Films > Film Reviews
The Handmaiden
Cinema City
16/04/17
Its impossible to review The Handmaiden without spoilers - it's also impossible to talk about it without referring to sex. So in this opening paragraph know this - The Handmaiden is a visual treat, thoroughly solid, well edited, gripping and enticing. It's also an erotic thriller so I'd advise against seeing it with your mother; in fact I don't even want mine to read this review. I'm not quite sure how she'll take the amount of times I'm about to say erotic. Either way be warned, potential spoilers under the cut.
The Handmaiden was sold to me as a Korean erotic lesbian psychological thriller from the director of Oldboy and in this regard it doesn't disappoint but on no accounts should it be treated just upon this description - The Handmaiden is so much more. A voyeuristic extravaganza of sex and intrigue, a film about pornography, control, manipulation and identit, dramatic narrative shifts, duality of perspective, duality of personality and just a bit more visceral copulation. The Handmaiden comes to the table bearing bountiful gifts that will satisfy even the most fastidious of movie goers.
Set in a Japanese occupied Korea in the 1930's The Handmaiden centres around two con artists Sook-Hee (Kim Tae-ri), Count Fujiwara (Ha Jung-woo) and their prey the Lady Izumi Hideko (Kim Min-Hee). A gregarious plot is formed with Sook-Hee becoming the lady Izumi's handmaiden in an attempt to force her to marry the duplicitous Count Fujiwara. This basic and benign plot is soon discarded as complications arise and loyalties and passions are tested as the trio conduct their machinations against each other within this magnificently engineered story. Framed within a clearly defined three act structure the story twists and turns constantly, with moments being revisited with the blossoming revelations that come during the films explosive second act.
Visually the film is stunning - the world and the mix of cultures it shows are realised in fantastic detail with few moments feeling wasted. Each shot is expertly composed, each a story in itself. At times the film feels like it was directed by a dark and distilled Wes Anderson with shots reminiscent of his doll house mentality, a move that furthers the sense of voyeurism in the longer and wider shots. Park Chan-wook has brought together an expertly directed and composed piece that is definitely worth a visit. One highlight of the film is a simulated fellatio scene where no fellatio is carried out but instead the slow methodical grinding down of a tooth with a thimble..a building of desires and drawing out of a seduction, or is it something more? This scene starts as the film means to go on, in itself utterly explicit despite not showing any explicit content, something the movie sheds as it progresses and something it references against itself with its own meta narrative.
The sex at times perhaps lingers longer than it has to but in the bulk of the movie it never really outstays its welcome and is very much a necessary part of the narrative. That being said, and not unlike the final joke in Kingsman, the final scene of coital bliss feels a tad too much and totally unnecessary after the narrative has wrapped. Otherwise The Handmaiden is an unmissable film and one that should be watched. Any fans of ominous octopi or modular flooring arrangements will get an extra kick in this spectacular visual extravaganza.