I don’t know why it makes sense for someone who literally and admittedly doesn’t know or like East Asian cinema to write an essay like this, because it’s likely the analysis isn’t...going to come out great
nytimes.com/2019/11/25/t-m…
nytimes.com/2019/11/25/t-m…
—Rage does not define Parasite
—It also does not define most “other popular East Asian movies”
—Han is not “rage”
—The uniquely Korean concept of han is not broadly applicable to “Asian movies”
—Parasite is not primarily a commentary on Confucianism
—It also does not define most “other popular East Asian movies”
—Han is not “rage”
—The uniquely Korean concept of han is not broadly applicable to “Asian movies”
—Parasite is not primarily a commentary on Confucianism
—The point of the suseok wasn’t to invoke Confucianism but to focus on the frivolousness of what is valued; a naturally weathered scholar rock is worth hundreds, but you can’t eat a rock, and scholar rock collecting is now associated with gross wealth not literati inspiration
Small details with huge implications that are misread here:
—Mr. Park doesn’t work for a multinational company, he’s a “self made” entrepreneur (sarcastic quotes intended)
—Ki-woo doesn’t “go by” Kevin, Mrs. Park arbitrarily names him that (erasing even his false identity)
—Mr. Park doesn’t work for a multinational company, he’s a “self made” entrepreneur (sarcastic quotes intended)
—Ki-woo doesn’t “go by” Kevin, Mrs. Park arbitrarily names him that (erasing even his false identity)
—Compressing all of East and Southeast Asian cinema into a canon of “florid personal vengeance” is...um
—also it’s telling that the article highlights “exotic” elements that “surprise and delight American audiences” (note: these movies were not made for American audiences)
—also it’s telling that the article highlights “exotic” elements that “surprise and delight American audiences” (note: these movies were not made for American audiences)
—The notion that East Asian popular films “rarely incorporate authority figures” like “the police” or “a judge” is mindbending
I could go on but while Thessaly La Force is generally an interesting and thoughtful Asian American writer, this article really should’ve been written by someone with a deeper background in East Asian cinema and its cultural contexts.
The most interesting comparisons for Parasite aren’t Lady Vengeance, Tale of Two Sisters or Ringu; they’re Hirokazu Kore-Eda’s Shoplifters and Nobody Knows, Jacob Cheung’s Cageman, Zhang Yimou’s Ju Dou, and hell, Lee Chang-Dong’s Burning.
