Han Hyeong-mo's midcentury melodrama Madame Freedom features a daisy chain of backstabbers: Professor Jang (Park Am) has a wandering eye for his goody-goody grammar student (Yang Mi-hie). The misses (Kim Jeong-rim) two-times the professor with two men: her slimy boss (Kim Dong-won) and her scalawag neighbor (Lee Min) who's also an impromptu dance instructor and amateur photographer. She's encouraged in her worst behavior (embezzlement, adultery, child negligence) by her none-too-bright best friend (No Kyeong-hie) who, for her part, is being swept off her feet by a Ponzi scheme charlatan (Ju Seon-tae) with a drawn-on mustache. The betrayals don't end there but you get the point. Fidelity is passé!
Is Han implying that the rise of capitalism coincides with the death of morality? Are Western values cheapening Eastern culture. I don't think so, although the drive to make a buck definitely isn't helping anyone to be a better person — except maybe the nightclub's sensational dancer (Na Bok-hui) who shimmies, bumps, grinds, and mugs deliciously and perhaps for tips. Her routine &$141; backed by a big band with four saxophones — is definitely one of Madame Freedom's high points. Amidst all the partner-swapping, this solo dance feels refreshingly innocent. If everyone's going to cheat, you might as well dance alone!
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