Abstract
The South Korean black comedy thriller, Parasite, was arguably the most
talked-about movie of 2019. The first South Korean film to win the Palme d'Or and the
first non-English film to win the Academy Award for Best Picture among many other
awards, it is praised almost unanimously as one of the greatest films of the 21st
century. Besides its engaging plot and flawless cinematography, the film was especially
influential with its stark portrayal of the rigid social hierarchy prevalent in modern life.
Having studied sociology at Yonsei University in Seoul and experienced poverty at the
beginning of his own film career, director Bong Joon-ho recounts a comedic, but
extremely bleak story based on the actual reality of our day. He introduces two
families, the poor Kims, and the wealthy Parks, to draw the grim contrast within
distinct social classes. The families are presented in their living spaces and architectural
arrangements, which are a direct reflection of their psychologies. The architecture in
the movie acts not only as a literary tool or plot device but virtually as a main character
of the film, directly influencing the lives of the film’s protagonists.