Parasite, the South Korean masterpiece by Bong Joon-ho which won the Palme d’Or in 2019, is not just a breathless social thriller: it is a work rich in visual details that skillfully set up its famous twist. From the very first scenes, the director establishes subtle hints that, upon a second viewing, reveal the depth of the screenplay and the complexity of class relations. This article uncovers 5 cleverly embedded visual clues by Bong Joon-ho, offering you a new way to appreciate this must-see film.

After this reading, you will master the keys to spot these details that may have escaped you before, enriching your cinematic experience and understanding of the work.

In short:

• Play of heights: the verticality in the house symbolizes social fracture.
• Hidden objects: a recurring symbol questioning the truth behind appearances.
• The windows: they reveal the separation and gazes between classes.
• Torrential rain: a trigger element illuminates the violence hidden beneath the surface.
• Light and darkness: a subtle play guiding emotion and suspense.

The central role of verticality

From the very first images, Bong Joon-ho plays with verticality to illustrate social hierarchy. The Kim family lives in a dark, cramped, and horizontal basement, in contrast to the vast villa of the Park family perched on a height, bathed in light. This spatial contrast is a key visual clue that the director uses to emphasize the social distance between the protagonists.

• The camera slowly descends into the basement to evoke a feeling of suffocation and confinement.
• The stairs leading up to the Park house symbolize the obstacles to their world.
• With each change of space, natural light plays a role highlighting the otherness of the universes.

This staging recalls the social stratification presented in the narratives of Honoré de Balzac, where physical distance evokes human distances.

Symbolic objects and hide-and-seek

Bong Joon-ho also slips in objects that take on a symbolic dimension throughout the film. The stone rock, given to the Kim family at the beginning, evokes both a burden and a lever, foreshadowing the precarious balance and the fractures to come.

• The yellow post-it on the basement door hints at a hidden life.
• The forged books and falsified documents foreshadow the lies that take hold.
• The stacked pizza boxes underscore material precariousness, but also the art of hiding the truth beneath layers.

Each object becomes a silent witness to the invisible tensions ready to explode.

The perception through windows: between opening and barrier

The windows are frames through which the viewer observes, and Bong Joon-ho uses them to illustrate the separation of worlds.

• The window facing the street in the basement symbolizes the isolation of the Kims and their limited view.
• The large bay windows of the Park house are a luxurious showcase but also a gilded cage, fragile in the face of intrusions.
• Looking beyond these frames also allows one to grasp the characters’ despair at their social condition.

The rain, a trigger for metamorphosis

When the torrential rain falls, the director transforms the natural element into a powerful symbol. The flooding of the Kims’ basement reveals their fragile conditions, while the refuge offered by the Park house shows the double face of wealth.

• This scene marks a turning point in the narrative, intensifying the dramatic tension.
• The rain accentuates the contrast between light and darkness, comfort and precariousness.
• It acts as a catalyst sparking the rise of the thriller.

Subtle play between light and shadows

The work on light in Parasite is very studied. From natural lighting to shadow plays, the direction creates an atmosphere where threat slips into the smallest cracks.

• The Park house is often bathed in a golden light that seems warm but hides a coldness.
• The dark basement where the secret lies is enveloped in unsettling shadows.
• The passages between these light and dark spaces rhythm the emotion and guide the viewer.

It is this visual mastery that makes Parasite such a captivating and rich film.

To dive even deeper into the universe of Bong Joon-ho and understand the richness of his work, you can consult articles from Le Monde, AlloCiné, Télérama, or SensCritique. The documentary available on Canal+ also offers an exciting glimpse into the making of the film.