The Real Neighborhoods of Oscar-Winning Film 'Parasite'
South Korea's Oscar-winning movie "Parasite" tells the story of class (社会等级) struggle through the sights and smells of Seoul. It made history this week when it became the first non-English language movie to win the Oscar for best picture. People all over South Korean social media celebrated.
The film is a story of two South Korean families - the wealthy Parks and the poor Kims. It shows the deepening inequalities in South Korea. The story has been welcomed by people around the world.
Much of "Parasite" was filmed on movie sets. But the idea for the Parks' home and the Kims' sub-basement apartment came from real neighborhoods in Seoul. A sub-basement apartment is a usually small, dark apartment built partly underground.
POVERTY DOWNTOWN
Ahyeon-dong is one of the last of the poor areas near downtown Seoul. It is where the Kims are said to live in the film. The neighborhood, which is now mostly older people, with few young couples or children, made several appearances in the film.
Sitting on a hill near the main train station, Ahyeon-dong has steep, narrow streets. Many of them end in long staircases that people climb to reach their homes.
Local people said rents for sub-basement apartments in Ahyeon-dong have risen to around $340 each month. The rental costs there have more than doubled in the past 10 years.
SEOUL'S ‘BEVERLY HILLS'
Across town is the area of Seongbuk-dong. That is where the wealthy Parks' home is set in "Parasite." It is known as South Korea's version of Beverly Hills – an extremely wealthy community in Southern California The area is home to many business families and diplomats(外交官). Unlike in Ahyeon-dong, the streets in Seongbuk-dong are clear of waste. They are also very quiet, with most homes hidden behind high walls, fences and security cameras. Most of the houses in Seongbuk-dong have basements for home bars or small theaters and the rents there are usually $8,500 to $12,725 each month.
12. Which of the following statements about the movie “Parasite” is True?
A.Much of the movie was filmed in a real neighborhood in Seoul. |
B.It becomes one of the best foreign movies to win the Oscar. |
C.It has drawn people’s attention to social media in South Korea. |
D.Its story has been well received by audience all over the world. |
13. From the description the Poverty Downtown, we can learn that ______.
A.all the people there live in sub-basement apartments |
B.people living there like to climb stairs for exercise |
C.many young couples live there and suffer the hardship of life. |
D.the rental cost there is around $340 a month now. |
14. The differences mentioned in the passage between Poverty downtown and Seoul’s “Beverly Hills” cover the aspects like________.
a. working conditions
b. social status(地位)
c. the function of basements
d. eating habits
A.b and c | B.a and b | C.a and d | D.c and d |
15. The main social problem reflected in the film is ________.
A.the darkness of social reality | B.the sadness of the poor |
C.the inequality of social class | D.the sharp rise in house prices |