Parasite

Parasite is South Korean film directed by Boong Joon-ho released in 2019, which gained
massive attention across the globe due to its mind-blowing plot and the manifestation of class
discrimination and struggles in the society. Indeed, it is a film that different societal class can relate to
as the story follows the symbiotic relationship between the prosperous Park family and the wealth-
deprived Kim clan.

Upon evaluating the story in a general perspective, the events that occurred are
unexpected yet expected. The definition of parasite is a person who receives advantage from others
without giving proper return, and benefiting the nutrients at the other’s expense. Based on the
definition, it is impressive that all of the characters fit the narrative. In a way that the Kim family
depends on the money of the Park family in order to have a decent life. While the Park family benefits
from the Kim family through their household aid such as cooking, driving and teaching. Upon looking
in a Marxist perspective, their situation clearly mirrors the class struggle wherein the lower class
serves the upper class for money. On the other hand, the movie exhibits the enigma and melancholia
of the Park family with the partisan system. Thus, promoting the picturesque of setting aside morality
to achieve financial success solely for the money. Overall, the whole story promotes the capitalist
ideology as an ethical road to financial success.

However, this movie is also an eye-opener to the reality of life. With the Kim family’s
dependence on the wealth of Park family, they resonated with how the working class fights the
partisan system through violent revolution. We are also living in a world wherein the competition is
overflowing in order to survive, which is depicted in the story. Overall, the movie impressively
depicted the different Marxist ideologies, and the parasitic relationship between the upper class
(capitalists) and the working class.