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Parasite (2019): A Layered Masterpiece of Class, Cinematography, and Human Emotion
- Emrullah Yildiz
- Nov 29, 2025
- 6 min read
Parasite was released in 2019 and directed by Bong Joon-ho. The idea for the story came from a period in Bong’s own life when he worked as a tutor for a rich family. Observing the differences between his world and theirs inspired him to explore class, inequality, and the invisible lines that separate people in society.
The cast delivers strong and natural performances. Song Kang-ho plays Ki-taek, the father of the Kim family. His calm and quiet acting gives the film emotional depth. Cho Yeo-jeong appears as Mrs. Park, Lee Sun-kyun plays Mr. Park, and the younger actors Choi Woo-shik and Park So-dam bring freshness to the story. Together, they create a believable and layered portrayal of two families connected through work, opportunity, and hidden intentions.
Parasite received major recognition around the world. It became the first non-English language film to win the Academy Award for Best Picture. It also won Oscars for Best Director, Best Original Screenplay and Best International Feature Film. Before that, it won the Palme d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival through a unanimous vote.
Layered Depth and Meaning
Bong Joon-ho and cinematographer Hong Kyung-pyo design every shot with intention. The film never feels flat. There is always depth created by walls, furniture, windows, or background action. These layers support the themes of inequality and separation.
The opening shot is a clear example. The camera looks out of a window at ground level, then slowly lowers into the semi-basement. This movement introduces the Kim family’s living conditions. Without dialogue, the viewer understands that they live below the surface, both physically and socially.
The rich Parks’ house shows the opposite world. The production designer created it with a wide front-facing window shaped like a cinema screen. It fills the home with natural light and creates a sense of space and freedom. The Kim home has a small horizontal window that barely brings in sunlight, showing a life with limited privacy and limited possibility.
These two windows act like two frames of life. Both families look out from their windows, but what they see is completely different.
The Role of Camera Movement
The camera movements support the story rather than distract from it. During the scene where the Kim family enjoys the Park home, the camera moves smoothly across the room as the characters talk. This gentle horizontal movement helps the viewer follow the conversation naturally and quietly shows how ideas exchanged between people.
Another scene that camera supports the story appears at the end of the film, when Ki-woo writes his letter in Morse code, the camera pulls up into an overhead view. It resembles a plan drawing or blueprint. When he makes plans about his next steps, we started to see it like a blueprint. This is a strong relationship between the viewer's perspective and the story.
During the movie, we also see Kim's family almost always together, while the scenes with the rich family do not show all family members together. This storytelling method increases our sympathy towards the Kim's family while making us disgusted from the lifestyle of the rich family that does not reflect strong ties between family members. After bringing all these details together, maybe that is why we do not feel so much guilt about what the father Kim did.
Lines, Shapes and Patterns in the Film
Parasite uses lines, shapes and patterns throughout the film. You will notice some shots are diagonal in the Park's house and the intend is to use the corner line of the house as the division between social statuses.
Vertical lines and tight framing often show the Kim family as trapped in their environment. Wide horizontal lines and clean open spaces show the Park family in comfort. Straight lines guide the viewer’s eyes and highlight separation. Staircases, corridors and doorways become symbols of class movement or class limitation.
The line on the official Parasite poster is directly connected to this idea. The line covers the characters’ eyes and shows that each person sees the world through their own social position. It also represents the invisible line between the rich and the poor. The poster uses this clean, sharp line to communicate the main idea of the film: two families living in the same world but separated by a social boundary they cannot cross.
Social Commentary Through Space
The film uses physical space to discuss wealth disparity. The poor live underground. The rich live above ground. The division happens exactly at ground level. When the Kim family rises through the house, their social status rises with them. When they fall back down the long staircases during the flood, the camera pulls far away to show how small and powerless they are in the larger world.
Symbolic Elements
The rock that Ki-woo receives acts as a symbol of hope and burden. It first appears as a lucky charm. It is believed that it will bring prosperity and wealth to the family, then the rock becomes heavy, dangerous and uncontrollable. It reflects the weight of ambition and the pressure to escape poverty. We start seeing Ki-woo(the son) hugging the rock like a safe spot in his life, hugging it like if it is with him he will be safe and strong as a rock, like his dad. At the end, he leaves it on a river where it belongs. This gives the idea that he is now independent and he does not need a lucky charm anymore, he dedicates himself to be strong and rich and take care of his family. Now, he carries responsibilities of a father and starts a new journey. He plans to do that but we know how hard the life is to become someone strong and rich. Then, I remember what Ki-taek(the father) says: "The best plan is no plan, because life never works out the way you want."
If you are interested, the film also has a black and white version. Bong created it to highlight contrast, composition, and lighting. Without color, the viewer pays closer attention to the geometry and structure of the scenes. I definitely suggest you have a look at the movie.
Actor Performances and Emotional Control
The actors use restraint throughout the film. Even in moments of severe tension, they rarely cry or scream. This controlled emotional style helps the viewer feel the pressure building inside the characters.
One of the best examples is the daughter smoking on the toilet during the flood. She accepts the disaster with quiet resignation. The moment says more about their life than any dramatic outburst.
The only strong emotional release happens when Ki-taek hides in the basement after the final tragedy. He closes the door and starts to cry, and this moment becomes powerful because everything before it was held inside. Bong’s long collaboration with Song Kang-ho helps create a performance that feels natural and truthful.
Key Quotes
One memorable line comes from Ki-taek:
“The best plan is no plan, because life never works out the way you want.”
Isn't this the best change management strategy. :) I really enjoyed this quote because it suddenly shows where you should spend your energy. Not to the past, not to the future but to now, to the moment you live in. This helps a lot to put away your worries and take actions according to what you have now.
Another important line comes from the conversation about Mrs. Park:
Mr. Kim: “She is nice.”
Mrs. Kim: “She is nice because she is rich.”
It shows how privilege changes people’s behavior and how kindness can be easier for those who do not struggle. They are also kind because they do not need to listen you and care about your opinions so much. The strong does not sit on the table with the weak. The weaker one should prove himself first that he is worth to sit together with the rich. They are nice because they do not care about you and throwing fake smiles every where.
Conclusion
Parasite succeeds because it combines storytelling, visual design, acting and symbolism with precision. The film uses windows, lines, shapes and space to communicate its ideas without needing long explanations. Every shot has meaning. Every room contains a metaphor. Every camera movement guides the viewer toward the larger message about class, opportunity and the limits of social mobility.
Whether in color or black and white, Parasite remains a clear example of how filmmaking can turn architecture, space and perspective into a powerful emotional experience.
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