During the month of December, film fans all over the world have been inundated with list upon list from critics and writers claiming Bong Joon-ho’s “Parasite” is one of the best films of the year. It seems that every year a film is just so universally beloved (last year, you could argue that it was “Roma”) that it just becomes a mainstay in the overall Best of 2019 discussion. But imagine a world where “Parasite” didn’t exist on the big screen. Instead, if you wanted to see Bong’s story come to life, you’d have to watch it as a theatrical production.
According to an interview with Deadline, Bong explained that his original idea for “Parasite” was to do it as a stage play for the theater. However, over the course of development, it became clear that the story was destined to arrive on the big screen.
“It is true that I first conceived of this idea for the theater,” Bong said. “But from the very beginning, it didn’t work out that way. From the first line, I was already thinking of the camera position. I just realized that I had to do this as a film, as always.”
Even with the incredible precision of the storytelling and the camerawork that makes “Parasite” such a joy to watch on the big screen, it’s clear that the fairly small-scale story would definitely work as an eventual play. I mean, if a high school can make “Alien” into a stage play, then why not “Parasite?”
When asked about the symbols and metaphors at work in the acclaimed film, Bong suggested that he actually points out how ridiculous the idea of symbols and metaphors are in films, especially when analyzed by critics. He pointed to a scene in the film where one of the characters holds a rock in his hand and comments literally about how metaphorical it is. The director said that worked as a way for him to take the analysis out of the hands of the critics and put it out there in the open.
“I never really defined the genre that I wanted the story to be in or what metaphors or symbols I should place within the story,” he said. “I just wanted to depict very interesting and entertaining situations. I move through impulses… I tend to not like symbols, [and] I wanted this film to feel more physical.”
“Parasite” is still in theaters now.