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“Upstairs, downstairs” is a common expression referring to an unequal, class-bound society divided between the rich and the poor.  It was popularized by a BBC drama (Upstairs, Downstairs, 1971-1975) set in the early part of the 20th century about an upper-class family living “upstairs” in a London townhouse above their servants “downstairs.”

“Upstairs, downstairs” is a common expression referring to an unequal, class-bound society divided between the rich and the poor.  It was popularized by a BBC drama (Upstairs, Downstairs, 1971-1975) set in the early part of the 20th century about an upper-class family living “upstairs” in a London townhouse above their servants “downstairs.”

Curator's

Commentary

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“Upstairs, downstairs” is a common expression referring to an unequal, class-bound society divided between the rich and the poor.  It was popularized by a BBC drama (Upstairs, Downstairs, 1971-1975) set in the early part of the 20th century about an upper-class family living “upstairs” in a London townhouse above their servants “downstairs.”

Curator's Feature

by Derek Lam

“Upstairs, downstairs” is a common expression referring to an unequal, class-bound society divided between the rich and the poor.  It was popularized by a BBC drama (Upstairs, Downstairs, 1971-1975) set in the early part of the 20th century about an upper-class family living “upstairs” in a London townhouse above their servants “downstairs.”

parasite_2_edited.jpg

“Upstairs, downstairs” is a common expression referring to an unequal, class-bound society divided between the rich and the poor.  It was popularized by a BBC drama (Upstairs, Downstairs, 1971-1975) set in the early part of the 20th century about an upper-class family living “upstairs” in a London townhouse above their servants “downstairs.”

Curator's Feature

by Derek Lam

“Upstairs, downstairs” is a common expression referring to an unequal, class-bound society divided between the rich and the poor.  It was popularized by a BBC drama (Upstairs, Downstairs, 1971-1975) set in the early part of the 20th century about an upper-class family living “upstairs” in a London townhouse above their servants “downstairs.”

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Never mind climbing the social ladder: the incline is so steep today that it becomes a long slide downwards.  This shift in the zeitgeist can be seen when we compare the imagery of stairs in recent cinema to an iconic Hollywood film sequence from the mid-1970s, a moment shortly before the ushering in of neoliberalism when it was still possible to believe in the American Dream.

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In Japan, the genre of the home drama or the family melodrama was a staple of classical studio filmmaking in its golden age during the 1950s when directors like Ozu and Naruse addressed the erosion of traditional family bonds in postwar society. In the age of inequality, Kore-eda has returned to the genre through films like SHOPLIFTERS to explore the contemporary meaning of home and family in a society marked by extreme social divisions and the difficulty of traversing such boundaries. 

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In Japan, the genre of the home drama or the family melodrama was a staple of classical studio filmmaking in its golden age during the 1950s when directors like Ozu and Naruse addressed the erosion of traditional family bonds in postwar society. In the age of inequality, Kore-eda has returned to the genre through films like SHOPLIFTERS to explore the contemporary meaning of home and family in a society marked by extreme social divisions and the difficulty of traversing such boundaries. 

fm6.jpg
fm1.jpg
fk2.jpg
fw2.jpg

In Japan, the genre of the home drama or the family melodrama was a staple of classical studio filmmaking in its golden age during the 1950s when directors like Ozu and Naruse addressed the erosion of traditional family bonds in postwar society. In the age of inequality, Kore-eda has returned to the genre through films like SHOPLIFTERS to explore the contemporary meaning of home and family in a society marked by extreme social divisions and the difficulty of traversing such boundaries. 

fm6.jpg
fm1.jpg
fs3.jpg
fw1.jpg

Never mind climbing the social ladder: the incline is so steep today that it becomes a long slide downwards.  This shift in the zeitgeist can be seen when we compare the imagery of stairs in recent cinema to an iconic Hollywood film sequence from the mid-1970s, a moment shortly before the ushering in of neoliberalism when it was still possible to believe in the American Dream.

2019

1976

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The indomitable fighting spirit of Rocky in the celebrated training sequence (Rocky, 1976) where he triumphantly makes his way up the steps in front of the Philadelphia Museum of Art comes from a time and place when it still seemed credible for a “nobody” from a working-class, ethnic community to stand up to money and big business through hard work and determination without being defeated.

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Cut to today and the gentle incline and welcoming sunrise that greet Rocky give way to the dismal ambience and dauntingly steep stairs that Arthur Fleck (JOKER, 2019) climbs as part of his daily grind.  But there’s no way up.  Stairs recur as a motif that Fleck can only make his way down on: when he loses his job, discovers his mother’s mental illness, and during his dance embracing Joker’s persona.

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INT. STAIRCASE TO BASEMENT -- NIGHT

In ROMA, the maid Cleo likewise descends a long, steep, and dimly-lit flight of stairs from the well-appointed mansion of the masters at a hacienda to the servants’ quarters during New Year’s celebrations.  Violence and death resulting from class conflict are alluded to, building up to the moment Cleo spills her milk-like pulque beverage, a premonition of her child’s stillbirth.

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And then there’s PARASITE: within the hilltop mansion of the Parks, a hidden staircase leads to the underground bunker where the housekeeper’s husband hides from debtors; the Kims, meanwhile, call home a semi-basement flat in a low-lying area prone to flooding.  In the film’s central set piece, the Kims make their descent from heaven to hell during a heavy rainstorm....

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