Director
Ki-young Kim
Leading Actors/Actresses
Kim Jin-kyu and Ju Jeung-ryu
Supporting Actors/Actresses
Ju Jeung-ryu and Um Aing-ran
Genre
Horror
Language
Korean
Awards
The film wasn't nominated for any awards.
Date of Release
November 3rd, 1960
Producer
Kim Ki-young
Setting and Context
The film is set in Korea during a financially prosperous era for the Kim family
Narrator and Point of View
The film is told from the perspective of the Kim family -- particularly its patriarch, Dong-sik Kim. The film has a third person narrator uninvolved in the story.
Tone and Mood
The film is tense, dark, violent, claustrophobic, and melodramatic.
Protagonist and Antagonist
Dong-sik Kim is the film's protagonist and the maid is the antagonist.
Major Conflict
Much of the film's conflict revolves around the Kim family's attempt to battle their maid, who tries to kill them.
Climax
When Mr. Kim decides to commit suicide so the maid won't harm his wife or children.
Foreshadowing
Mr. Kim's ultimate suicide is foreshadowed by Mrs. Kim's conversation with the maid, where Mrs. Kim convinces her to throw herself down the stairs.
Understatement
Mr. Kim's helplessness is understated throughout the film. Viewers see him as a passionate man who is dedicated to his craft, but his inability to say no (something viewers wouldn't expect given his success) is shown to be his greatest pitfall.
Innovations in Filming or Lighting or Camera Techniques
Not applicable.
Allusions
There are allusions to religion, Korean popular culture, tropes (like the femme fatale), and history.
Paradox
The maid is happy to engage in an affair with Mr. Kim and is happy to have his child, yet kills herself.
Parallelism
Not applicable.
