The meaning of the movie Parasite (2019): explanation of the plot & ending. The real discovery of 2019 was the tragicomedy of the South Korean director Bong Joon-Ho, who won two of the most prestigious awards in the world of cinema at once (Oscar statuette and Cannes Palm Branch). The meaning of the film Parasite is that every person in society, regardless of class, seeks to survive at the expense of others.
Description of the story
The plot of the film Parasite is centered around the impoverished Korean family Kim. They live in the basement, forced to wage a real struggle for a place in the sun. The lack of a stable income is not caused by banal laziness or stupidity, but by unemployment. Despite the seriousness of the topic, the director manages to present the picture in a comical light. The film constantly balances on the edge, causing laughter, then a feeling of sadness. Particularly successful in this regard are the scenes:
- catching free wi-fi;
- toxic smoke poisoning of cockroaches;
- meeting with a drunk who relieves himself;
- falsification of documents on higher education;
- the intrigues of the younger Kims, due to which the entire poor family ends up in a rich mansion.
Interesting! According to the plot, the picture of the Korean director resembles the film Little Thieves. These films meaningfully promote a single idea: a parasite lives in every person. The task of people is to make them sit inside.
The antipode of the main characters is the wealthy Pak family. They do not deny themselves anything and live in a luxurious mansion. Despite the spring gloss, they do not cause sympathy. Repels cold inhumanity (to relatives, servants). By the will of fate, the paths of two families intersect. This happens at a time when a friend of the eldest son Kimov offers to replace him as an English tutor for the Packs.
Being a smart guy, Kim Jr. accepts the offer. He quickly manages to win the favor of the rich. A new tutor helps their heir to hire an art teacher – his sister. Soon the whole roguish but charming family ends up in the Pakov cottage. Despite their impartial actions, the audience involuntarily begins to sympathize with them.
Ending and hidden meaning
The way the movie Parasite ended causes a slight feeling of bewilderment in the first seconds.
From tragicomedy to thriller
The situation changes when in the second part of the picture it turns out that in the Pakov mansion, or rather in the bunker under it, the husband of the former housekeeper of the rich, Keun-se, has been hiding for many years. During isolation, he went wild. Upon learning of the death of his wife, Geun-se attacks the younger generation of Kims, kills his daughter and seriously injures his son.
Not all viewers understood the meaning of the ending of the film Parasites. Why does Kim Sr., firmly attached to the rich, kill his patron when he ordered the wounded to be taken to the hospital. Of course, it was not Pak’s proposal that enraged the main character, but the way he wrinkled his face from the basement smell emanating from Geun-se. After committing a crime, in order to avoid retribution, Kim hides in a bunker. His wife and son nearly went to jail for fraud. The beautiful life in the Pack house had to be forgotten. The director wanted to show with such an unusual turn that in the film there is no division into bad and good characters, in it “each one is a parasite in its own way.”
Taking off rose-colored glasses
When the passions subsided, Kim Sr. gave his son (Ki-woo) light signals from the bunker, making it clear where he was. He decides to rescue his father. But the only way to do that is to buy the Pack house. Then Ki-woo returns to school to get a job and get rich after graduation.
On a note! Director Bong Joon Ho considered several options for the ending. But in order not to annoy the viewer, the chosen ending of the Parasite film demonstrates the harsh reality in which the poor cannot achieve financial success.
The hidden meaning of the film Parasite lies in the sad fact – even in the financially prosperous country of South Korea, the social gap is so huge that it can only be overcome in dreams. This shows the end of the tape. First, the director teases the audience with a fabulous happy ending, and then the sad reality returns. In it, the Kims are still sitting in their basement, continuing to dream of a happy, carefree future.
