A Look At Class In Film

By Emilia Vieira

Pop Culture & Entertainment

Class as a theme in film traditionally follows the morally bankrupt and uneducated lower class while depicting the higher classes as sophisticated and thriving in every part of life. The theme is nothing new, but some modern filmmakers do better than others at depicting it meaningfully. Two recent films that come to mind when considering the corrupt depiction of the working class are Parasite, a genius movie on class conflict and social inequality; and Saltburn, a satire on class stereotypes that does more harm than good.

Parasite follows the Kims and the Parks, two families with opposite socioeconomic statuses. The movie follows the Kims’ premeditated scheme to leech off of the wealth of the Park family, but it doesn’t take long for the viewer to realize the Kims are not the only parasites in the film. The old housekeeper, who fights to protect the Parks' wealth long after the Kims encroach, and the Parks, who exploit the lower classes for cheap labour, also fit that description. In Parasite, the Parks' ignorance and bias toward the lower classes render them blind to their environment. The film often uses setting to show class disparity; the Kims live in a basement apartment, whereas the Parks live in a sleek mansion surrounded by trees. The Parks are removed from the harsh realities of those in the lower classes. For them, climate change means a spell of rain, but the Kims find their entire apartment flooded and their few possessions destroyed. Parasite ends in disaster as the lengths the Kims are willing to go for family and survival reach a breaking point. Utilizing a similar premise, Saltburn follows Oliver, an Oxford student who becomes obsessed with Felix, a wealthy popular student. Felix ultimately invites him to his family’s estate, where a series of horrifying events transpose. From the second Oliver sets his eyes on Felix, he plots and executes a ploy for his wealth. He works his way into Felix’s group and commits appalling acts to stay in it. Oliver's low class is a hot commodity to his wealthy counterparts; Felix is shocked when Oliver is revealed to be upper middle class instead of below the poverty line as previously thought. Though Saltburn attempts to tackle themes of class disparity and conflict, it falls short as a satire on the higher classes because it idolizes the lifestyles of the ultra-rich. The movie comes off as an ad for the lavish lives of the 1%, with its romanticization of the wealthy interfering with the representation of the class issues it claims to address. It falls short of recognizing the class disparity present in the UK, dehumanizing the working class for seemingly no reason other than to assure the upper classes that those with less are intent on taking advantage of their success. Saltburn highlights the seductive nature of wealth through immersion but fails to show the bitter reality that would make this desperate depiction of the working class impactful.