The Handmaiden; or, The Game of Deception
My aunt said when you hear that guests will come, drop everything and go bathe the children. The guests like the smell of a clean baby. Miss, you are my baby. My aunt also said, give the babies candy when they bathe, to teach them that bath time is sweet.
I have been aware of Park Chan Wook’s erotic thriller The Handmaiden, inspired by Sarah Waters’ Fingersmith novel, since the moment when it hit the Cannes Film Festival in 2016. I was eagerly waiting for the premiere in my country, but work obligations and health problems prevented me from going to the cinema. Later on, having heard a great deal about the plot, I was reluctant to check it out due to evidently dark tone of the picture and NSFW sequences, which are not my cup of tea. However, after grabbing the DVD version for peanuts, I finally caved in. Similarly to Park Chan Wook’s other popular motion pictures, The Handmaiden is undeniably a masterpiece in terms of cinematography and storytelling.
My aunt said when you hear that guests will come, drop everything and go bathe the children. The guests like the smell of a clean baby. Miss, you are my baby. My aunt also said, give the babies candy when they bathe, to teach them that bath time is sweet.
I have been aware of Park Chan Wook’s erotic thriller The Handmaiden, inspired by Sarah Waters’ Fingersmith novel, since the moment when it hit the Cannes Film Festival in 2016. I was eagerly waiting for the premiere in my country, but work obligations and health problems prevented me from going to the cinema. Later on, having heard a great deal about the plot, I was reluctant to check it out due to evidently dark tone of the picture and NSFW sequences, which are not my cup of tea. However, after grabbing the DVD version for peanuts, I finally caved in. Similarly to Park Chan Wook’s other popular motion pictures, The Handmaiden is undeniably a masterpiece in terms of cinematography and storytelling.
Release Info
Directed by: Park Chan Wook Starring: Kim Tae Ri, Kim Min Hee, Ha Jung Woo, Jo Jing Woong
Language: Korean Original Title: 아가씨 Runtime: 145 min
Korean peninsula when it was occupied by the Japanese. Nam Sook Hee (Kim Tae Ri) is a young girl raised in the environment of scoundrels and smugglers. She is recruited by a certain “Count Fujiwara” (Ha Jung Woo) who wants her to assist him in his con. That is to say, the Count wants to seduce Japanese noblewoman Lady Hideko (Kim Min Hee), then marry her, and commit her to an asylum so as to steal her inheritance. Nam Sook Hee’s job is to act as Lady Hideko’s maid and persuade her to marry Count Fujiwara. While initially things go as planned, Nam Sook Hee suddenly realises that other participants of the con have ulterior motives.
As Park Chan Wook stated in an interview, he was presented with Sarah Waters’ novel in the early 2000s and immediately wanted to adapt the book to film, transplanting the storyline from Victorian England to Korea in colonial times. The Handmaiden is divided into three separate parts, each focusing on the perspective of one character; and in order to reinforce this uncanny feeling of witnessing the events from different angles, the director really wanted to shoot the film in 3D, but he was prevented from doing so due to limited budget.
Nevertheless, technological limitations
enforced advancements in scenography and cinematography. The Handmaiden
is a tragic tale about personal traumas, unfulfilled desires, and
deception. The characters roam through the house of Uncle Kouzuki which
is divided into two halves: the Japanese-style wing and the Western
section. In this artificial homeland within a homeland, the protagonists
engage in a play of false identities and false intentions while
withholding true feelings for each other.
Without giving away any
spoilers, the safest way to describe The Handmaiden is to call it a
reflective drama about forbidden love with lots of plot twists in the
course of which the villains are repeatedly outwitted. The beginning may
be a bit confusing and slow-paced (I actually had to rewatch a few
scenes repeatedly to understand the exposition), but the viewers’
patience is rewarded half-way through the film when Part I transitions
to Part II.
With regard to performances, I absolutely love all of the
main leads. Kim Tae Ri and Kim Min Hee had amazing onscreen chemistry
and the presence of Ha Jung Woo was a class-act. In addition, I liked Jo
Jin Woong as a creepy uncle. His role may not be as pronounced as the
others, but the actor steals the finale!
The DVD version I have does
not come with any special features, apart from a stylish booklet which
has photos from the set, cast and crew biographies, and an extensive
interview with Park Chan Wook, from which I shared some pieces of
trivia.
Recommendations
All things considered, if you like period pieces sprinkled with suspense and eroticism, then The Handmaiden is the choice for you. However, please be aware that the movie has a few NSFW moments which are not suitable for family viewings. Apart from this, The Handmaiden is yet another great motion picture crafted by Park Chan Wook.
All things considered, if you like period pieces sprinkled with suspense and eroticism, then The Handmaiden is the choice for you. However, please be aware that the movie has a few NSFW moments which are not suitable for family viewings. Apart from this, The Handmaiden is yet another great motion picture crafted by Park Chan Wook.
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