Parasite

A second time watch of Parasite lent me to a new viewing experience. The beginning half gained a new layer of suspense as I knew what events we were building up to. It increased the enjoyment of the first half of the movie. The second half became more reflective as I was aware of what was happening. It became more of a class statement the second time around. We saw two lower class families struggling to decide to what degree to put the others down to gain access to the “upper floor” of both life and the house. In this process we get intentional scenes of the families literally dragging each other down the stairs. The two mothers were my favorite characters. They are both figures who care for their family but the stark difference in their characters comes from their social positions. One mother can afford to be somewhat absent minded and gently caring as every simple worry is paid for, while the other mother is depicted as sharp and tense in her actions. These characters, along with many other visual elements created contrast in the class divisions. The ending letter became one of my favorite scenes at the end. It sets up this grand dream that he will buy the house back in a letter to his father that he cannot see. However, the whole movie was spent establishing the class division. While the whole movie says its not possible, the earnest nature of his letter raises the question to the audience, does the film argue that social mobility is possible?