This is an absolutely great insight that almost no one else has observed. But I think the director is saying one more thing about the failed middle class - it is the dad's fault.
"They were so bad at folding those pizza boxes" - the pizza shop actually says a quarter of the boxes are unacceptable. Given the four family members, I assume we the viewers are to conclude that there is one person who failed (and is probably constantly failing, keeping the family down).
Note that the complaint from the pizza shop is being negotiated with the mom as the family leader. When they mention that 25% of the boxes are unacceptable, she grimaces and looks back at the dad. The daughter also looks up at the dad. The dad stares off into the distance.
The original stowaways in the "rich house" also represent a failed male figure who requires his wife to provide. In fact, the last thing the failed male yells as he dies is 'respect!.'
The upper middle class family meanwhile has the traditional male bread winner. Towards the end, when the upper middle class dad's is overcome from the stench of the failed stowaway male, it triggers the 'failed' dad to snap (given his own awareness of his 'smell' to the upper middle class dad).
What this all means (particularly from a South Korean perspective) I do not know. A crisis of masculinity, critical of males? A critique of society who no longer has a role/need for the male?
This is an absolutely great insight that almost no one else has observed. But I think the director is saying one more thing about the failed middle class - it is the dad's fault.
"They were so bad at folding those pizza boxes" - the pizza shop actually says a quarter of the boxes are unacceptable. Given the four family members, I assume we the viewers are to conclude that there is one person who failed (and is probably constantly failing, keeping the family down).
Note that the complaint from the pizza shop is being negotiated with the mom as the family leader. When they mention that 25% of the boxes are unacceptable, she grimaces and looks back at the dad. The daughter also looks up at the dad. The dad stares off into the distance.
The original stowaways in the "rich house" also represent a failed male figure who requires his wife to provide. In fact, the last thing the failed male yells as he dies is 'respect!.'
The upper middle class family meanwhile has the traditional male bread winner. Towards the end, when the upper middle class dad's is overcome from the stench of the failed stowaway male, it triggers the 'failed' dad to snap (given his own awareness of his 'smell' to the upper middle class dad).
What this all means (particularly from a South Korean perspective) I do not know. A crisis of masculinity, critical of males? A critique of society who no longer has a role/need for the male?