7.) Mis en Scene Analysis - Parasite

Helloo! Welcome back or welcome to my blog! In this post, I will be practicing my ability to analyze Mis en scene and I'll be using scenes from another all time favorite movie of mine, 'Parasite'.

In this scene, we see Ki-woo and Ki-jung conversing in this cramped bathroom. During this moment, they are urgently trying to get cell phone service from around the house and finally getting it once they're in the bathroom. Both characters are squeezed into this small space, with the toilet and walls framing their positions. This tight space and framing highlights the characters lack of personal space and their lower economic status and visually reinforces the themes of poverty and entrapment. The bathroom itself includes damp, stained walls and a general sense of neglect, which contributes to the oppressive environment. Both of them are dressed in casual, everyday clothing. Is is practical and modest, highlighting their lower-class background and their struggle to make ends meet.

Later on in the movie, a flood happens in the Kim family's home and Ki-jung resorts to the bathroom to smoke. Her attire is casual and damp from the flood, highlighting her disheveled state. The scene is set in the semi-basement apartment's bathroom, a space that already symbolizes the family's low status. The flooding transforms the bathroom from unpleasant to unlivable, increasing the sense of crisis and chaos. The bathroom is small, cramped, and now filled with filthy water, creating an atmosphere of desperation. The elevated toilet, intended to prevent flooding, ironically becomes Ki-jung's only place of safety. The cigarette Ki-jung smokes serves as a touching prop because it symbolizes her attempt to find a moment of comfort and control in the middle of chaos. The lighting is dim and murky, reflecting the gloominess of the scene. It has a sickly, yellowish tint, showing the dirty water and the unhealthy environment.

In this ending scene, it uses warm and natural lighting that is consistent with wealthy Park family's party and it suggests comfort and celebration. However, this brightness contrasts the dark and violent event that unfolds. The Park family and guests wear light, pastel, or neutral colors which symbolizing their privilege, while the intruder comes out as bloody, disheveled, and dressed in all black. His appearance visually disrupts the pristine environment. Also, his movements are erratic unlike the organized surroundings. The birthday party itself symbolizes wealth and eventually becomes the place for an eruption of violence that highlights the resentment and instability hidden in the house. 

In this scene, we get a get a glimpse of reality for the Kim Family. The line is drawn between the two families. In contrast to 'Jessica's' environment, the rich Mrs. Park is freely looking through her luxurious closet for her birthday outfit whereas Jessica is sitting on the floor at the crowded flood shelter while poor people are fighting over dirty and ragged clothes in the background. At the flood shelter, the lighting is cold and dim, evoking a sterile atmosphere. This highlights the harshness of the environment and lack of comfort or warmth. The shelter is dominated by muted, neutral tones of gray, blue, and brown, which reflects on the bleakness of the situation. The cell phone itself is a tool that connects the two different worlds. Even though Jessica is physically in a degrading environment, her voice remains to a polite, professional tone. She sits on the gym ground, hunched over amidst a pile of other displaced families. Her proximity to the others and low position in the frame shows her vulnerability and discomfort.

In this scene, Mrs. Park sits comfortably in the back of car, describing the flood as a 'blessing,' while Mr. Kim silently drives. She is framed in the back seat, sitting back and putting her feet up, symbolizing her high social status and carefree attitude. In contrast, Mr. Kim is in the background unfocused, sitting in the driver's seat with a rigid posture and sad facial expression. The camera pans to Mr. Kim and places Mrs. Park in the background unfocused. The grimace on his face is so much more powerful than any word he could say to describe the impact of her blissful ignorance of the flood. Even Mrs. Park's attire reflects her life of comfort and security, as she is dressed in light, soft colors. Mr. Kim is dressed in neutral clothing that reflects his gloomy and muted expression. Mrs. Park's comment about the flood being a 'blessing' serves as a clear metaphor for privilege. For her, the rain that ruined the Kim family's house is reduced to a small inconvenience that washed away pollution.