Directed by Im Sang-soo
The opening scene of the film is shot at night time in a bustling Korean city, where a young woman jumps to her death from a balcony. We never find out who she was or why she jumped, but it sets the mood for this Korean film which shows the huge power divide between rich and poor. Hoon (Lee Jung-jae) and his wife Hae-ra (Seo Woo) are extremely wealthy – in the top 1% elite in the country. Eun-yi (Jeon Do-youn) is hired as their live-in housemaid, with her main task is to take care of the indulged wife who is expecting twins. She is warm and caring and makes an immediate connection with their daughter Nami (Ann Seo-hyeon). When the twins are born, Eun-yi is to care for all the children while under the supervision of the head maid Byung-sik (Young Yuh-jung).
The house is a huge empty space, devoid of emotion and the new housemaid, who is always happy and smiling, is a stark contrast to its privileged occupants. The master of the house easily takes what he wants and discards things just as easily. When he takes advantage of his social position to seduce the housemaid, he does not feel any guilt or need to justify his actions to his wife. When Eun-yi becomes pregnant and wants to keep the baby, the females of the house (the wife, her mother and the head maid) find subversive ways to prevent any treachery that would threaten their positions in the household. It is obvious that this family holds many secrets and maybe this time it will not it will not be able to crush their problems and escape without any repercussions.
The Housemaid is the last film of the Perth Festival and screens at UWA’s Somerville 11-17 April, commencing at 7.30pm.
Lezly Herbert
