The Handmaiden

The controversial film from Korean master Chan-wook Park evokes the sexiness of Abdellatif Kechiche's "Blue is the Warmest Colour" and Park's own signature violence and thrills. Set in the 1930s Japanese occupied Korea, it's a story of a young female pickpocket (Kim Tae-ri) who becomes a handmaiden to a beautiful Japanese heiress (Min-hee Kim). However, she must manage to convince the heiress to marry a conman (Jung-woo Ha) who poses as a count, for which she will get a chance for a better life. She gets into a moral dilemma when she starts developing feelings for the heiress.

The Handmaiden is a triumph on every level. The film is divided into three chapters, all giving different perspective. This way, the story is perfectly structured to give more and more insight as the film progresses, but at the same time, keep the viewers guessing. It offers a few surprises along the way as well. Visually, it's a feast for the eyes. The term "every frame a painting" gets overused, but it really fits here. I'm not only talking about cinematography, which offered plenty of memorable shots and beautiful scenery, but the costume and set design. The three leads all gave terrific performances. Musical score by Yeong-wook evokes, or better said, amplifies the emotions and the suspenseful tone. Despite the run time of 2 hours and 24 minutes, it never gets dull, it's very evenly paced throughout. I couldn't look away for a second.

One thing needs to be addressed, the film is quite explicit. That being said, it never gets vulgar, the sex scenes are done in perfect taste, they never feel out of place and they're not there just for the sake of it. The relationship between the characters and the physical presentation of it are integral to the film. It's a film about passion, abuse, jealousy, betrayal and deception, but most of all, it's an atypical love story, which will make one love and hate the protagonists at the same time. It's original and daring work of art that will stick with viewers long after it's finished.

Whenever Chan-wook Park makes a film, it must undoubtedly be compared to his masterpiece, "Oldboy". I don't think that "The Handmaiden" surpasses it, but it comes very close. With this film, he proved himself to be one of the greatest working directors today. It's the best film I've seen this year, one that I can't wait to revisit. It's not to be missed.

I saw this tonight at London Film Festival and Park Chan Wook was there, to answer Q&A. A very special moment to me.

I would advise anyone new to Park Chan-Wook's filmography to first explore his vampire flick 'Thirst' which has a similar style. 'Oldboy' is a cult classic, but more of an opium-filled, octopus eating thrill-ride, which this film is NOT, so be advised. I also think having SOME knowledge of Japanese rule in Korea is essential for understanding this film, or it will be above your head. Do some surface-level research on Japanese annexation of Korea and specifically the infamous 'comfort women'.

Completed that? OK now you're ready for this journey.

Now let's focus on the best part. The villain. This IS the best villain in recent memory. Seriously as far back as Hannibal Lecter. Uncle Kouzuki, is more creepy than Burton's Penguin. Compulsory viewing. I cannot mention anymore out of fear for spoiling the intricate plot. Highly recommended.

Park Chan-Wook explores the power of narrative (the way you tell a story and its ramifications), creating another astounding visual spectacle full of dark humor, sexual desire, betrayal and revenge, with intense performances and a wonderful production design, editing and score.

Sarah Walters's novel 'Fingersmith', a tale of power, perversion, pornography and passion in Victorian England, gets a lavish Korean makeover in Park Choon-Wok's movie 'The Handmaiden'. It's certainly visually and thematically rich and provocative as it slides between frequently explicit romance, comedy and horror: if in part it aims to shock, it certainly does so in style. However, I struggled to like any of the characters, all of whom seem as selfish and ruthless as each other, and felt no especial sympathy for the female leads simply because they happen to fall in love/list for each other. The film should perhaps be seen as a paean to desire, in all its oddness and intensity. But for all the artistry, I never quite escaped the feeling of a tale told by schoolchildren, snickering behind the bikesheds.

The Handmaiden is a film that unfolds with a classic film stylist (in particular I felt like Chanwook Park was in a kind of Brian De Palma mode as far as making an erotic dramatic-thriller with a camera that luxuriates in long shots, elaborate camera movements, and cinematic grammar that emphasizes operatic intentions, though it's maybe not the first time he's done this anyway), and is LOADED with story. What appears to be the story of a handmaiden who is put in as part of a long con by a man who wants to steal this wealthy woman's money is actually a story about storytelling, about weaving a pack of lies and an entire personality and, in reality, how that can start to crack apart when it comes to seeing humanity in another person and their vulnerabilities.

There's a lot going on in this movie, and there is a lot that is... sordid and over the top in its sexuality. That's intentional, I'm sure, and Park never coddles his audience with what he's showing as far as sexuality; the two main women of the film, the handmaiden and her master/mistress or what have you, end up having an emotional connection and this leads to a sexual one. This has the most graphic lesbian sexuality on screen since Blue is the Warmest Color, but here the rawness is matched by the elegance of Park's direction, and while you get to see much of it, only some of it (but there *is* some) that is gratuitous. Otherwise, this is a story of backstabbing and betrayal, but all of it leading up to being in the larger sense about how people fit in to the circumstances they are in, how they have to not simply play but BECOME the characters they're playing - and how these images flip based on perceptions and how we see the scenes.

Here's where I may become less articulate in my criticism: the film is in three parts, and I forgot about there being 'parts' as I was so into the film during its first part. There is a major betrayal, but then the movie goes into a 'Part 2', and it turns into a different story... a VERY different kind of story, and it is one that left me confused at first, left adrift, and only Park's direction kept me afloat. As Part 2 went on I got into the movie more, though you have to be prepared for scenes from part 1 being repeated - and whether this becomes tedious will vary depending on the viewer. Nothing is ever not gorgeous to look at, and Park is inspired by paintings and art in the real world, and it's completely sumptuous (I'd be rooting for this to win all the costume/production design awards come February), but there comes a point where the filmmakers are showing the 'here's what happened this scene' moments a little too much. I won't reveal why this is done except to say that the characters take on other roles we didn't expect, and their decisions and how they hide parts of their personalities makes for fascinating viewing. Some times.

And then it gets to part 3, and the movie goes into being sordid melodrama and not much more. By this time, the filmmakers have to wrap the story up, and show what this man who has been trying to machinate everything for his own ends is met with a nasty fate. Overall there's so much about The Handmaiden to admire, from the performances by Min-hee Kim as Lady Hideko (appearing in part 1 as varieties of cold and distant and then close and warm and terrified in the other parts), Tae-ri Kim (Sookie, who has much to learn about the art of performance, I mean her character not the actress, she's great), and Jung-woo Ha as the 'Count' who has to remain in control for the whole runtime, but gives in to his passions too. And yet I also wonder if a first viewing trying to explain everything how I felt doesn't do the film justice: it moves slower and more languidly than other Park films, so it took longer to get in to, and the themes of conning and performance may be done stronger in any given Quentin Tarantino film (though here done with more taste and intense sexuality - i.e. the scene with the thimball on the tooth).

Another viewing may give more, or less. I can tell you now it's worth seeing if you love pure CINEMA, the likes of which get made by directors with a passion for the form and expressing stories of early 20th century sexual excess and emotional f***ed-up ness (it is early 20th century Korea with a major Japanese influence - in that way it'd make a solid double feature with Kim Jee-Woon's Age of Shadows). As for whether it's a great film, I'm not so sure.