Here is the link to “Madame Freedom”:
1. What are some of the examples of “Western” and “American” culture that appear in the everyday lives of Koreans in this film? What roles does “Western” culture play in this film? (a spectacle, a target of criticism, a source for corrupting characters, etc.)
2. Both the original novel and the film Madame Freedom were massively successful in the 1950s. The author of the novel Chng Pi-sk intended his work to be read as a cautionary tale against materialism and corrupt morality. As we read from Chung’s article, urban scenery and fashion in this film were part of “fantasy” and spectacle created by the director Han Hyng-mo. Discuss how these two different forces work in this film: how does a film tell a cautionary tale when it also intends to fascinate the audience with the allure of material and urban culture?
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