How does the architecture in the movie Parasite help portray the social class differences?

Abstract

Social class difference is the central plot in the film “Parasite”. The movie shows the difference in lifestyles of the upper-class and lower-class. One way it does so is through the architecture portrayed in it, which is precisely what this research paper focuses upon. The subthemes of architecture chosen for this paper include spatial elevation, interior orientation, and perspective of the outside world from the upper-class and lower-class streams. Different points are characterized into these three groups and are explored as a whole in the film. This research paper also tries to identify why a certain setting has been used, why has the layout been made a certain way, and why has a certain object been placed in a particular spot. All the answers to these questions mainly point in the direction of creating an empathetic response from the audience. This refers to the audience feeling sorry for the low-income Kim household and hence actively depicting their plight. As the film is set in South Korea, it can be derived that it not only highlights the general wage gap but rather specifically the one in Korea as it is filled with poverty and unequally distributed income. Moreover, architecture itself might have been one chosen medium to bring the social difference to notice as it is very subtle in nature. It makes the audience sympathize without them even realizing when or why.