Parasite, Joker, Us and Other Films That Echoed Class Wars and Economic Disparity Prevalent in Our Cultures With Their Powerful Stories 

If you have watched this year's Oscars nominees, you are probably torn between choosing your favourite films and performances considering all of them seemed way too deserving. Bong Joon Ho's Parasite is one film that unanimously received positive responses from critics and even created history by winning the Palme d'Or honour at Cannes Film Festival. The South Korean film is also running high on Oscar hopes and could definitely seal its place in Academy history if it bags the best picture given that it will become the first foreign-language film to bag this honour in its 90-year history.  In terms of nominations, Joaquin Phoenix's Joker is dominating in major categories and in terms of genres, not on the surface but deep down, both these Oscar nominees are glaring examples of films that speak highly about the economic divide in our cultures. Oscars 2020: Uncut Gems, The Farewell - 6 Films That Deserved to Be Nominated But Were Completely Ignored at 92nd Academy Awards. 

The difference between the haves and the have-nots has been on the increase more than ever with the global financial slowdown. Cinema often reflects reality and even as the audiences come to cinemas hoping to get break from their daily struggles, it is beautiful how filmmakers like Bong Joon Ho manage to bring forth stories such as that of Parasite that not only entertains with its situational comedy but also hits the right notes when it comes to making a comment on classism. There's a scene in the film where Choong-sook (Jang Hye-jin) says the owner of the house where she is a housekeeper at is nice because she's rich and that it's different from 'rich people being nice.' The film leaves you with many haunting images too like that of the one where their cramped abode is flooded with rain and sewage water.

As for Joker, keeping aside the fact the film is based on a comic book villain, it is high on social commentary. The stairs (which have now become a famous tourist spot in New York) where Phoenix's Arthur finds himself walking up and down is the subtlest take on what economic divide looks like. The city (Gotham) may be facing a sanitation strike but the real ‘garbage’ of Gotham happens to be the poor, neglected souls that Joker eventually becomes the voice of as he overthrows those in power with guns and violence.

Check Out the Trailer of Joker:

A similar uprising that hopes to show the suppressed taking over using their power is depicted in Us.  In a very different genre, though the film gets the treatment of a horror film, Jordan Peele's work speaks volumes about what it is to live in a world of doppelgangers who merely represent a life while their brethren live underground miming the actions of those above. While Peele's Get Out spoke about racism, the plot of Us screams representation and class divide as its core themes. For starters, the lookalikes themselves are differentiated on the basis of their appearance while one is elite, the other isn't. The resentful version with their impoverished upbringing sure stir you up and remind you of the dualities of our existence. We are not sure though if it's the genre or mere lack of attention towards diversity and representation that kept this film away from the Oscars race. Us Movie Review: Lupita Nyong’o’s Stupendous Performance Backs Jordan Peele’s Crazy Vision in This Horror Thriller.

The working-class power seemed to be one of the key themes this year given that another film which showed what economic disparity can lead to is Jennifer Lopez's Hustlers. While an economic crash can be difficult for everyone, Hustlers was all about robbing from the rich. It retells the real story of Samantha Barbash who along with her stripper friends turned the tables on their wall street clients during the 2008 economic collapse. In an interview with Vanity Fair, her partner in crime Roselyn Keo revealed, she was more like a CFO on their operation. She said, “What’s an extra $20,000 to them?” Keo revealed stating that their targets had a history of visiting strip clubs. It is this very attitude that the film echoed. This film is yet another disappointing snub from Oscars this year.

Check Out the Trailer of Hustlers Here:

A look back at the past two years of Oscar nominees sure reveals that the Academy has had a liking for films commenting on the class divide. Unlike Us' hidden world, two different worlds reside in one home in Alfonso Cuaron's Roma. The film took Oscars 2019 by storm and bagged some of the biggest honours including best director, best cinematography and best foreign-language film honours. Roma revolved around the life of Cuaron's own childhood and his middle-class housekeeper. In this emotional portrait, Cuaron mainly lets the visuals speak for itself like in one of the scenes, where the parents and children are watching TV while Cleo (the housekeeper played effortlessly by Yalitza Aparicio) is seated next to them on the floor or even how the opening sequence itself shows Cleo, scrubbing the driveway and cleaning up the dog mess. Roma Nominated for Oscars 2019 Best Picture Category: All About The Film and Its Chances of Winning at 91st Academy Awards.

Willem Dafoe starrer The Florida Project is another great example of films that showed what living on the edge is. Bagging Dafoe the best-supporting actor nom at the Academy in 2018, the film showed the life of those who live in the shadow of the magical place, Disney World which was originally named 'The Florida Project'. The film shows the great disparity between those visiting the theme park and those staying in a motel not far who are trying to make ends meet. The film brought forth the true ironies of Orlando and American poverty with a straightforward approach through the story of a rebellious single mother and her child. The bare truth of this economic disparity comes forward in a beautiful scene where Moonee and her mother enjoy a breakfast buffet spread at one of the hotels, pretending to be guests and also when Halley (the mother) hawks perfume to tourists in hotel parking lots.

While Cuaron's Roma received a lot of love at the Academy Awards, it will be interesting to see if Bong Joon Ho's Parasite gets the same. Unfortunately, Us and Hustlers weren't recognised by the Academy and have failed to secure nominations despite their successes and we are not sure if it's the Academy's bias towards female filmmakers or people of colour that has kept them out of the race but we sure know that these films deserve your love. One thing that binds all these films in the same category irrespective of their genres is that they evoke empathy while showing us a mirror to the society we live in.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Feb 08, 2020 11:38 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).