A collection of video essays on the craft of Bong Joon Ho’s film.
Parasite (2019) clearly inspired a bunch of filmmakers, film analysts and video essayists, and has spawned a mini film school all its own. Over this series of videos, Thomas Flight and others examine the film as a case study in film pre-production, production and post-production.
Script
Behind the Curtain presents soundbytes from writer/director Bong Joon-Ho himself, in How I Wrote Parasite — Writing Advice from Bong Joon-Ho:
Great films establish their own vocabulary and develop their own grammar with it. Objects imbued with meaning become symbols; symbols used repeatedly become motifs; and a combination of motifs comprise a theme. Lessons from the Screenplay posts that – as exemplified by ‘Parasite — The Power of Symbols‘ can “transcend language and culture”:
Just Write‘s Sage Hyden argues How Parasite (And Every Bong Joon-ho Film) Critiques Class:
Tyler Mowery uses demonstrates how Parasite uses its Midpoint:
And StudioBinder identifies the beats that comprise Parasite‘s screenplay:
Pre Production
Thomas Flight shows how Bong Joon Ho’s detailed storyboards were fundamental to the meticulous final film (and which we break down in further detail in their own entry):
Thomas also describes how director Bong Joon Ho had each family’s house built specifically for him to tell his story:
Production
Next, Thomas looks at the ways shot composition and camera movement are used to tell the story and evoke the themes of class division:
In-Depth Cine looks at cinematographer Hong Kyung-Pyo‘s use of framing, perspective and layering to “create a subtle, refined and objective visual approach” to support the telling of the story:
Post-Production
Of the aforementioned craft, Nerdwriter examines the work of editor Jinmo Yang in ‘Parasite‘s Perfect Montage‘:
Finally, Thomas sees in Parasite an opportunity to ask “what editing is, and who really does editing in a film“:
Further Viewing
Just for fun, Thomas also decided to see how Parasite would look in black and white:
Lessons from the Screenplay discusses Parasite‘s “remarkable similarities” to Sunset Blvd (1950):
Parasite inspired many more compelling video responses – here’s a roundup of takes on everything from the technical to the thematic:
A broader look at themes, storytelling techniques, and other recurring elements throughout the director’s filmography:
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