When we close our eyes to suffering beyond self and are so insulated in our own world, we may fail to see the needs of others. Our self-centeredness blinds us to a world of hurt that exceeds our own sight line. When we ignore the pain of our neighbor, we may open ourselves up to some potentially dangerous possibilities. If we’re not careful, the very things that we hold dear or meaningful, can become items of despair, destruction and chaos.
South Korean screenwriter and director Bong Joon-ho’s genre-twisting Parasite is a film that offers brilliant creativity and levels of cinema that are purely masterful. It has biting humor, Hitchcockian suspense, family drama, and it transitions into a painfully violent dark tragedy, that is all fueled by social commentary.
Told through the point of view of South Korean culture and language – this is a film that transcends those with a narrative that is universal in nature. Parasite challenges the mind; it challenges the heart; it challenges our ethics. Exploring perspectives of family, poverty, class-divisions, and choices, Parasite is a difficult film to watch as it asks many tough questions (in unique and unexpected ways).
Where do we put our faith? What are the things we hold precious? How far are we willing to go for a better life? When our life choices are carried out with dishonest intentions, the consequences of those decisions can ultimately consume, imprison and devour us.
If our lives are built upon lies, we will eventually discover what a fragile and unmanageable foundation that is. The truth will eventually shine a light, and when it does, the rubble we leave behind in the wake of our actions, will be filled with horrors we never saw coming that can impact everyone we encounter.
– Noel T. Manning II
- Directed by: Bong Joon Ho
- Produced by:
- Written by: Bong Joon Ho Jin Won Han
- Music by: Jaeil Jung
- Cinematography by: Kyung-pyo Hong
- Editing by: Jinmo Yang
- Release Date: 2019
- Running Time: 132
- Language: Korean, English
Arts & Faith Lists:
2019 Top 10 — #1