Jayu buin (1956)

User Rating:

6.8/10   

Director:

Hyeong-mo Han

Writers:

Bi-seok Jeong (original newspaper serial and novel)
Seong-min Kim (adaptation)

Release Date:

1956 (South Korea)

Genre:

Drama

Cast

Na-yeong Ahn	...	Oh Myeong-ok
Seol-hui Baek	...	Singer
Su-man Bang	...	Gyeong-su
Nam-hyeon Choi	...	Merchant
Seon-tae Ju	...	Baek Gwang-jin
Dong-won Kim	...	Han Tae-seok
Jeong-rim Kim	...	Oh Sun-yeong
Sun-ae Koh	...	Myeong-ok's mother
Hyang-mi Ko	...	Lee Ul-san
Min Lee	...	Shin Chun-ho
Bok-hui Na	...	Dancer
Kyeong-hie No	...	Choi Yun-ju
Am Park	...	Jang Tae-yun
Mi-hie Yang	...	Park Eun-mi

Also Known As:

Madame Freedom (International: English title)

Runtime:

South Korea:125 min

Country:

South Korea

Language:

Korean | English

Color:

Black and White

Company:

Han Hyeong-mo Production

Movie Connections:

Followed by Jayu buin 2 (1957)

Melodrama of lust and love

It's all happening here. A bored couple have various extramarital flirtations in a torrid atmosphere of dodgy financial dealings and lust-filled entanglements. Meanwhile the family as a family is rather left to look after itself. The acting, given that it is melodrama, is fairly good and the settings are entirely convincing. You might not like the Korean (or indeed any) version of America in the fifties but it is believable and indeed fascinating. The plot bounces along from one flirtation or crisis to another, while the female characters alternately support each other or eye each other competitively. There are resonances from a culture undergoing change and real issues and dilemmas, like all good melodramas, for the characters. What is the role of women? Is life about appearances or something more? What is the balance between thinking of the future and enjoying yourself while you can? Who is exploiting who in business, employment and relationships? Perhaps we're all using each other?