Surveillance and class hierarchy portrayed through spatial dynamics in Bong Joon Ho's Parasite (2019)

Abstract

This thesis studies how Bong Joon Ho’s Oscar winning film Parasite (2019) approaches themes of class dynamics, hierarchy and class-based surveillance. This research analyzes how these concepts manifest spatially in the movie. It studies class dynamics from a Marxist lens, and takes a Foucauldian approach to examine class-based surveillance portrayed in the film, by focusing on its dialogues, character interactions, direction and camera placements. Studying the works of Hagen Koo, the study also takes the South Korean social dynamic regarding class into consideration. This analysis aims to contribute to the film and media studies by providing an in-depth reading of class representation in a South Korean context captured in contemporary cinema.