How can we interpret class conflict and the role of the individual in the capitalist structure through Bong Joon-ho’s Parasite?

Bong Joon-ho’s film Parasite explores class conflict and structural inequality in modern capitalist society, and reveals the complex reality of each character through their symbolism. The film emphasizes social distancing through its setting and direction, allowing for deep insight and multiple interpretations.

 

Bong Joon-ho’s films have a huge metaphor: they are more than just entertainment, they are mirrors of social messages. In the case of Snowpiercer, the train reflects a person moving from the tail car to the head car, representing the rebellion of the lower class and the many sacrifices they made. In this process, the audience doesn’t just see the struggle on the train, but can read the power structure of modern society and the voices of the oppressed. In the case of the monster, the film uses the device of a monster to reveal the underbelly of Korean society. It can be interpreted that the incompetence of the government and the selfishness of people have caused the monster to appear.
Parasite, the movie we will be discussing today, deals with the implicit division of classes (lines) in capitalist society by showing the Ki-Taek family and the Dr. Jang family. In this film, director Bong Joon-ho analyzes the hierarchical structure of modern society through two families and sharply depicts the conflicts and inequalities hidden within it. The various devices and settings in the movie go beyond just telling a story and make the audience think deeply about this social structure.
It is clear that Parasite is a movie that is worth watching multiple times, as it allows the viewer to interpret the relationship between the Ki-Taek family and Dr. Chang family from a micro perspective and admire Bong Joon-ho’s directing, or to view their relationship as a capitalist society from a macro perspective.

 

 

Parasite is particularly impressive from the beginning, with the setting of the movie. The luxurious mansion of Dr. Kim, which is the main setting of the movie, and the semi-detached house where the family lives are a powerful contrast in themselves. The mansion is a modern, clean space that symbolizes a stable life, while the house is dark and damp, reflecting the reality of life at the bottom of society. This setting allows the audience to clearly feel the social distance between the two families and reinforces the message the movie is trying to convey.
Director Bong Joon-ho’s direction stands out in all of his films. In this movie, I think his direction is on point. If you watch the movie, he uses props (pillars in the house, windows in the office, etc.) to create a line on the screen, and the Ki-Taek family is not allowed to cross it. This naturally made me think about the division of classes. In a capitalist society, capital represents power. This power is passed down from generation to generation, just as in the past, in a class society, the children of a nobleman would become a nobleman and the children of a noblewoman would become a noblewoman.
Each character in Ki-tack’s family has a specific symbolism. Ki-taek is the patriarch of the family, tied to his unstable economic and social position, and his life is in a kind of stasis. Ki-woo and Ki-jeong represent youth and possibility, but their possibilities are limited by their limited social opportunities. In contrast, Dr. Zhang is a man with a stable economic status, and his life is stable and predictable. Insecurity is almost non-existent in his life, which shows that he belongs to the upper echelons of capitalist society.
For example, he earns more money from sitting still and earning interest on a savings account containing 300 million won than he earns from working 10 hours a day, every day for a month at a convenience store for 9700 won an hour. In other words, people in economic situations like Ki-Taek’s family are often unable to cross the invisible line drawn by those who are called rich, no matter how hard they try. This line is drawn by economic differences, but in the movie, it implies not only capital, but also morals and ethical values.
So, is it wrong to cross this line?” I wondered while watching this movie. In the scene where Dr. Kim is offended by what Ki-tack says, it is clear that if someone with a similar economic status to Dr. Kim said the same thing instead of Ki-tack, would the reaction be the same? The second thing the director emphasizes is smell. Since the film is an audiovisual material, the director emphasizes the device of smell throughout the film, despite the limitations of conveying the sense of smell through text and screen. In the movie, Dr. Park is sensitive to Ki-tack’s smell, but his wife doesn’t recognize it, but she hears his words and notices the smell. I think it represents a person who is easily prejudiced through smell and already recognizes the other person as a lower class than himself, and feels more sensitive than the smell he smells.

 

 

I was impressed by the natural vertical division created by the smells and lines above. While Snowpiercer stood out for its horizontal division of classes through the long rows of train cars, where the lower classes move forward to revolutionize or rebel against the higher classes, Parasite uses vertical division to prevent the lower classes from outpacing the higher classes. Finally, the movie reminded me that in a capitalist structure, everyone can be both a victim and a perpetrator; you are trapped within the lines of your economic status, and moving below or above those lines inevitably leads to situations where you are harming someone or someone is harming you.
The movie Parasite is more than just a depiction of class conflict, it shows the complex realities that individuals face in the modern world. The movie exposes the structural problems of capitalist society through the story of one family, leaving a deep impression on the audience. At the same time, the director’s careful direction and symbolic devices allow the viewer to make new interpretations and feelings throughout the movie, making it more than just a movie. In this sense, Parasite is not just a story, but a work that deserves to be revisited and explored many times over.