Parasite and the Brokenness of Man

In Bong Joon Ho’s epic motion picture Parasite-that apparently won the best picture, screenplay, and best direction takes us in for a ride of a mundane but sinister truth and reality of the present time; a

division in society and the brokenness of man.

His film, with no doubt, is a masterclass of its own. Bong, considered not only as a nominee but an Academy Award winner alongside the greatest directors of our time, showcases his prowess as a director. Not to mention that the picture in itself progresses in cinematic techniques that transcend time.

The story takes place in a half-basement home of the Kims- a typical family that lives on a hand to mouth basis. After a series of lying and manipulation, the Kims end up reveling in the Park’s hillside home. Anyhow, in the middle of their merry-making unravels one of the best plot twists written- a parasite within the parasite.

In Pursuit

The harsh reality of poverty is not new to us. According to Abraham Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, the desire to be fed and sheltered comes at the very bottom of the pyramid; it was imperative to the poor family to get fed-whether by hook or by crook.

With this reality, our thinking is, more often than not, coerced as to whether ideals of morality play a part in our basic needs as humans.  What lured them into the unexpected is not the turn of events but desire unfulfilled. Desire is natural but desire unhinged is fatal- it might kill right away or slowly drive you into your own death.

A Man Without

In the movie, we see that the family is now faced with a convoluted turn—click to send is now the new ‘held at gunpoint’.

In the third chapter of Genesis, we see our forefathers face this dilemma: Adam and Eve hid out of shame, they’ve realized that they did something wrong. Some things never change though, we hold on to our sins so much that rather than dealing and kicking them out, we think it best to hide them, like the wife kicking off the old maid into the dark basement.

  

A Man Within

The climax in the film is met with an ‘excruciating’ rain opposite a comfortably well-slept family. We can see the great divide and parallels between the two--pain and comfort. While the other praises the wisp of the trickling rain in their glass-clad home; the other family faces a turbulent flood in their half-basement. The poor family is driven into frustration while the other is driven into merriment and celebration.

The Eldest

Ki-woo, a bright young man who was bestowed with the  Suseok or scholar rock that served as a symbol of hope. However, instead of getting his family out of poverty, he is now faced with an unsettling dilemma in making things right. He goes back to the basement to make amends with the outcast guy only to find more than what he bargained for—he was stoned (with his Suseok) near to death.

His good intentions that plunged into a downward spiral is not new to man. No matter how ‘good’ his intentions were; "There is a way that seems right to a man, but in the end, it leads to death." Proverbs 14:12 This verse exactly describes the elder brother’s intentions! Until the end, Ki-woo wanted to depict his own beautiful ending; “just be like them to take back what was lost.” In his mind that was an act of perfect revenge.

The crux of the matter

The ending takes you on for a play of hopes and emotions- the ending within and the ending without. The feeling of being inexplicably satisfied but hollow. However, the ending is not hollow at all, this suggests that we live in a world where the debacle of sin hides in comfort; and the temptation to have more in order to be truly happy abounds so much in people’s hearts.

Man is confronted with a central truth that whether poor or rich we are flawed, we allow ourselves to be overcome by fear. This film is horrifying in the sense that it is happening- unsettling in the way it unfolds our frailty.

  

But a solution has been done before, it has been finished at the Cross two thousand years ago- a promise of living hope. That by acknowledging our brokenness and by accepting Christ we are renewed. As promised; "The thief comes only to kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly." John 10:10.This abundance is not only bent on material things but more importantly, for our souls. More than anything else, we long for something that is not felt by our stomachs but by our spirits- a longing for redemption, a longing for peace. And since we have this promise, the problem, therefore, lies with us. Take it or leave it or still-become parasites of our own.


By S.F Diaz