The Housemaid was first produced in 1960, directed by Ki-Young Kim. This film made me realize once again that Korea has evolved from a very desperate time.
I actually watched the 2010 version before the original, which made me think that 1960 version was going to be depressing and dark as well. However, the original turned out to be a thriller rather than a drama, and it made me understand the Im Sangsoo's version and point-of-view a lot better.
Both films are about greed and what it can do to a family, and a person. One major difference is the drastic difference in greed that is portrayed in these two time periods.
This is the gist of the story: A wealthy family lives in a huge house and the house is too big for the mother to take care of by herself. The mother is also pregnant, which makes it harder. Thus, a housemaid comes to the rescue, taking care of the house and the children. However, the husband becomes unfaithful and commits adultery with the housemaid. So here are the differences between the two films.
1960: This is the time when girls worked in factories and men were expected to bring the money to provide for the family. The husband in this film works at a women's factory as a music teacher. He has a piano in his house (which was very expensive at the time), and two children with one on the way.
The wife is a taylor who works all day in front of a sewing machine. Interestingly enough, she is the one who earned all the money to build the big house and the husband is not making as much as her.
Throughout the film, the couple clues that they lived in a small house before moving into a big house, and that it was their chance to live the "happy life".
So, being happy in this time period was being wealthy with enough money to send their children to college, and having the biggest house in the neighborhood.
The housemaid is portrayed as the unpromising girl who smokes, kills rats with her bare hands, and plays the cacophonous tunes on the piao without permission.
Then one day, she seduces the husband by taking off her clothes while the wife and the children are away. After they consummate, she finds out that she is pregnant, and takes advantage of her pregnancy. However, the wife who finds out, convinces her to give up the baby so that there aren't any rumors about her or the family. So the maid falls down the stairs, causing the baby to die.
This is the start of the suspicion, conspiracy, and thriller. The housemaid turns out to be the bitch who jeopardizes the family, kills the son, and eventually makes the father commit suicide next to her.
2010: This is the 21st century where Korea is doing well on its own. The family that appears in this film is one of the wealthiest families in Korea and the house is of course, huge. The biggest difference between this film and the film in 1960 comes from how the greed is portrayed. This family that has everything - the money, the house, the children, the maids, the family name - has a different greed: pleasure.
If the 60's film portrayed an idiot, it was the husband. He was stuck in the middle between his legitimate wife and his illegitimate maid.
in this film, the idiot is the maid. She is pure, and naive, who loves children and does ask questions when the husband comes to her bed and expects a night with her. She doesn't pull away. Rather, she waits for the husband in her bed naked.
When the wife finds out, she plots all kinds of evil, such as abortion, and murder. But the maid accepts these horrible things that happen to her, and even expects these things to happen. She doesn't show any sign of anger, until the end of the film.
Then at the end, she hangs herself on the chandelier, and set herself on fire in front of the family, in the hopes of traumatizing the 10 year old daughter.
I actually watched the 2010 version before the original, which made me think that 1960 version was going to be depressing and dark as well. However, the original turned out to be a thriller rather than a drama, and it made me understand the Im Sangsoo's version and point-of-view a lot better.
Both films are about greed and what it can do to a family, and a person. One major difference is the drastic difference in greed that is portrayed in these two time periods.
This is the gist of the story: A wealthy family lives in a huge house and the house is too big for the mother to take care of by herself. The mother is also pregnant, which makes it harder. Thus, a housemaid comes to the rescue, taking care of the house and the children. However, the husband becomes unfaithful and commits adultery with the housemaid. So here are the differences between the two films.
1960: This is the time when girls worked in factories and men were expected to bring the money to provide for the family. The husband in this film works at a women's factory as a music teacher. He has a piano in his house (which was very expensive at the time), and two children with one on the way.
The wife is a taylor who works all day in front of a sewing machine. Interestingly enough, she is the one who earned all the money to build the big house and the husband is not making as much as her.
Throughout the film, the couple clues that they lived in a small house before moving into a big house, and that it was their chance to live the "happy life".
So, being happy in this time period was being wealthy with enough money to send their children to college, and having the biggest house in the neighborhood.
The housemaid is portrayed as the unpromising girl who smokes, kills rats with her bare hands, and plays the cacophonous tunes on the piao without permission.
Then one day, she seduces the husband by taking off her clothes while the wife and the children are away. After they consummate, she finds out that she is pregnant, and takes advantage of her pregnancy. However, the wife who finds out, convinces her to give up the baby so that there aren't any rumors about her or the family. So the maid falls down the stairs, causing the baby to die.
This is the start of the suspicion, conspiracy, and thriller. The housemaid turns out to be the bitch who jeopardizes the family, kills the son, and eventually makes the father commit suicide next to her.
2010: This is the 21st century where Korea is doing well on its own. The family that appears in this film is one of the wealthiest families in Korea and the house is of course, huge. The biggest difference between this film and the film in 1960 comes from how the greed is portrayed. This family that has everything - the money, the house, the children, the maids, the family name - has a different greed: pleasure.
If the 60's film portrayed an idiot, it was the husband. He was stuck in the middle between his legitimate wife and his illegitimate maid.
in this film, the idiot is the maid. She is pure, and naive, who loves children and does ask questions when the husband comes to her bed and expects a night with her. She doesn't pull away. Rather, she waits for the husband in her bed naked.
When the wife finds out, she plots all kinds of evil, such as abortion, and murder. But the maid accepts these horrible things that happen to her, and even expects these things to happen. She doesn't show any sign of anger, until the end of the film.
Then at the end, she hangs herself on the chandelier, and set herself on fire in front of the family, in the hopes of traumatizing the 10 year old daughter.
Most viewers of the 2010 production of The Housemaid believe that the film is dark and eery. I did too when i first watched the film.
But after watching the 1960's production, I understood the shift of what people lust after. 1960 was when most Koreans lacked in money, which made them to lusted after being "happy" with the abundance in money, and a large house for people to look at.
2010 was when most thought about the pleasures one can have. This was also the time when most girls had plastic surgeries to look their best, which was very nicely portrayed by the appearance of SeoWoo, who plays the wife.
Overall, both films are tragic in its own terms. The family that is blinded by money, and the family that is blinded by monetary power.
But after watching the 1960's production, I understood the shift of what people lust after. 1960 was when most Koreans lacked in money, which made them to lusted after being "happy" with the abundance in money, and a large house for people to look at.
2010 was when most thought about the pleasures one can have. This was also the time when most girls had plastic surgeries to look their best, which was very nicely portrayed by the appearance of SeoWoo, who plays the wife.
Overall, both films are tragic in its own terms. The family that is blinded by money, and the family that is blinded by monetary power.