Fighting Against the Status Quo in South Korean Cinema

As South Korea's film industry continues booming, issues pertaining to the class system remain as prevalent a theme as ever.

still from Parasite (2019), directed by Bong Joon-ho - courtesy of NEON

Author’s note: This was an essay that I had written for my final assignment at Sheridan College as part of their film criticism course. I came out with a high grade, and even though it’s not a 100%-scoring paper, I have decided to post it here for archival purposes.

Foreword: South Korean cinema has always been a general interest of mine since I started getting into the world of East Asian cinema. Yet looking through such a rich history, I also found that it had also provided a better understanding for myself to understand why such issues had resonated so greatly with audiences living in South Korea. But to analyze the visual styles that these filmmakers took upon themselves in order to make it clear that these issues are only going to remain so urgent, it gave a better sense about how these issues are communicated and why they still resonate greatly – as class disparity remains a hotly debated topic across the glob…