spicyseaweed]

It's a true masterpiece of a decade. The movie managed to marry both entertainment and social message without ever sounding pretentious or preachy.

[@rachellesavard6069]

When Ki-woo went for the rock the second time the drunk man is pissing outside their window, I was absolutely floored. He is literally ready to smash that guy's head in with a rock, something he never would have been bold enough to do before. He has now acquired the "vigour" of Min-hyeok, which is really just the sense of power and authority that comes from his higher social status. The Kims become more and more arrogant and drunk on power, to the point where they no longer have any sense of pity or restraint. It's quite terrifying what money can do to a person.

[@shanebattistv2165]

The tragic irony on this too is each of them were presumably getting good pay from the Parks for their various jobs. If they didn’t get too far ahead of themselves, perhaps they could have climbed into the middle class after some years of working for the Parks and saving their money.

[@isaaccruz8131]

the Kim family running down the streets back to their home was also foreshadowed by the wife saying her husband would scatter like a roach.

[@malinasworld]

And him scrambling down to the bunker after he kills Nathan Park!

[@diogenesofsinope..]

The way that dude eats the banana enrages me.

[@AsianSadge]

He’s presumably been without food for days or even weeks, it’s understandable

[@esotericgrave3129]

its metaphorical! for... his... poverty...?

[@plumpy_space_princess]

triggered?

[@trinirogando520]

it's because earlier the painting of him was compared to a chimpanzee by ki-woo

[@user-insight]

you sir are a genius

[@poppycock4225]

I think Parasite definitely would have been the forward-looking choice for Best Production Design. The Academy always goes with some fancy period film, but sometimes a modern, subtle set design is more meaningful and impactful than a lavish French palace.

[@daniel_netzel]

Honestly I'm getting pretty tired of period dramas always winning for best production and costume design. It's obviously impressive, no denying that, but recreating a time period that's heavily documented is nowhere near as interesting to me as creating a new space for the singular purpose of storytelling, rather than trying to match some historical record.

[@poppycock4225]

@@daniel_netzel Right, and the house in Parasite is so amazingly designed. I feel like I've lived in that house -- the big window, the staircase, the basement, the kitchen. I feel like I could design it in detail from memory.

[@luchilenium]

To be fair, though. The detail and scope of what Once Upon a Time in Hollywood achieved in its recreation of 1960s Hollywood was one of the best things about the movie, and definitely what a lot of people were raving about in reviews. I think it deserved the win.

[@da96103]

I chose OUATIH in my ballot for Best Production Design. I betrayed my favorite film but got it right. I chose Parasite for Best Editing, a bit upset it went to Ford v Ferrari and got it wrong.

[@maximeteppe7627]

@@da96103 You vote for the academy? What is your job in the industry?

[@nsebast]

I read somewhere for the ending song the title of the song is called "568 years". It will take the son 568 years to buy that house.

[@dudethatsmyunicorn]

We don't talk about Min too much, but i think there is more to this character than it seems. Min isn't as much of a good guy as he seems. He gives Ki-woo the prosperity stone, which is a metaphor for the promise of wealth, but much more than that it is the symbol for hope. Ki-taek knew it all along-hope is not for the poor, but for the rich. Hope is fulfilled for the rich, but it only brings discontentment for the poor- so it is better to not care about anything. Min isnt so much intentionally giving Ki-woo the rock to curse him, though it does, he is giving it to him because he does not know better. He is BLIND to see the problems of the lower class, as the upper class has bred into him. Also, Min intentionally chooses Ki-woo among others because he looks down on him, thinking that while his rich frat boy friends might be able to steal his girlfriend, Ki-woo is too poor and Da-Hye would never go for him because Min knew deep down that Ki-woo wouldn't 'fit in' with her and her family. Ki-woo in the movie recognizes how the upper class looks down on the lower class, and his pursuit of Da-Hye is his way of rebelling against the very concept, and it is one reason why he cannot admit to Da-Hye that he is actually poor, because he knows that will break whatever holds the relationship together. Having Da-Hye around is like a trophy to Ki-woo, he never seemed to really be interested in her for anything more than the idea of a rich girlfriend. Throughout the first half of the movie, we see his insecurity and discomfort grow as he realizes more and more just how different and incompatible they are. Ki-woo learns that love is different

[@oslargotte7945]

I dont know, seems far fetched. He sets the story in motion, but not much more. The kissing I think is more about the "fitting in" than about revenge on Min. Your theory is never hinted at in the movie plus it doesnt make any sense.

[@user-op6vy3gg2b]

Well put. It make sense.

[@killtheink]

Yup. I felt that way too. It felt like they're not really true friends, and Ki-woo knew it so out of spite he was thinking "if you think Da-hye won't go for me, let me just prove you wrong without you ever knowing."

[@bev9708]

Oh yes indeed, Min chose Ki-woo precisely because he perceives him as not a threat, unlike his rich fratboy cronies.

[@michaelandrews117]

Don't forget that the Scholar Stone is probably fake too. It floats up in water despite appearing fairly heavy, implying it's probably hollow. It is meant to bring wealth, yet wealth here is hollow.

[@AwesomeIAm15]

<a href="#" class="seekto" data-time="745">12:25</a> I feel like the faint light in the distance at the end of the movie is something similar to the green light in Great Gatsby, where it’s a promise of a better future that won’t actually happen and will eventually destroy the character. The pan down into the semi-basement to Ki-Woo’s face I think is meant to give a brutal reminder of the system and how unlikely he is to ever achieve that wealth.

[@daniel_netzel]

Totally agree. He's never going to be able to make enough to get out, maybe he'll rise above slightly but he'll never get to the top to set his father free. The dream already caused so much damage to his family, one has to fear for how much more damage itll cause.

[@beechboiii]

Yup, it was devastating when I realized that he will most likely never reach the financial position of the Parks, just like most of us born in the lower parts of society he will be confined to it unless something fundamental in social hierarchy changes.

[@leoh7399]

It’s suggested that papa Kim is actually the incompetent one in the family. While his wife is simply a gifted athlete that came up short and his children quite capable, Song Kang Ho’s character is said to have been unable to hold down a job. Biggest hint is how 1 in 4 pizza boxes are faulty. He also is the only one who seems to need coaching from his son and the one who loses his cool in the act. In this way Bong’s portrait of the poor is also not simplistic glorification of them either. They are also flawed as is humanity.

[@MistarZtv]

so its like mirroring the park family? where ms park is incompetent and can't do anything for her self or her family and her husband is the gifted tech mogul.

[@malinasworld]

@@MistarZtv Interesting, I wonder if everyone in the Kim and Park family are mirrored. Da-hye is intelligent and cynical like Ki-jeong, only she has the money to afford classes unlike the other, while Ki-woo and Da-song are both fixated on mythical symbols that don't exist.

[@MistarZtv]

oh another thing i noticed while rewatching, the first time we see the father on screen he's "sleeping", its like when we first see the mrs Park.

[@MistarZtv]

@@malinasworld i kiwo mirrored the girl, in that hes smart academically but his family doesn't have the resources to further his education, while the parks daughter's is flunking but they have the means to help her get a tutor. people say that kiwoo's sister could be like dasong, where's she's talented when it comes to art, she can act and very intelligent. but like her brother she also isn't given the same opportunity that the park family's kids can afford. like dasong being able to to get teachers for his art or doctors for his trauma.

[@malinasworld]

@@MistarZtv Da-hye was flunking?! Wasn't she getting pretty good grades? Anyway, I feel the personalities and psychological states of the kids should hold some weight in the comparison too rather than just their talents.

[@NicholasOon]

All the record-breaking, award-winning, and barrier-demolishing could not have happened to a more deserving film. Yes, the topic has been well researched, but sometimes it's nice to keep hearing about something you love in someone else's words.

[@daniel_netzel]

Couldnt agree more! Totally blew me out of the water when I saw it in theaters, and watching it do so well has been really cool. And I appreciate you saying so! I started working on this before there were a million videos about it so I definitely got worried people were sick of talking about it lol

[@NicholasOon]

@@daniel_netzel as a matter of fact I feel the same way whenever a big movie comes out and everyone says something about it. But your video is great encouragement for creators like me to challenge ourselves to give our content a fresh spin. So thank you for that as well! And keep up the fantastic work.

[@reesemadison2912]

One thing that this has reminded me of is how perspective works. I remember being extremely angry with Mrs. Park talking about how much the rain was a blessing, but after asking myself why, I realized it’s because I knew what the truth was. If the movie were strictly from the viewpoint of the Park’s, I wouldn’t have found anything wrong with her comment. I had no grounds to be mad at Mrs. Park because she simply didn’t know what the rain did to the Kim’s, and it’s not her job or responsibility to know. It would be irrational to expect her to take into account how so many others are affected by the same things or more things than she’s affected by and change the way she thinks about those people or those situations.

[@christopherliang6879]

exactly, when the rain clears up the smog, I am happy about it as well

[@purpleparadise4094]

that is what exactly is class privilege

[@ZZZ-xq9pk]

i feel like a part of it is wilful ignorance or being too caught up in their own world to care for others. how the parks never looked down below. they didnt see the housekeeper as she tried to ascend, da-hye didnt look under her bed, they spent like 3 years without knowing there was a man living in a bunker underneath their house, they never checked under the couch etc. while that may seem like wilful ignorance, it could also be a metaphor for how the upper class is so caught up in their bubble they choose to ignore the signs [the dog looking under the bed, the sound of the housekeeper falling, the flickering of the lights in morse code, and not hearing the phone go off under the couch], for the sake of comfort or just that they cant be bothered enough to care. the only one that does is da song [i feel like theres more meaning behind his seizure and being the only one to pick up on this stuff but i cant quite grasp it] tldr i think her remark is more a symptom of being upper class, and very nearly wilful ignorance. to be able to live life so comfortably and be privileged enough to ignore the signs of struggle even if you can see it. its not complete innocence. i think it would have simply taken turning on the news or seeing how tired the kims were to understand. although that could just be me injecting my own point of view too, as someone who lived has lived a big portion of their life in the upper class in a third world country. i had the privilege of ignoring how things that were not a bother to me even though it would've taken just a little bit more effort to find out how terrible they were. i got more aware with age but it took living for some years with another family member to finally be brought to reality about the world.

[@EPlTHANY]

@@ZZZ-xq9pk Your tldr was longer than everything you wrote before

[@ZZZ-xq9pk]

@@EPlTHANY i didnt notice that when i wrote it but thats pretty funny lmao

[@PETBOY]

Character names also have meaning. 杞憂(KI-WOO Korean pronunciation) which means eedless worry, a radical center. 旣定 (KI-JUNG Korean pronunciation) which means already determined, planned. Same as movie content. last scene show that KI-WOO stones are no different from other stones. In other words, rich family image, It is a illusions created by money. also rich man job (vr machine seller). Poor people dream of being rich, but in the end, because they have no plans, they are haze of illusion. Parasites are films with various layers. The interesting point is that the pizza shop Walker appears on the a stadium.

[@jjcho113]

"pizza shop Walker appears on the a stadium", really? I didn't see that

[@Nickee_Sonicjinn]

I guess PETBOY wanted to write 'needless worry' for the meaning of KIWOO. It literally means to worry unnecessarily if the sky will fall down on one's head.

[@edo27]

I also watched a Korean press event Q and A that mentioned how the Korean writing at the beginning of the film is pronounced and the syllables manifest themselves in the names of the 4 Kim members ('Ki" being present in 3 of them and "Chun" being present in the mom's name). I am not Korean so I can't elaborate further on this but if you look up the channel "supershinstudio" on YT it is mentioned by the host in one of their Parasite English sub vids! The vids are really fun because the actors are having a blast talking amongst eachother.

[@kayann3]

Stadium?

[@plumpy_space_princess]

@@jjcho113 huh? I am confusion.

[@angorarabbits]

Something that I think has been somewhat overlooked by analyses of this film is the symbolic use of water. Some have suggested that water represents reality, however, in my opinion water is used to represent wealth and power. The wealthy family's fridge is lined with expensive bottled water, you see them drinking water constantly at home, whereas in the poor family's home we only ever see them drinking cheap beer. Another example, as mentioned in this video, is the attack on the man pissing outside, where, after gaining wealth and power in the form of employment, they then used water to attack a man they see as now below themselves. When the poor family moves into the rich family's home, Kim-woo is shown drinking the bottled water from the fridge, demonstrating the wealth and power he has obtained. At the same time, Kim-jeong takes a bath, which mirrors a shot of the rich father earlier in the film. In this moment, Kim-jeong is physically situated within the wealth and power that water symbolises. Kim-woo rolls her a bottle of water suggesting a transfer of power from the son to the daughter that is paralleled by other motifs in the film. For example, the son helps the daughter get the job, yet the daughter quickly excels, becoming more embedded in the rich family than Kim-woo. During the storm scene, after the poor family have lost their perceived power, water in the form of rain is used to physically flush them out. The water, symbolising wealth, demonstrates how the powerful are flushing the parasites back down to where they came from. The family end up in water again except this time it is sewage water: they are back at the bottom of society. Finally, at the end of the film, when Kim-woo climbs the hill, it is snowing. Water, symbolising wealth and power, is in this moment, frozen and unobtainable hence reinforcing the absence of hope that the end of the movie creates.

[@breaseroto8552]

The food "Ram-don(chapaguri)" in Parasite. This is so metaphorical. Premium Korean beef (expensive) = Rich family Neoguri (full of soup WATER)= Semi-basement family (flooded) Chapagetti (AKA black noodle ,Dark color, no water)= Basement family (no sunshine)

[@yoyosworld2773]

brea seroto I love this analysis!

[@suelynncho]

No man...you’re right about the meat and the ramen mixed together (poor and rich) but you don’t have too deep to literally analyzing the soup and noodles

[@crusty1205]

@@suelynncho ngl it kinda makes sense? and thats the beauty of this movie, its so detailed that people cant help but look for more little dots and connect them all, correct or incorrect. but ofc some people might think way too hard and disconnect the dots instead HAHAH

[@Silina77]

At some point, ms. Park was eating and took the beef and put it at the top of the plate. She knows what is her place.

[@Gooong]

its very extravagant to throw nice steak cubes into instant noodles but I'll have you know the combination is super delicious.

[@clrmtsml]

Am I the only one to think that the scene where they throw water at the drunk (and poor) guy pissing is a foreshadowing of what is going to happen to them later. As if for a moment they forget that they used to be miserable like the drunk guy and when it rains their house gets flooded to remind them that they’re still poor. Also, I wonder if people noticed that the son’s obsession with natives Americans is a reference to invasion since the two children’s of the poor family used Americans names (Kevin and Jessica).

[@columbus8myhw]

I'm not sure if the American names thing was a class thing or an English tutor / U of Illinois student thing. Also note that the Park father (Park Dong-ik) had an English name on the poster (Nathan Park).

[@alonzoharris7836]

No, you're not the only one, cause you stole this idea from another video here on youtube. Both of your statements are exact copies of how it was said in the other video. I mean literally word for word. But the comment section are full of people acting like they're the first ones noticing something in the movie hunting for meaningless likes.

[@clrmtsml]

Alonzo Harris well we’re a lot on this planet so of course I’m not the only one noticing this. That was just a way of phrasing it. But I didn’t copy anyone 😅 I don’t know how we happened to phrase the sentence the same way honestly. I didn’t see anyone talking about it before. And I know there is no way for me to prove this 🤷🏾‍♀️ but I’m saying it anyway I didn’t copy anyone. But I’m glad tho that many people notice all the little details that bong joon ho put in his work 🔥

[@aceisawesome_]

I think the natives obsession is just a child being interested in a topic for a while, there isn't as much awareness about the native american situation in Korea as there is in the US. The english names are a way of making themselves seem more professional and suited to job, especially since it implies they've gone abroad (where korean names are hard to pronounce) and thus have good education. It's very common for korean people to adopt english names to use overseas to make life generally easier, and more so for a seemingly international ceo like mr. park

[@EPlTHANY]

@@alonzoharris7836 Holy shit you sound insecure lmao

[@songwithoutword]

<a href="#" class="seekto" data-time="393">6:33</a> - This is such a great onomatopoetic moment in this movie. I don't speak a word of Korean but I can hear the sound of creases being ironed out as if she'd delivered this line in English. The actors in this are so good. This is a visual representation of what Bong Joon Ho meant when he said, "Once you overcome the 1-inch-tall barrier of subtitles, you will be introduced to so many more amazing films." The story will carry you but the actors make this seem so universal.

[@emiliap617]

Something that kept coming to mind everytime i watched the film is the portrayal of the poor. It’s not black and white : The Kims who are con artists were ready to do anything to save their interests, that is obvious. But they didn’t stop there, they were opportunistic to the max. And one example of that is the fact that Ki-Woo’s friend trusted only him to tutor the girl he liked but he betrayed that trust without second thought and went on to have a fling with her. In this film it’s not : poor = victims and rich = villains. They’re all just humans.

[@chattenoir1004]

the son's name Kiwoo means "기우": unrealistic worries or useless thinking. Kiwoo tries everything in plan and when something unexpected happens he keeps worrying about how he should react to it. From the question he asks "what if Min would do in this situation" or "do I fit in here?" is representing that he wanted to be like Min (who is a symbol of middle class in this film) and his confidence was coming from imitating what Min would have done and replaced his position. After all tragic incident, Kiwoo finally realises all his worries, eagers and concerns were just 기우"useless". When Min brought the stone to Kim's family, the mother complains that it would be better to bring food instead. later, Ki-jung tried to bring down food for Gunsae and Moon-Gwang, but she failed and died. while Kiwoo brought down the stone and survived.

[@vanco-xi9bp]

Did you guys realize that the boy was drawing that guy in the basement?

[@gim4059]

it's because the guy is the "ghost" he saw in his birthday

[@lorenzo6906]

We really need to appreciate the film for what it is. Usually, when a movie tries to bring hope, despair, and everything in between together, it becomes messy and disappointing. When a movie focuses on just one, it is usually dull and bleak, or bland in nature. For Parasite to be able to take so many feelings, so many morals, so many meanings, and make them flow gracefully and seamlessly, is incredible. We may not get such a well-crafted experience for a while. This is truly metaphorical.

[@Mike-oi2th]

is it weird that a heavy rock just "floating" up during the storm scene? no wonder the poor kid is still alive

[@TokiBird]

Mike i think the rock is fake so it floated. and since it symbolizes material wealth it was fake wealth for the poor family

[@paulshin821]

Nope it was not a fake rock. The director said he wanted to visualize it as if the rock is floating from Ki-woo's perspective. That was intentional.

[@Mike-oi2th]

@@paulshin821 are u sure? i remember someone who interview the director, which he interprets "the rock is hollow" inside, meaning the desire to be rich is unreal/fake. as if it flows up to the surface, rather than sinking. beside it makes more sense if a person survives bashing on the head from a "hollow" rock

[@TheRumIsALie]

​@@Mike-oi2th The rock is shown to be heavy multiple times throughout the movie (i.e. when Ki-woo first takes it out of the box, he struggles with it). Within the context of the film, the rock is definitely heavy.

[@Mike-oi2th]

@@TheRumIsALie neh not convincing

[@myles6235]

What I liked was that I didn't feel like I was watching a "foreign" film. It was so universal that it's easy to forget you're reading subtitles.

[@mujin_kingdom1159]

This movie hits hard when you're poor

[@GayBrain]

A shame the poorest can't watch this.

[@valerio1292]

Hopefully, it also hits rich people

[@GayBrain]

@@valerio1292 Elon Musk watched it.... he didn't really get the message lol edit: like, he watched it, he liked it, but seems he didn't know what message it was sending

[@valerio1292]

@@GayBrain well nevermind, it was a long shot lol

[@joejellyfish]

@@GayBrain What did he say about it? Is there a source we can read?

[@floralstripes8001]

My personal favourite moment in the movie was when the rich mother said to the poor father "the rain was a blessing", in that shot we can see his face change and his hands grip the steering wheel. It gave me CHILLS

[@styx9193]

Bong Joon-ho: Parasite. Audiences all over the world: RESPEEECT.

[@erikjohnson1684]

The ending does a disturbingly good job of depicting poverty, a powerful hope, that you know is impossible.

[@Ashtonishing1812]

Probably the best video analysis of Parasite I've seen yet. Clear, crisp logic that flowed effortlessly from one point to the next. Reverse engineering the symbolism that makes it all so obvious but at the time of first watching, you can't quite consciously process. Great job. Will check out more of your work!

[@Alvaro-qz6qk]

<a href="#" class="seekto" data-time="352">5:52</a> That's the best shot of the movie. Rain, going down. Stairs, going down. Camera angle, going down. Total chaos at this point

[@vionna226]

I just want to appreciate how you created the beautiful explanation through this video, i really like the layout you create, looking forward for more, much love from Indonesia.

[@daniel_netzel]

That's so kind of you to say! Thank you :) Much love from America!

[@littlefurballs]

Great video, thank you! One category of symbolism I enjoyed was that involving the specific food featured, esp the ram-don. What was served was a combination of a very “cheap” mixture of noodles that had high quality meat added to it in order to make it more upscale and worthy of the Park family’s consumption. When the Park mother couldn’t get her son or husband to eat it, she wants to make sure it doesn’t goto waste. But instead of offering it to her hard working housekeeper who quickly made it upon her command, she sat there and ate it in front of her. Having the housekeeper consume their high quality beef (or just meat in general, since it’s a luxury item) would be “crossing the line”. There’s one thing that I was wondering about re: the ram-don part, though. What do you think is the significance of not offering any to Da-Hye before the Park mother ate it herself? Her daughter was complaining about how she really likes ram-don and the Park mom asked her brother and father but not her. Is it because she’s a girl and males in wealthy families (or the culture in general) are held in higher regard than the females? Or do you think it’s something else? I’m not able to go back to see the entire dialogue again, so wanted to throw it out there. 🙂 So happy this film is getting the recognition it deserves. Truly a masterpiece!!

[@karol1986]

Thats how I understood the scene with the daughter complaining. Upon another viewing I have noticed that she ask only the males and never even consider asking the daughter. Throughout the film she is clearly invested in the son and quite visibly he is the VIP in the house (the trip, the whole art therapy, the tent in rain, etc.). The girl is just there and has little of her parents attention (the only time father mentions her is when she is clearly moody about going for the trip - they don't have any other exchange through the film). Another thing - connected to ram-don, is the couch sex scene, in which Parks sexual desires resurface, and turns out they are turned on by the things from the "other side"; "Mr Park asks about the cheap panties, while Ms Park wants him to "buy her drugs"; on the outside they are repelled by the life of the less fortunate, but secretly crave its rawness, simplicity, "the dirt". It's so different from their life that they made a kink out of it.

[@littlefurballs]

Karol B. Karol B. Thanks! 🙂 Part of me wishes I had purchased the movie b/c there are so many little details/hints that I can’t remember. I forgot about the father only interacting with his daughter once and it was in relation to something centered around the son. Nice catch. In a way, it seemed to foreshadow that Da-Hye might end up like her mother when she’s older: a wife/mother that is there to cater to her husband and kids, but is ultimately invisible and so bored with her daily life that she ends up falling asleep on the outdoor patio table. I wonder if the English lessons were mainly so she could get more opportunities to meet the right husband. Do you remember if any of Da-Hye’s talents were nurtured like her brother’s art was? I at least have hope for Da-Hye, since she saved “Kevin” while her father was so focused on his son instead of the fact that “Jessica” was dying right in front of him. Her love for Kevin is a big part of saving him but it’s also an act that separates her from her selfish parents. Re: the sex talk on the couch...I noticed that too! another example of the wealthy family feeling that the same thing they find appalling in the poor is warranted with their actions b/c they are above everyone else(aka much higher than those less fortunate. That was so well symbolized by the fact that the Kim family were right under them laying on the floor under the table all night but they were pretty much nonexistent).

[@alistairt7544]

The best analysis of the film so far here in KZbin. You had some really great points and mentioned even some points that I haven't heard from many of the other analysis. Thank you!

[@mayaaradhana4924]

"When the storm hits, it hits the poo a lot harder." Damn, Bong. Deep.

[@Jackdelroy1]

Welcome back and thanks for another great video.

[@daniel_netzel]

Thanks so much!

[@rowni]

Beautiful video essay!! This needs more recognition!! 🙏🙏

[@PittsburghSonido]

Been waiting for you to review this!

[@daniel_netzel]

I hope I didnt disappoint!

[@normap1229]

If this was written in our US, they'd want a sequel in a year😂🤣.

[@falcon2624]

Unfortunately, HBO is developing it into a series.

[@elijahelkwood5459]

Falcon262 Oh god please no

[@falcon2624]

Elijah Elkwood yep, I did do some research. Apparently its not a remake but more of a exploration into the untold areas of the story such as the famed architect, more discovery into how the maid started working there and Mins character. Not sure how they are going to pull that off.

[@juanchoresultay2704]

Falcon262 oh hell no!

[@clanofclams2720]

@@juanchoresultay2704 Why so much animosity towards it? Bong Joon-Ho is *_personally_* working on the show!! Have a little optimism, for chrissakes

[@niawithguitar]

From all the videos that explain the meaning of parasite ive seen,this one is the best. Thank you

[@ricloads]

I love your analysis! Made me see the film in a whole new light

[@skgixnrl5158]

Woah, this analysis was so enlightening!

[@gwynethelodie4575]

I'm not sure I saw the ending as hopeful as you did. Maybe Kiwoo has hope, but the end is there after the dream to suggest there is no possible way for this dream to come true. Plus, the ending song mentions that it would take Kiwoo 564 years to gain enough wealth to buy the house

[@mohdshow]

Your voice is so soothing. I could listen to you everyday

[@wooottff]

This is by far the best video I've ever seen neither over nor under analysed just perfect

[@gck24]

Have watched 4 5 15+ mins videos about parasite and i am still learning new things with every video.

[@meaniebeannie]

I'm currently writing a literary analysis paper about Parasite for one of my classes and over the course of two weeks I've viewed almost every analysis video on Parasite I could find... I have to say, this one is by far the best out of all of them. This video essay is so perfectly pieced-together, allowing for a clear connection between the plot and what Bong Joon-ho was truly hoping to communicate with this film.

[@AwesomeGolfVideos]

This is EXCEPTIONALLY well-done! It must’ve taken a great deal of time. It’s very disciplined & thorough. Thank you for helping me understand the film better. 👍🏼

[@sayidshojaei4950]

What an analysis, you made me think about film in other levels. Thanks

[@Alvaro-qz6qk]

<a href="#" class="seekto" data-time="505">8:25</a> Exactly. It's not just vertical class struggle. It's also horizontal. Not just us vs them, but also us vs us.

[@ofimportance5458]

Yup

[@Alvaro-qz6qk]

@@ofimportance5458 By the way, the author liked my comment. It's cool that he comes back reading the comments after a year!

[@woody4779]

Masterful film and masterful video essay. Thanks for sharing!

[@nancysandoval1725]

I saw this movie a week ago and I still can’t stop thinking about it

[@NekoKasumi]

If light represent hope....then the lights Geun-sae hits with his head to light Mr. Kim's walk up the stairs...and how he bloodies himself trying to signal....

[@coolbeans5911]

This is the best video essay i've seen about Parasyte!! Absolutely wonderful! I really enjoyed the movie but i'll definitely need to watch it again; there's so many things i missed, and the movie is so packed with symbolism and foreshadowing. Peak cinema; it should be studied at schools

[@fenomozo9108]

What a great analysis. And coming from a third world country (Colombia) i can relate very easily with this movie and the themes presented in it.

[@nkenchington6575]

The last shot is of the son weeping into the camera, dude. No way he can earn enough to buy the house.

[@wafflemypancakesuponthesun875]

I love your work, please keep it up.

[@daniel_netzel]

You are too kind! Thank you :]

[@lanegeorgeton8266]

Very well put in the right places for the message

[@storyfirstfilms5983]

Well done! This is by far the best analysis of. Parasite, and from a film maker's perspective too

[@bigmoviefreak]

Fantastic analysis!

[@daniel_netzel]

Thank you!

[@raihannurf3249]

Thx for the essay, keep it up man👍👍👍

[@daniel_netzel]

Thanks for watching!

[@applezopper3323]

this analysis is sooo good. u truely outdid urself.

[@sbrevoltuion5]

This is practiaclly the best breakdown of the film I've seen!

[@shekharchowdhary]

I loved this movie and your description. Thanks ❤️

[@pudding7876]

Beautiful essay! Only wish it were longer

[@tiffanypersaud3518]

My fave too. Beautiful review! Interpretation... how easy it is to think that you cannot fall down the ladder. Even riches can be fleeting.

[@dinagalall]

This movie is just AMAZING! The more you know about filming the movie the more interesting it gets. 🔥🔥

[@Nickee_Sonicjinn]

I've watched Parasite twice and got so awestruck by your well constructed in-depth analysis. Thank you for your insight on the movie and I feel so proud of Director Bong as a fellow Korean.

[@lanegeorgeton8266]

Thx. Literally lived in that type of apartment in Seoul , blocks away from million dollar homes on the main mountain in the center of the city. Tried to spend most time on the roof top to escape the basement life. It’s a good film

[@Elassyahmed]

For those who love the movie, I highly recommend buying the director's storyboarding book. An amazing insight into how he prepared for the movie vs the final product

[@mehzurilo]

Yeaaaaah I missed your content. F-ing loved Parasite, easily relatable for any Brazilian. Loved the analysis, I hadn't realized the movement of the camera intensifying plot development scene-to-scene

[@daniel_netzel]

I think it just speaks to how much of a problem the class divide is literally all over the world. He made it to comment on Korea specifically but people in every country feel like they're looking in a mirror. Thanks for watching dude! And for the kind words :)))

[@mehzurilo]

@@daniel_netzel you're welcome! And yeah, I remember I saw some interview where he says something like "...We all live in the same country, Capitalism." so good

[@arthurfortes8398]

@@daniel_netzel I also live in Brazil, and this movie speaks to many people I know or saw. You should make an analysis of "Cidade de Deus" ou "Central do Brasil".

[@olliedoesart253]

This was quite well written and very interesting! I'm not sure the rest of your content is to my taste, but I'm gonna poke around a bit, if it's all this good I think I'm going to stick around :)

[@jvanetb4242]

This is so far the best illustration I have heard about Parasite

[@AlexanderThaG]

great analysis, thank you so much! I learned a lot more than from my first viewing of the film. Namaste

[@yusufalsanad]

Definitely atop my MUST WATCH films list! The visual language, symbolism, and themes/ideas explored already peaked my interest, but to learn that this was directed by the same individual who'd directed "Sarinui chueok" (Memories of Murder)... I'm MORE than convinced now, to see it!

[@mikec5400]

my mom has a bunch of health issues and went on disablitiy but it took years to happen and when she finally got approved we recieved nearly 60k in backpayments...man we fucked that up so bad...me and my sister were young teenagers at the time and we completely wasted that money...we lived like we were rich for a couple months and we got a real harsh reality check when we suddenyl went back to living month to month...this is a huge reason people on the low end of the economic scale will never reach financial freedom..or anything close...cause we have no idea and were never taught how to save or manage our money/finances

[@jjcho113]

OMG, I learned so many new things that I haven't realized before

[@mgparis]

Brilliant analysis, thanks! I had missed that the Park father says "in a week my clothes will start to smell", nice one :)

[@kcheung678]

One thing that really stuck with me was the scene at the beginning, when they were folding pizza boxes, and the father says to leave the window open in order to have a "free bug extermination". Essentially to me this represented the fact that they, too, are parasites, and are responsible for their own exterminations, as they dug their own holes once they let the old housekeeper in. OH and the fact that the father wanted the windows left open, it also lead to their house being flooded due to the rain

[@ThatOneGuy7550]

Great video!

[@daniel_netzel]

Thank you so much :>

[@oksanatovstopyat9213]

When Min gave the Kim family the stone and the mother said ‘food would be better’, it could symbolize the fact that the rich don’t actually help the poor by giving them hope or saying fancy words (stone). It would be better to provide help in the form of better salaries/opportunities/etc. (food).

[@boospastlifedestiny3023]

a really comprehensive explanation, especially in drawing parallels (:

[@derpycuck]

Park saying “in a week our house will be a trash can, my clothes will start to smell” foreshadowing that the higher class can afford their way out of certain situations. Something the lower class cannot do and is shown by the kid noticing they all smell the same, and the mother and father plugging their noses at Mr. kims smell. The lower class families house turns into a literal trashcan with sewage everywhere

[@jimmyha1898]

Great analysis. If I were to add, the fact that the rock gifted to the poor family floated in the water has a lot of meaning as well. It was a symbol of wealth and prosperity, given to them by the "bridge", but in the end, it was false hope because the rock was fake. Rocks don't usually float like styrofoam. Anyways, director Bong and the whole crew for this movie did a splendid job. Hopefully, Korean movies get a lot more recognition, as people check out other movies directed by Bong, or movies that star the actors/actresses in Parasite. People sure have been missing out on other great K movies. :) Remember, if you just get over the 1-inch wall of subtitles, a whole new world will appear (Phrasing Bong's speech).

[@asdsdjfasdjxajiosdqw8791]

I disagree with you on the ending. We get shown a dream he is having, yes, and we almost want to believe it. But then in the very last shot he looks straight at the camera and it breaks the 4th wall. We get taken out of the dream and forced to come back to reality, and we realise that social mobility is not possible.

[@QuietlySoulful359]

This was a very good analysis of the movie. I found that there were so many layers in the film, like the idea of family and relationships.

[@sidg4038]

Worth investing my time in this incredible analysis. Cheers with a glass of Water :)

[@columbus8myhw]

Watched this film with a bunch of classmates. We cracked up really loudly at "College students have a real vigor to them."

[@rafaeladefaria8803]

So did I.

[@dylanculver1701]

This is awesome. I just wish I could figure this type of stuff out on my own.

[@literallyaperson926]

I love this movie because it doesnt involves many actors. And a lot of scenes are meaningful. Perfect

[@TheGoodfella2012]

<a href="#" class="seekto" data-time="655">10:55</a> The scene where Da-hye is holding Kevin and Kevin is holding the rock is not in the theatrical versions i saw!

[@da96103]

Yeah, I know in my country two scenes were cut out in the cinema. 1: Mr and Mrs Kim being intimate on the couch was cut out. 2. The side profile frame of the scholar's stone thrown by bunker husband landing on Ki-Woo's head was cut out. And in this video, I don't remember seeing Mr Kim says sorry to Mr Park's picture in the bunker.

[@malinasworld]

Sad that moral policing will get even such a harmless scene cut. I didn't go see the film in a theatre but I'm sure my country's censor board butchered it.

[@Ninaloasana]

Mee tooo. I don't remember mr kim apologized and the sex scene was cut too

[@ungusjr9391]

@@da96103 he hits him two separate times with the rock

[@alexl2070]

What a great insight. I would add two sequences in this movie that symbolic too. First when the family was together in their semi basement house looking through their small window, they only saw a bad view like a man urinate or they got fogged meanwhile in the rich house, when they together again in front of the big glass window, they see a totally different view as its greener and more spacious than they used to have everyday. The other sequence was scheme to get rid the house keeper. The director use peach who known in the east world as the fruit from heaven. In the bible, adam and eve fell to sin after they ate the forbidden fruit. Here its the same, the peach as the forbidden fruit was used by the director to symbolize the beginning start of the poor family misfortune when their good luck turns into bad.

[@CristianCalhoun]

Ingenious video. Congratulations! (Y)

[@zenihita]

Great analysis! While I enjoyed watching the movie I wasn't super impressed and didn't really get what was so special about it. Now, I can see that there's a lot of subtleties I didn't pick up on.

[@swapnilvaghela8355]

I still have a question how did Jessica know that something happened to park's son when he was in first grade ???

[@valerio1292]

Didn't his brother tell her? The rich mother and him talked about it during the drawings on the wall scene

[@eldenemerald7962]

Jessica just kept bullshitting and she coincidentally happened to be right

[@Jcmasado]

I love the analogy here