Madame freedom

According to the readings, “the development of the post colonial South Korean film industry has been closely intertwined with the emergence of the ‘women’s film’ and the maternities associated with multiple layers of colonialism” (Soyoung Kim, pg. 185). Madame freedom (Han Hyungmo, 1956), which includes story of scandalous representation of a professor’s wife and centers female sexuality, and “explores feminine sexuality and gendered modernity, provides a way of examining the nation’s postcolonial period in which technologies of gende,r sexuality, and cinema are inscribed by modernity” (Soyoung Kim, Pg 185), shows modernized female life compare to the film we saw last time (The aimless bullet, Yu Hyunmok, 1960). For example, Chulho’s wife appears with rubber shoes and apron during the film in ‘The aimless bullet’ while most of the female characters go to work and dress classy instead of Hanbok (traditional close in Korea) in the film ‘Madame Freedom’.

In the film, outside of the room portrays the ‘freedom’. At the end of the film, Seonyoung walks to home after her relationship with Han sajang caught by Mija (Han sajang’s wife). However, Seonyoung stops in front of the front gate and hesitate to go into the room. The front gate portrays the boundary line of freedom and reality. This portrays Seonyoung’s regret of her illicit love with Hansajang (desire of freedom). Seonyoung couldn’t go into the room (reality) stately and cries infront of the front gate because of her previous conviction outside of the room (freedom) as one’s mom and as one’s wife.

The pitiful part of the film was the fact that characters did not recognize their action towards to adulterous relationships (tragic end) until the end of the relationships (their desires to be gone). For example, Taeyeon’s recognition of his relationship with Eunmi after their relationship is over when Eunmi informs her marriage to Taeyeon, Seonyeong’s recognition of her relationship with Chunho after she heard Chunho’s relationship with Myungok, etc.