The film of the year:
Parasite
CARSON DELLINGER
Reporter
기생충, better known as Parasite in the US, was a worldwide success. It swept the Academy Awards, winning 4 out of its 6 nominations, including Best Picture, directing, foreign film, and original screenplay, and won the Palme d'Or award at the Cannes Film Festival. Parasite’s deeply personal story seamlessly covers issues of poverty, family, and loss, all while combining elements of horror and humor in order to portray this message. The film begins with an impoverished man named Kim Ki-woo, who gets a job tutoring the Park family's daughter, who are much wealthier than the Kims. The plot, in short, follows the Kim family as they form a very strange relationship with the wealthy Park family. As the movie progresses, it morphs into almost every genre you can think of, flawlessly transitioning from comedy to thriller to crime, horror, and romance without missing a beat. While maintaining realism, the plot feels like a dream turned nightmare. Renowned director Bong Joon-Ho combines graceful music, amazing acting, and
ARTS & LIT
beautiful shot cinematography to convey the story in a classic “show-don’t-tell” style. The divide between upper and lower class, specifically in South Korea, is shown in all of it’s morally-ambiguous glory. Joon-Ho uses many different methods to display this disconnect between the rich and the poor, and the message is clearly stated in the final moments of the film hitting you like a punch to the gut; the poor are stuck where they are, unable to rise above their situation no matter how hard they try. This story seemingly has no good guy. Everyone is just there, being human. It’s relatable, believable, funny, and heartbreaking. It’s everything you could ask for in a movie, no matter what kind of story you like. This movie has already risen to the ranks of “The Godfather'' and “Citizen Kane” in some people's eyes, and for good reason. Any film that leaves you mulling over it days after you view it deserves recognition for that, and Parasite is most definitely one of those movies. This is Bong Joon-Ho’s masterclass in filmmaking, and he knocked it out of the park.
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