Gilrye, a young girl from an upper-class family that has fallen on hard times, marries a dying man for his money and immediately becomes a widow. To make her a “widow of virtue,” her mother-in-law controls Gilrye’s sexual desires by preoccupying her with housework. But her virtue is shattered when she is raped by her brother-in-law, Yunbo. With her father-in-law’s blessing—and having no other opportunities for starting a new life—Gilrye decides to continue the relationship and attempts to rebuild her life. But when Mr. Chae, the man Yunbo works for, again violates her, Yunbo kills him, revealing that cruelty only begets cruelty. The first Korean movie shown in the Un Certain Regard Section at Cannes.