기생충 Parasite (Black Comedy/Drama/Thriller; 2019 written by Bong Joon Ho and Han Jin-Won)
Logline: An enterprising son helps his poor family con their way into servant positions in a spacious architectural home, but when the former housekeeper uncovers their ruse, they go to dark places to protect their new lifestyle.
Breaking down the elements: Context/Setting: The contrast of a cramped semi-basement and a spacious architectural home. Main Character: Leader/Trailblazer the enterprising Ki-woo is the leader of his family, in the sense of story. Opposition: Antagonist/Force of culture former housekeeper. The Trigger: Former housekeeper comes back to rescue her husband, discovers the Kim family’s ruse. Goal: Conceal their fraud, maintain their lifestyle as servants for the wealthy Park family. Flaw/Description: Dishonest con artists. The son is enterprising, but he may be out-schemed. Stakes/Consequences: They will be arrested for fraud, or returned to their semi-basement. Tone & Style: Towards Formal/Tends towards Serious/A bit Dark, with a style that highlights the character’s cleverness. Length: 36 words.
Extra Commentary: The Kim family wants nothing more than to escape their dingy semi-basement, a shared goal. With the help of the clever son, their goal is achieved with little resistance. They trick and weasel their way as servants into the wealthy Park family’s stunning architectural home, high on a hill. Although the POV of the story shifts, focusing at times on different family members, it is primarily with the son, Ki-woo. He is clearly the leader, the principal POV character, among the ensemble. He frames the story: the triggering events center around his actions, and the closing narration belongs to him. The perspective also belongs with the Kim family as a whole. The stakes are minimal, that is, until they get too comfortable in their new “home.” When their ruse is uncovered by the former maid, the light tone of the film turns very dark.
The Kim family is forced into increasingly desperate attempts to conceal their fraud and maintain their position. Each of the ensemble will meet with thematically different ends as consequences for their attempt to rise out of their station. The sister assimilates into the highest class and so the fates would have her killed for it. In the violent climax, the father is forced into the lowest, quite literally the unseen class. Interestingly, the mother survives the ordeal physically unscathed. She tragically returns to the semi-basement, absent the warmth of her family. The story’s resolution is with Ki-woo as he plots his father’s rescue, but he has become an unreliable narrator.