Has anyone seen the original 1960 version?

I've seen the original as well as the remake.

It's not a faithful remake which I feel plays to the new versions advantage. In the original it is the housemaid who starts to 'control' the family, however the remake plays out very differently. Wise move on the part of the director as he has updated the story to fit the social mores of today's society which is quite different to that of the early 1960s.

The two versions are vastly different, yet each provides a social commentary that is directly related to the time in which they were made. Both are excellent films and should be viewed for their own worth. Much has changed since the 1960's but it's also interesting to see what things remain the same. The two versions offer varying viewpoints. Audience sympathies are with the husband (and his family) in the original whereas in the 2010 version our sympathies are with the housemaid. The poisoning that takes place is completely changed up in the 2010 version. Both are tales of morality and the evils of materialism. I was lucky enough to view them as a double feature and they each truly stand on their own.

I've seen the 1960's version. You can probably still watch it for free like I did on Mubi.com. The original makes much more sense and is more entertaining than the remake. I expected to see an up to date version of the original. Instead we got a completely different take, an artistic take that I found lacking and pointless. At least the original had a message. Maybe had I known that this was actually a remake (like it's stated) and not an updated version like I thought, I would have enjoyed the movie more.

I've seen both. The original is almost a masterpiece while this one is a piece of something else. I hope that's clear.

Yes, when this came out there was a 50th anniversary DVD release with both versions on it, which I bought for about $22. I think it's pretty hard to find by now, but see:

http://www.amazon.com/Housemaid-Hanyo-2-DVD-Special-Films/dp/788514271X/

Do a search on the Net for Hanyo DVD 1960 and you may find this or another version. They're out there.

I like both versions for different reasons, but I especially like the newer version because it's so visually striking, and the characters are so openly venomous. It's got the appeal of a Tennessee Williams play or the classic Dallas TV series.

By now you can download the original from iTunes and Amazon.

It's also on the DVD/Blu-Ray set from Criterion called:

Martin Scorsese's World Cinema Project
http://www.amazon.com/Scorseses-Project-Housemaid-Criterion-Collection/dp/B00F98FNNM