Parasite, two short reviews

Hi Charles,

I finally caught Parasite at the Paignton Vue last night. Surely this will be the only time a South Korean film will ever be shown in a cinema chain more in thrall to Star Wars, Marvel super heroes and audiences that are more captivated by what they intake orally than visually.

The film was top drawer. I'm always a sucker for a film that includes a class commentary but was more impressed with the effortless way the film traversed a number of genres. It  begins as a con artist film as the family skilfully insert themselves into the Park household and then incorporates comedy, thriller, drama, and finally, tragedy elements as the plot builds momentum. And what a plot it is. Throwing the audience completely off kilter once the Kim family have their feet under the table, the narrative switching up gears, continuously defying expectation and laying out it's critique of class and status. A lighness of touch in execution which gradually adds layers of dramatic weight and subtext.

In short, what a fantastic piece of cinema. At the risk of sounding old (I do turn 40 in August!) it is rare for me to watch a film nowadays and get "that feeling". By this I mean that overwhelming sense that on leaving the cinema and strolling home that you have seen something unique. Even better was that I watched this with an audience who were as immersed as myself in what was unfolding in front of them. Some may have purchased their tickets off the back of the best picture Oscar buzz but subtitles, or no subtitles, quality story telling will always shine through. 

Hope you enjoyed the film as much as I did. Catch you in The Bay soon.

Regards

Justin

Dear Justin,

     It was great to meet with you again last Friday. Thank you for your acute observations on Parasite. I found that I agreed with you on the ideas you put forward. Below is an extract from my journal which gives my thoughts on the film but they are far from being as comprehensive, cogent, well developed and as insightful as yours.

        "This evening we are off to Dartington to watch the Oscar winning Parasite. 

      "It was a superb film: a tragic farce, though not so farcical as to divorce itself from true emotional experience . Its content and atmosphere showed not so much how culturally different South Korea is from the UK but that the vast gulf between the rich and the poor is certainly universal. The film developed other interesting themes. One such is that all human beings are parasitic and live off other people and significantly the rich live off the labour of the poor. 

      "In a very dramatic flood scene we were reminded that the poor of this world also always seem to end up in the shit. 

     "All the principal actors were excellent in their parts. We are there with the human beings they bring to life. 

    "Given the current American political governance it was a brave but, in my view, right choice by the academy. I’m pleased it won the Oscar.  

     "I rate it in the top 25 films I’ve seen which is saying something for I’ve been watching films since I first went to the pictures at the Rialto in Lochee in 1950. I must make that list of my top 25 films. At first thought the films I’d include in a catalogue of films I have my self seen are, High Noon; One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest; Point Blank; Lust,Caution; Brokeback Mountain; Ju Dou; Bonnie and Clyde; Morgan, a Suitable Case for Treatment, African Queen and more. I guess I couldn’t do a list of 25. It’ll need to be a list of 100, but it may be that lists are no measure, just another list living off the perceived wisdom of a previous one."

I hope we meet up soon,

Best wishes,

Charles

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ps I offer my thanks to Justin Frost for his insightful and concise  review of the film Parasite.

Parasite, a South Korean feature film shot in 2019 which was adjudged the best film in the 2020 Oscars. It was directed by directed by Bong Joon-ho.