Film has explored the lavish lifestyles of the impossibly wealthy in many ways, and the South Korean classic The Housemaid from 1960 took aim at the sense of invincibility that comes with a vast fortune that empowers a person to throw money at any problem that arises. The film was lauded for its analysis of wealth’s impact on the conscience, and when Im Sang-Soo chose to remake it in 2010, he had large shoes to fill. His remake is an expertly filmed and acted piece, though at times disconnected, that dives into the aristocratic Goh household and reveals a disturbing cycle of familial politics that will leave audiences with a lasting impression.
The Housemaid opens with a young girl jumping to her death from the balcony of a building amidst the carefree Seoul nightlife. Why did she jump? What could be so bad to make her contemplate suicide? We never find out exactly, but the story that follows gives us a pretty good idea.
The household of Hoon Goh (Jung-Jae Lee) and his wife Hae-ra (Seo Woo), pregnant with twins, recently experienced the loss of their trusted housemaid, and Mrs. Cho (Yeo-Jong Yun), their longtime trusted live-in maid, brings in Eun-yi (Do-yeon Jeon) to look after the young daughter Nami (Seo-Hyeon Ahn). Coming from a humble life of cosmetics, Eun-yi is overwhelmed by the lavish lifestyle of Hoon and his family, but eventually settles in and wins over Nami. However, it’s not long before Eun-yi finds herself the object of Hoon’s lust, and after a series of late night sessions involving wine and sex, she discovers she’s pregnant with the lovechild of the master of the house. To complicate matters, Hae-ra and her mother (Park Ji-young) become privy to the knowledge of Eun-yi’s pregnancy and begin a campaign to have her abort the child, all of which plays havoc on the young housemaid’s mind.
Im Sang-soo has created a stellar update of the original film and has woven in a nice allegory on lost innocence from three perspectives. When Eun-yi enters the house she has little ambition beyond executing her duties as the new caretaker of a child and the loyal assistant to the wife incapacitated in many ways by the girth a twin pregnancy has left her with. As she enters into a relationship with the husband, who uses an almost Pavlovian pairing of inebriation and fornication to create an ongoing ritual, she loses touch with the sense of morality that at first informed her that she was starting down a dangerous path. Unfortunately, the large checks the husband her wrote for her “services” silences the voice of reason in her head.
The second thread of innocence comes from the wife, Hae-ra who comes to terms with her servant’s indiscretion under the guidance of her conniving mother. Though Hae-ra’s initial instinct is to blame her husband for cheating, her mother seduces her with reminders that women in Hoon’s family become quite powerful influencers in exchange for the years of infidelity they endure at their rich husband’s hands. It’s very clear that Hae-ra knows who’s to blame at first, but when the prize of matriarchal dominance clouds her view, the disturbing politicking against Eun-yi begins.
Finally, the young Nami proves to be the only member of the family with a clear conscience from start to finish. Director Im Sang-soo plays on the concept of childhood innocence and lets Nami carry it over, giving her the faculty to recognize that what her parents are doing is wrong and offering what sympathy she can to Eun-yi. Unfortunately, compassion without power can do little in the face of well-funded greed and spite. The final shot of the film leaves many questions as to where Nami’s final frame of mind rests, though it all suggests that the crime against her nanny isn’t lost on her and she understands just how twisted those around her have become by the money they worship. Of course The Housemaid begs question of just how long that innocence can last in a household such as this.
DVD Bonus Features
A brief making of featurette makes for an interesting watch, but it’s the only extra on the disc besides a trailer.
"The Housemaid" is on sale June 7, 2011 and is not rated. Drama. Directed by Im Sang Soo. Written by Im Sang-soo. Starring Do Yeon Jeon, Yeo Jong Yun, Seo Woo, Jung Jae Lee, Park Ji Young.
