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S E A R C H D V D B e a v e r |
(aka 'Hanyo' or 'The Housemaid')
Directed by
Ki-young Kim
South Korea 1960
NOTE: On Blu-ray in Criterion's World Cinema Project - Volume 1 reviewed in full HERE.
Widely considered one of the best Korean films of all time, the 1960 black and white classic The Housemaid is finally available on DVD! Known for his psychodramas and sexual horror films, Kim Ki Young made The Housemaid in the early years of a career that would see him continuously pushing the boundaries of cinema. This domestic noir about sexual obsession and a family's dreadful unraveling shocks and thrills even half a century later. The Housemaid stars Lee Eun Shim as the eponymous femme fatale, and Kim Jin Kyu and Ju Jeung Ryu - two of the greatest stars from the Golden Age of Korean Cinema - as the married couple who self-destruct under her will. Acclaimed actor Ahn Sung Ki, only eight years old at the time, also appears in the film. Great efforts were taken by the Korean Film Archive and World Cinema Foundation to digitally restore and remaster The Housemaid, unveiling this great masterpiece to film fans worldwide.
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Poster
Theatrical Release: November 3rd, 1960
Reviews More Reviews DVD Reviews
DVD Review: Korean Federation of Film Archives - Region 0 - NTSC
DVD Box Cover |
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CLICK to order from: Thinking of buying from YesAsia? CLICK HERE and use THIS UPDATED BEAVER PAGE to source their very best... |
Distribution | Korean Federation of Film Archives - Region 0 - NTSC | |
Runtime | 1:50:52 | |
Video | 1.55:1
Aspect Ratio Average Bitrate: 7.0 mb/s NTSC 720x480 29.97 f/s |
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NOTE: The Vertical axis represents the bits transferred per second. The Horizontal is the time in minutes. |
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Bitrate: |
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Audio | Korean (Dolby Digital 2.0) | |
Subtitles | Korean, English, French, Japanese, None | |
Features |
Release Information:
Edition Details: • Commentary
by Bong Joon Ho and film critic Kim Young Jin (in Korean with optional
English subtitles) • 42-page
liner notes booklet with photos (1/2 in English) |
Korean Federation of Film Archives Package
Comments: |
NOTE: On Blu-ray in Criterion's World Cinema Project - Volume 1 reviewed in full HERE The restoration looks impressive - especially going by the 28-minute split-scene comparison footage found in the extra features. The transfer is on a dual-layered disc, anamorphic - in and around 1.55:1 aspect ratio. It appears to have utilized the 'alchemist' transfer method (very light combing in scene/chapter transitions), but I'd still consider it progressive with a tinge of edge-enhancement. Black level boosting has brought up the detail - which is very strong and contrast is effective. There are a few artifacts in the darker scenes but nothing I would seriously complain about. The vast majority of 'light' scratches have been removed although certain indoor sequences look a little like rain with the heavier scratches appearing as giving the film a very work look. This happens at around 1 hour 15 minutes and it is here the image looks more affected. There are also a few sequences that 'jump' where the frames were obviously missing or too damaged to utilize. Considering the original source and the work done this is a totally watchable and important film - just prepare yourself that it is not always as pristine in-motion as represented by the still screen captures below.
Audio has some occasional weaknesses but is certainly clean and clear enough to enjoy the film. I noted no huge pop or similar sound flaws that disturbed my viewing. There are removable Korean, English, French and Japanese subtitles (sample below). Extras include a commentary with Bong Joon Ho and film critic Kim Young Jin and they know extensive details about the film's production. Thankfully their discussion is optionally subtitled and you can simultaneously run the film's subs with the commentary subs (see sample below). They talk about the claustrophobic shots of the film building tension. We also get the almost 1/2 hour restoration demonstration and a transition image gallery. A very nice booklets is included with some weak quality photos and a filmography, biography, a couple of film review excerpts, an essay by film critic Lee Yeon-ho and comments on the restoration by researcher Kim Ki-ho. Overall this is a great package - one can't help but recall much more modern films like 'Fatal Attraction' that also contained surprising 'domestic' violence. I loved the many inventive shots in The Handmaid and the story development is totally masterful. I'm so happy I had the opportunity to see this outside a festival or film retrospective. This is a solid package to own and we encourage a purchase. |
DVD Menus
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Film Subtitle Sample
Commentary Subtitle Sample on top portion of the frame with film subs on the bottom.
Screen Captures
DVD Box Cover |
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CLICK to order from: Thinking of buying from YesAsia? CLICK HERE and use THIS UPDATED BEAVER PAGE to source their very best... |
Distribution | Korean Federation of Film Archives - Region 0 - NTSC |