简介：Synopsis HavinglostherhusbandintheKoreanWarandlivingasarefugeewithherdaughterJu(LeeSeong-ju),Shin(LeeMin-ja)getsbywiththehelpofherlatehusband'sfriendLeeSeong-jin(ShinDong-hun).However,Lee'ssenseofdutytowardhisfriend'swidowsoonturnsintolove.SensinghisfeelingsforShin,Lee'swife(ParkYeong-suk)upbraidsherhusbandindeepjealousyandhysteria,andevenresortstofindingsolaceinthearmsofayoungmannamedTaek(LeeTaek-kyun),whomshemeetsbychance.ThefieryaffairbetweenTaekandLee'swifetakesadifferentturnwhenTaeksavesShin'sdaughterJufromdrowningatthebeach.AlthoughShinfindsherselfreceivingromanticoverturesfromLee,shefallsinloveinsteadwiththesaviorofherdaughter'slifeandentrustsherdaughtertoanotherfamilyinordertomoveinwithTaek.Unfortunately,Taek'sformergirlfriendJin(NaAe-sim),thoughttohavediedinthewar,returnsandhedecidestoleaveShin,toherutterdismay.AlreadysettledwithJin,TaekbidsShinfarewell,butShin,whohadsoughttofindtruthinherlovelifewithTaek,isshockedintopointingaknifeatherlover. Notes "ThefirstandfinalfilmbyKorea'soriginalfemaledirector,ParkNam-ok,whichfaithfullyportraysfromafemaleperspectivethedesiresofwomenaftertheKoreanWar." TheWidow,byKorea'sfirstfemaledirector,realisticallyportraysfromawoman'sperspectivetheactualhardshipsandcircumstancesfacedbypost-warwidows.Whenherhusband'sdeathresultsinthelossofherlivelihood,thefemaleprotagonistacceptsfinancialassistancefromherhusband'sfriendevenassheresistshisromanticadvances.Whenshefallsinlovewithayoungerman,sheistruetoherowndesirestotheextentofleavingherdaughterwithanotherfamilyandsettingupabusinessandahomewiththemoneyshehasreceivedfromherhusband'sfriend.Interestingly,TheWidowdoesnotmythologizeitsdepictionofmotherhood,optinginsteadtostarklyrepresentthehonestdesiresofwomenafterthewar.AlthoughShindemonstratesinnerconflictbetweenromanticandmaternallove,sheultimatelychoosestheformer.Thefilmcouldbesaidtopresentitsfemaleprotagonistassomeone,whoisshockinglytruetoherself,but,atthesametime,itrefrainsfromvilifyingher,ordepictsherinanunsympatheticlight. Unlikemanymaledirectorswholookedwithahypocritical,duplicitousgazeoffascinationandchastisementonpost-war"apresgirls,"ParkNam-ok'sempatheticportrayalmaintainsaclearfemaleperspectivebyshowingjusthowdifficultitwasforwomentosurviveamongmenwhilerealizingtheirowndesires. Afterword: -Thesurvivingfilmstocklacksthefinalscene,makingitdifficulttoascertainthefilm'sending. -TheWidowcameunderthespotlightwhenitwasscreenedatthe1stWomen'sFilmFestivalinSeoul,in1997.…