THE HOUSEMAID
Korea, 2010, 107 minutes, Colour.
Jeon Do- Youn.
Directed by I.M. Sangsoo.
A remake of a 1960 Korean classic (the same year as Psycho), a suspense thriller in the Hitchcockian sense. As we look at the plot with Hitchcock in mind, we may be reminded of many aspects of Rebecca.
There is a mansion, a huge set rather than an actual house, with many lavish rooms for its arrogantly affluent family. The wife is pregnant with twins, the husband a successful businessman. There is a housekeeper who could be a cousin, dramatically speaking, of Mrs Danvers. Into the household comes an eager new servant and nanny, Euny. She likes the little daughter of the house, is charmed by the piano playing master – and is readily seduced by him.
Gossip, hatred, vindictiveness permeate the household – and even an attempted murder, then another attempt at miscarriage. From then on, mania pervades the film until a grim ending (with a corpse unnecessarily and incredibly bursting into flames). Up to this point the film had combined drama, suspense, critique of the selfishly affluent and their quest for power and prestige, but the incendiary moment spoils the ending, even though an ironic postscript tends to return the audience to moral fable realism.
1. The film based on a Korean classic of 1960? The 21st century style for the remake?
2. The Korean city, the streets, the clubs, traffic, apartments? Ordinary Korea?
3. The contrast with the mansion, the lavish set, the interiors, wealth? The musical score – especially with Hoon playing the piano?
4. The initial suicide, the motives of the girl, people passing by, curiosity? Euny and her friend?
5. The shared apartment, Mrs Cho and her visiting, inspecting, testing Euny?
6. The mansion, Euny and her background, the divorce, study, children, her liking Lami? Mrs Cho and the expectations of the job? Hera, her pregnancy, bathing, her talk? Hoon and his interview?
7. The work, cleaning, meals, serving Hoon, the piano? Her enjoying the job? Especially the care of Lami?
8. Hoon, the approach for sex, his motivation, the motivations for her response, innocence yet consenting? Her unexpected pregnancy?
9. Mrs Cho, the severity of her manner, her advice to Euny, eating the leftovers instead of them being thrown out? Her despising of her employers? Her gossip, Hera’s mother? Her later repenting, saying she was rotten? Her drinking? Her years as a servant, character in herself, her regrets, quitting?
10. The mother and the information, controlling her daughter, haughtiness, conniving for the accident to kill Euny? Lami seeing the truth?
11. Euny in hospital, the tests, her pregnancy, her return to the family? The mother and her wanting to settle everything with money? Hoon and his giving Euny the money for the sexual favours? Their dislike of her, wanting the abortion? Hera going to buy the herbs, Euny drinking them, in the bath, the miscarriage?
12. Hera and giving birth, the twins, happiness? Hoon and his joy? Return home, seeing Euny in the bath, the discovery of the truth, her pregnancy? His attacking his mother-in-law?
13. Mrs Cho and her support for Euny, warning her against revenge?
14. Euny, mentally unbalanced, handling the twins, wanting revenge, hanging herself, bursting into flame?
15. The family left with their wealth, brittle happiness, the gifts – and unhappiness?
