Review by larscentury

With this film,director Kim Ki-young updated his earlier film 'The Housemaid' (1960), which was a black-and-white melodrama about a middle-class family torn asunder by the intrusion of a seductive, manipulative femme fatale. As great as that film is, I personally prefer 'Hwanyo' or 'Woman of Fire'. Here, the oversaturated colours - blues and reds in particular - and the superb cinematography deepen the exploration of the characters. Also, the new housemaid is here a victim of male violence, rather than the highly eroticised agent of chaos of the original film. Those who admired Youn Yuh-jung's Oscar-winning performance in 'Minari' will enjoy seeing her in 'Woman of Fire' as sweet and innocent young woman driven mad by trauma, shame and desire.

Kim Ki-young works in a similar register as Oshima Nagisa, the great Japanese modernist, yet his films are even more committed to melodrama. He explores connections between late capitalism, modernism and sexual and erotic tension.

'Woman of Fire' is a sadly unwatched classic of Korean cinema. Clearly not for everyone, it would perhaps appeal more to fans of Fassbinder, Pasolini, and Imamura.