Bong Joon-ho's 'Parasite' Is Hitting Theaters in Black & White
The monochromatic version is a life-long dream fulfilled for the filmmaker.
As Bong Joon-ho‘s Parasite awaits the decisions of its six Oscar nominations, a black and white version of the celebrated film will be hitting select theaters in the United States. American film production and distribution company NEON is linking up with Film at Lincoln Center in New York and the American Cinematheque in Los Angeles to host the monochromatic visual, premiering at the Walter Reade Theater in New York on January 30 and in Los Angeles’ Egyptian Theater on January 31. The film will then screen at the Francesca Beale Theater in New York from January 31 to February 6.
The black and white presentation of his major motion picture is a life-long dream fulfilled for Bong, with monochromatic films like F.W Murnau’s silent horror Nosferatu and Kim Ki-young’s 1960 Korean classic The Housemaid cited as some of his major influences. “I’m extremely happy to present Parasite in black and white and have it play on the big screen,” he said. “It will be fascinating to see how the viewing experience changes when an identical film is presented in black and white. I watched the black and white version twice now, and at times the film felt more like a fable and gave me the strange sense that I was watching a story from old times.”
Bong added, “The second time I watched it, the film felt more realistic and sharp as if I was being cut by a blade. It also further highlighted the actors’ performances and seemed to revolve more around the characters. I had many fleeting impressions of this new version, but I do not wish to define them before it is presented. I hope everyone in the audience can compare their own experiences from the color version and find their own path to Parasite in black and white.”
Parasite’s monochromatic format was actually created prior to its premiere at Cannes, where it unanimously won the prestigious Palme d’Or award. This awards season has seen the film make history with wins from the Golden Globes and the SAG Awards, with the forthcoming Oscars next on its list.
Elsewhere in entertainment, an anime film of The Witcher is coming to Netflix.
