Netflix’s K-drama, Aema, looks closely at the glamorous world of 1980s Korean cinema. The male-dominated film industry objectified women on-screen and churned out sensual dramas that the audience couldn’t get enough of. The charms of the leading ladies on-screen captivated most, despite a few scornful remarks. So, how did these women navigate an industry where they were always reduced to sex symbols? What made them stay? And did they create a space for themselves? The series reimagines the iconic sleazy Korean drama “Madame Aema” (1982) and pays tribute to the leading actresses of the era who fought through sexism and hypocrisy to live their dream of making it to the silver screen.
Spoiler Alert
What brought Jung Hee-ran and Shin Ju-ae close together?
After playing the lead role in most of the sensual films produced by Shinsung Films for a decade, Hee-ran finally decided to put her foot down. Now that she was already famous, she decided to explore art films and play roles that would bring her accolades as an actor instead of feeling embarrassed in movie theaters. But Hee-ran had signed a contract with Shinsung Films, so she couldn’t make an independent decision. She needed the approval of the CEO of the production company, Ku Jung-ho. Since Hee-ran had rejected playing the lead role in “Madame Aema,” Jung-ho had become vengeful. He reminded her that she was bound by contract to work on one last film. Before signing her dream project, she had no choice but to play a support role in “Madame Aema.” Jung-ho had instructed the rookie director, Kwak In-u, to write a spiteful character for Hee-ran to destroy her career.
Shin Ju-ae was chosen as the new face of “Madame Aema.” While she was hesitant about the bold scenes, she figured that as long as the film guaranteed her fame, it was worth all the risks. She, at first, thought Hee-ran was envious of her, but gradually she realized that Hee-ran had always tried to protect her. Hee-ran had lived through everything that Ju-ae was about to experience. She didn’t think Ju-ae had what it took to make her space in a male-dominated industry, but Ju-ae repeatedly proved her wrong. Hee-ran believed that it took a certain amount of desperation and an immense desire to be an actor to even consider making the endless sacrifices that the career demanded. Ju-ae was struggling financially as a background dancer in a bar when she was offered the role. She knew that there was no alternative, and this was probably the best opportunity she would’ve ever gotten. So when Jung-ho asked her to entertain a few guests at a banquet, she didn’t have the courage to say no. The shooting of “Madame Aema” had come to a brief halt after the Ministry of Culture & Public Information objected to provocative scenes that the film included. Jung-ho figured after talking to his connection in the government that the ministry would give him a clean chit if he could convince the new actor to entertain the guests at the banquet. The adult parties notoriously exploited amateur actresses, but Ju-ae gathered the courage to participate, fearing that her film wouldn’t ever be released if she denied the opportunity. She was surprised to see Hee-ran at the party as well; it suggested that even if one became a popular actor, there was no escaping the beasts that did everything in their power to control and exploit these women. Hee-ran recognized the fear and panic in Ju-ae’s eyes. She had no idea what she was doing there. When Hee-ran ran into Ju-ae in the washroom, she reminded her that she didn’t really have to be at the banquet since she hadn’t yet debuted. She was putting everything on the line even though she didn’t even have anything to lose. Ju-ae realized that she didn’t have to cross the line, and she somehow managed to leave.
After Ju-ae left, Hee-ran used her charms to convince one of the government officials to not block Ju-ae’s debut film. She reminded him that if he didn’t allow the film to be made, then she would become a forgotten face, but if he did, she would become a full-fledged actress and eventually come to realize that the only way to make her place in the industry was by keeping the government officials happy. So, eventually she would be the one approaching him. The idea intrigued him, and he finally signed the permission notice granting “Madame Aema” to recommence production.
Hee-ran gradually became a mentor figure in Ju-ae’s life. She convinced the director to rewrite the script and empower the female characters (Aema and Erika) and end the film on a liberating note where the female protagonist would choose her own happiness over every other temptation. But Jung-ho was not happy with this rendition, so he asked the editor to make changes. The end result was raunchy and problematic. Hee-ran decided to burn the film reels, and Ju-ae supported her decision because she wasn’t quite sure if she wanted the world to see her in a film that justified rape. But eventually they decided against it because even if the film was trash, there was no denying that it would build Ju-ae and Kwak In-u’s careers, and that was the only silver lining.
What was in the ledger?
Hee-ran assumed that now that “Madame Aema” was about to be released, she was finally free from her contract, but Jung-ho refused to let go of her. He pulled out the contract and showed her that according to their agreement, she had to play one last lead role. Hee-ran was furious; she ended up throwing things at Jung-ho, and the cops arrested them both. Later, Hee-ran sneaked into Jung-ho’s house and tried to steal her contract to permanently destroy it. During the process she came across a document with the names of the actresses who were considered to attend the inaugural grand banquet, and the list was proposed by Jung-ho. She also came across a ledger, and she discovered that for every inaugural banquet that was hosted, Jung-ho received gold bars. Hee-ran always assumed that the banquets were proposed by the government officials and those in the industry had no choice but to agree to it, but she had no clue that Jung-ho was the one who’d started this obscene tradition and he made tons of money out of it. He was essentially pimping out the actresses who signed with his production company without their knowledge or consent.
When Jung-ho showed up, Hee-ran confronted him about the banquets, and he admitted that he was a horrible person and he did make a profit from all adult parties. Hee-ran attempted to steal the ledger, but Jung-ho got hold of it, and he burned it down. Hee-ran was furious, so she ended up shooting Jung-ho in his arms before she left. Jung-ho didn’t file an official complaint against her because he knew that if the cops got involved, things would get really messy.
How did Mi-na’s death affect Hee-ran?
Later, when Hee-ran learned about Mi-na’s death, she refused to stay silent anymore. Mi-na was an aspiring twenty-two-year-old actor who was in a relationship with Jung-ho. Even though she was aware that she lacked the talent to become an actor, as a dreamer she refused to give up on the idea of making it to the big screen one day. She didn’t care about morality and was ready to do what it took to become popular, but her life came to an abrupt end when she attended one of Jung-ho’s banquets. Even though Jung-ho was aware of the risks involved in sending Mi-na to an adult party filled with young, horny, bratty men, he chose to push her into the dark pit. The men forced Mi-na to snort cocaine, and she was repeatedly raped before she OD’d and died. Mi-na was among the countless women who’d been exploited by the industry; they were told that if they compromised, they would one day achieve fame, and that kept them going. Just like Ju-ae, Mi-na also aspired to feature in films such as Yeong Ja’s Heydays (the actual film released in 1975, which was a huge box office hit in South Korea) and become as popular as Hee-ran. The poster of the film in her house suggested that it had shaped her dreams and desires, oblivious of the struggle that came with it.
Both Ju-ae and Hee-ran attended Mi-na’s funeral; they knew that if they’d run out of luck or lacked talent, they too would’ve been in a similar position, and no one would’ve even cared. They mourned her death, and Hee-ran decided to hold Jung-ho responsible for it. Since Jung-ho had decided not to take any accountability for it, she decided to expose him. She contacted reporter Yang Seok-won from the Democratic People’s Voice, and together they penned what Hee-ran had witnessed firsthand in the banquets, explicitly stating how Jung-ho exploited actresses, newcomers, and singers.
How did Hee-ran expose Jung-ho?
During the 21st annual Daejong Film Awards, when director Kwon Do-il was invited on stage to accept the lifetime achievement award, he requested Hee-ran to join him. As it turned out in the final episode of Aema, Hee-ran had anticipated that she would not receive the best supporting actress award, so she had convinced Do-il to invite her on stage so she could expose Jung-ho. The fact that Do-il had decided to star Hee-ran in his next auteur film further helped in coming to this arrangement. When Hee-ran went on stage, she explicitly told the audience the truth about Jung-ho. Meanwhile, Seok-won distributed flyers on the street right outside the award venue, where Hee-ran described everything she’d witnessed at the banquets. Jung-ho and his men tried to stop Hee-ran, but Ju-ae came to her rescue riding a horse just like her character Aema. Jung-ho, Seok-won, and Hee-ran’s personal assistant, Yeong-bae, were abducted by the thugs who worked for the government.
How did Hee-ran convince the minister to come to an agreement?
Hee-ran scolded Ju-ae for rescuing her; she didn’t think Ju-ae should have risked her career to save her. But the young actress had no regrets. Jung-ho was asked to hand over the ledger even though he told the thugs repeatedly that he had burned it. To free Seok-won and Yeong-bae, Hee-ran met the minister (probably the minister of culture & personal information), who sanctioned these banquets and paid Jung-ho to organize them.
Aema’s ending revealed that even though Jung-ho had destroyed the ledger, Hee-ran had managed to rip a page from it. She kept the evidence and waited for the right moment to reveal it. Hee-ran threatened to publish every detail in follow-up articles if the minister didn’t take any action against the exploitation/violation of actresses. Even if he had her killed, it would be impossible to silence all the actresses who had undergone a similar experience. So, the only option he really had was to comply. During the ending of Aema, we discover that Jung-ho was brutally tortured by the thugs, his office was raided, and it pretty much marked the end of his production company. While thugs who’d been loyal to the corrupt government officials also faced repercussions, thanks to Hee-ran and the arrangement she’d come to with the minister.
Did Shin Ju-ae continue working in the industry?
Before the award-function fiasco, Shin Ju-ae gained widespread recognition for her debut film, “Madame Aema.” She wasn’t proud of the film, but she enjoyed the recognition that she’d received. She didn’t mind being labelled a sex symbol as long as she got to make her own choices. Ju-ae perhaps knew that it was all temporary, and one day if she wished, she would also aim for a meaty role in an art film. But for now, she was inclined to make money, win awards, and be one of the most popular actresses in South Korea. Hee-ran had advised her to be a ‘b**ch’ if she wanted to succeed in the male-dominated film industry, and that was exactly the kind of person Ju-ae aimed to be. When one of the reporters exposed that her past profession was that of a club dancer, she didn’t run away from it; instead, she owned it and even wore her dance costume to the award show. Ju-ae had become a popular face in Japan, and while the uncomfortable questions continued to follow her, she responded to them with confidence and elegance. She planned on being a badass just like her mentor Hee-ran. Yeong-bae eventually became Ju-ae’s personal assistant. Ju-ae was offered unoriginal screenplays that oozed of raunchiness; she knew she had been typecast, but that was a problem she intended on dealing with later. For now, she preferred sipping on wine while enjoying the luxury of a private jet.
Hee-ran was proud of Ju-ae. She not only helped Ju-ae but also every aspiring actress by exposing Jung-ho. Of course, there was no guarantee that the exploitation would stop, but presumably if Hee-ran ever learned about it, she would make sure to expose the minister. Hee-ran had set an example for Ju-ae, and it can be assumed that, just like her mentor, Ju-ae will also support struggling actresses and raise her voice if she ever witnesses injustice. It perhaps marked the beginning of a new era, though a sexist film industry is a reality even today—at least women such as Hee-ran and Ju-ae created a space for themselves and other actresses in an unforgiving industry.
