It is probably the most famous non-American film of the last 15-20 years, or so attested to by some of the main film portals, such as Letterboxd or IMDB and also Spanish websites such as FilmAffinity. It swept wherever it went, from its world premiere at the Cannes Festival to the rest of the following competitions, a triumphant path that culminated in the 2020 Oscar Awards, where it was recognized as the best film of 2019. Five years have passed and there are still many people who have not been able to overcome it, because it is certainly a title that marked a before and after for many. That’s right, we are talking about Parasites.
The South Korean film directed by Bong Joon-ho, celebrates its 5th anniversary. Considered by the vast majority as a masterpiece of contemporary cinema, it has left an indelible mark and has been the subject of numerous analyzes and discussions. So many that we have compiled some curiosities, anecdotes and other useful information to make viewing or reviewing it more interesting. To begin with, it is a film that mixes all kinds of genders, from black comedy to drama, thriller or social criticism. But also a film that addresses topics such as economic and social inequality in a profound but accessible way, with recurring symbols of the class struggle such as stairs and other elements that, as we will see, had a great impact.
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Bong Joon-ho wrote Parasites along with Han Jin-won. The original idea arose while Bong was working on the production of his film Okja. Curiously, the director had worked as a private tutor in his youth, something that partly inspired the plot of Parasites. To prepare the film, the production team used technology from augmented reality to build the Parks’ house digitally before shooting the scenes. This allowed the directing team to plan each shot precisely and effectively, ensuring that camera movements and visual effects were executed to perfection.
He cast mainincludes Song Kang-ho, Lee Sun-kyun, Cho Yeo-jeong, Choi Woo-shik and Park So-dam. Each of these actors has been acclaimed for their performance. Song Kang-ho, a frequent collaborator of Bong Joon-ho, plays the role of the Kim family patriarch with a complexity and humanity that has been widely praised. Not only that, but the house itself in which he was set acted almost like another character. However, the house does not exist in reality. It was created entirely by the production team to meet the specific requirements of the plot, including the semi-basement and interconnected areas that facilitate the visual narrative.
Originally, Bong Joon-ho and Han Jin-won had written a surprisingly short script for such a long film, at just over 130 pages. This is due to the economy of dialogue and reliance on visual language, allowing tension and character development to develop more subtly and meaningfully. Within it there were already iconic scenes such as that of the peaches, particularly symbolic and memorable. In the story, peaches are used as a lethal weapon due to the allergy of the original housekeeper, played by Lee Jung-eun. This particular plotline came from a real conversation Bong had with a friend about unusual food allergies.
As we have already mentioned, Parasites made history at the 2020 Academy Awards by becoming the first non-English speaking film to win the Oscar for Best Picture. In addition, he won other Oscar awards for Best Director, Best Original Screenplay or Best International Film, among others. But not everything is measured by awards, and the best proof that Parasites has triumphed is to see how after five years it is still a remembered and well-valued film. The influx of global interest in South Korean cinema after the success of Parasites It was good proof of this. The film not only brought more eyes to Bong Joon-ho’s other works, but has also incited greater interest in the South Korean entertainment industry in general, including K-pop music and Korean television series. For all this, Parasites It has earned a well-deserved place in the heart of any movie buff and five years later it remains an unrepeatable film.
