For my presentation on the Marxist vs the Hegemonic film theories, I chose to represent the Marxist theory with the film “Parasite” by director Bong Joon-ho. The film’s premise was about a impoverish family who scam their way into being heavily involved with one of the wealthiest families in Korea.
I chose to analyze the scene in which the son leaves his home in the slums of Seoul makes his way to the upper class part of town. This scene implemented the Marxist theory into obvious details such as its dialogue and setting as well as subtle ones such as how the main character was placed on the frame. The main piece of knowledge that I learned from this scene was how important framing was in pushing the narrative and portraying the Marxist theory. In the beginning of the scene, when the main character was leaving his home, he looked large as he was framed by his home’s narrow hallways. This made him appear bigger and more important which was also conveyed in the way his parents praised him as he left. In that part, he was seen as an important asset to the family. However, as he left the slums and entered the wealthy neighborhood, he was placed in an extreme long shot where he was at the bottom of the frame. This showed his insignificance as he was considered “at the bottom of the food chain” in that part of town.
Jennifer Huynh Film 