Good afternoon to everyone interested in modern cinema. After watching the film “Parasite” by South Korean director Bong Joon-ho, I was impressed by the many possible interpretations and variety of symbols. It’s even surprising that a plot that is simple at first glance can capture the imagination so much, and you want to return to the plot again and again. Attention, I warn you right away, there will be spoilers. Therefore, if you have not yet watched this masterpiece, I highly recommend it. However, you may first want to get some "keys" to understand the film. Then you can read this article before watching. First, let me give a brief summary of the film: The poor but talented Kim family lives on the brink of poverty. With the help of a family friend, they get a chance to improve their financial condition - their son’s friend gets him a job as a tutor in the rich Pak family. But in order to get a job, you have to resort to deception - forging educational documents. Very soon there is a chance to place the main character’s sister in the same family by deceiving the hostess. Soon the Kim family comes up with an idea on how to employ the whole family. The first part of the film can be called a comedy, sometimes even a farce, but after the middle the plot makes a sharp 180-degree turn towards a psychological thriller and drama, while remaining surprisingly harmonious. So, there are more than one article worth of thoughts about this film, so there is an idea to break them into 2 parts. In part 1 I will indicate only the main “keys” - symbols that obviously catch the eye, but, like any symbol, have several interpretations. It is unlikely that I will be able to list them all at once, so if you notice a symbol that I missed, or another meaning, please write in the comments - it will be very interesting to know your opinion. Let's go. Stone of scientists. The central metaphor in the film. The most, in my opinion, symbolic object in this plot. The stone is given to the main character by his friend at the same time as an offer to take his place. Here he is both a container of individual meanings for family members, and a bearer of a certain mysticism, sometimes overcoming the laws of physics. But in a general sense, the stone is a symbol of wealth, desire, hope for a better life. I also like the interpretation of the stone as a symbol of the ambitions of a young man and his social obligations. The stone is like one of the main characters in the plot, and it definitely has its own role. You can observe how the meanings change in it over the course of history. It is also perhaps worth mentioning that the stone resembles a miniature rock, the likes of which are used for bonsai-style compositions. Its rough surface seems to bear the imprint of destructive power. I know that such stones are highly valued in Asian culture, there are even special appraisers of such stones, but, alas, I did not find more detailed information on this topic in Russian. If you suddenly know something about this, write, I’m very curious. In general, in the interpretation of this symbol, your imagination will definitely find something personal and intimate. Stairs. The Kims' apartment is below ground level, almost a dugout. The luxurious Pak house stands on a hill, illuminated by the sun and fresh winds. And between these houses there are endless stairs. Even when it seems to us that there is nowhere left to go up or down, the stairs take another turn. In mythology, the ladder is the connection between people and gods, between hell and heaven. Also, the ladder is a symbol of hierarchy, this is also indicated by the angle of shooting the objects - Kims are almost always shown from top to bottom, Paki - from bottom to top. Vertical lines. A symbol of the border in general. There are also boundaries between different social strata, boundaries as an image of internal conflict and contradictions. The cinematography in the film is excellent - sometimes it seems that the border is about to be broken, but more often we see that this border cannot be crossed. There is also a lot of dialogue in the film about boundaries (for example, both in the scenes with the paintings of the Parks’ son), and about the boundaries between rich and poor, which the Kims fantasize about breaking, and the Parks are concerned about how/271818/