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):

Film School: Storyboards and ‘Parasite’

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:

“You know what kind of plan never fails? No plan. No plan at all. You know why? Because life cannot be planned.”

Behind the scenes of Parasite (2019)
🎬 Dir. Bong Joon-ho
📼 via https://t.co/On5915Zuyj pic.twitter.com/tIi1KbPklR

— FilmFreeway (@FilmFreeway) May 29, 2021

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:

Review: Parasite (2019)

A broader look at themes, storytelling techniques, and other recurring elements throughout the director’s filmography:

Film School: Bong Joon Ho