So, I just got around watching it, yes I know 6 years too late. In my defense I watched the British version first (the Fingersmith series) and thought they are one and the same. That was my mistake. It is based on the book and yes there are almost the same emphasis on the almost. But this one is by far the better one. Some think are explained better in the British version for example the reason around wearing gloves. But still for me this one is better. There is a plot twist within the plot twist. The movie is separated in three consecutive chapters and you go from one plot twist to the other, that leaves you in stun. Let's say it's a sweet revenge of the two leading ladies on all the men that have wronged them, while falling for each other . I definitely recommend it, is a Masterpiece everything is done perfectly from the two leading actresses who are amazing and have great chemistry to the sick son of a bitch uncle. I watched the extended version, it's 2 hours and 48 minutes the normal cut is around 2 hours and 24 minutes. To tell you the truth I don't know the deference between them and which scenes are cut or shorten . I would have gone without the last scene or a lighter version of it. Perfect end!
2 / 2 directing & technical aspect
1 / 1 story
1 / 1 act I
1 / 1 act II
1 / 1 act III
1 / 1 acting
1 / 1 writing
0 / 1 originality
0 / 1 stays with you
-.5 / 1 misc (gratuitousness)
7.5 out of 10
Park is in form once again. Everything the best director on earth should be.
Halfway through the movie I thought "Wow, this is the first movie I've ever scene where the sex in the movie actually added to the story." A half hour later, I had changed my mind, and by the end of the movie, it was really taking me out of his usually flawless storytelling. I understand what was meaningful in each of the scenes, but they went on too long, and looked (maybe purposely) like a male's idea of what lesbian love is.
Having said that, everything else about this movie was perfect, as expected from Park. His work is unparalleled. This just isn't his best.
(second viewing)
2 / 2 directing & technical aspect
1 / 1 story
1 / 1 act I
1 / 1 act II
1 / 1 act III
1 / 1 acting
1 / 1 writing
.5 / 1 originality
0 / 1 stays with you
0 / 1 misc
8.5 out of 10
I get it now, I must've slept through parts the first time. Still not his best work though. When my average for his movies is 8, he has a lot to live up to. I need to rewatch his perfect 10s now.
Since the beginning of the month when I watched "The Handmaiden", I couldn't stop thinking about it.
It’s so hard to talk about this movie without give anything away. Everything in “The Handmaiden” is meticulously well done. Chan-wook Park did a terrific job directing this movie. It’s like a mix of good flavours that combine in your favourite ice cream.
The three lead actors (Kim Min-Hee, Kim Tae-Ri and Ha Jung-Woo) give some of the best performances of 2016. Despite Cho-Jin-woong doesn’t have the screentime of the others, everytime he is on screen he adds a lot to the movie.
The visuals of “The Handmaiden” are beautiful, some of the shots of this movie are perfect. And the soundtrack fits very well the environment of “The Handmaiden”.
Although “The Handmaiden” is almost two hours and a half, it felt like only one hour. Especially bacause of the story that is so fresh and well crafted. There are also a lot of delicious twists and turns that never felt out of place, mainly because of the way these characters evolved throughout the movie and are presented to the audience. Nothing feels forced.
“The Handmaiden” might be my favourite movie of 2016.
The same story can be told in countless ways, and "The Handmaiden" could have been yet one more erotic thriller if it wasn't directed by Park Chan-wook. The fascinatingly decadent mood, the quirky way he mixes opposite genres, the sharp black humor and sarcasm even in the worst situations, the visceral depiction of sex and sensuality, the way he keeps adding more and more to the plate and stop right before it overflows. Despite the demanding running time the pacing is consistently tight: there is always a lot going on on-screen both aesthetically and narratively, but never to the point it becomes overwhelming.
The only thing that could have been better might be the ending, as the twists in the middle inevitably lead you to set even higher expectations for the finale. You get mindblown the first time, but everything starts to become quite predictable after you grasp the general tone.
The film clearly plays with gender roles, but one more concept explored is Korea's identity during Japan's colonization. We see a lot of Koreans who try to imitate the Japanese lifestyle, but at the same time Japanese are under the strong influence of western countries. The mansion Hideko lives in is a hybrid of Japanese and British architecture, owned by a Korean who pretends to be a Japanese man of letters. Count Fujiwara is another example of Korean aspiring to be a Japanese gentleman dressed in British fashion. They both flaunt their Japanese language skills while Hideko, who is supposed to be an actual Japanese, doesn't like to speak her own language as it represents the readings imposed by her uncle.
The use of two languages generates some interesting situations, even though sometimes the actors' Korean accent gets so thick that it was hard to understand some of the Japanese lines. It's understandable for Kouzuki and Fujiwaraas are supposed to be Korean in the story, but Hideko was not so believable as a Japanese.
Review by JCVIP 4BlockedParentSpoilers2021-07-05T06:05:25Z
Somehow I managed to come into this movie blind besides 'gay' and 'involves a handmaiden', and I am so glad I did. I thought it was just a straightforward if idiosyncratic love story through part one, so when parts two and three hit... I was floored. It balances so many tones so well- as a caper it had me on the edge of my seat trying to piece things together and hollering when a plan comes together, as a black comedy it had me chortling, and as a romance I was all in for these two. Hideko and Sookee are wrapped in layers of obfuscation and deception, but they find a connection anyway, getting to know each other and then getting to know each other all over again.
Kim Min-hee and Kim Tae-ri are both phenomenal, playing each part to perfection, from the masks they put up to the cores underneath. Tae-Ri a romantic trying to be a scoundrel and failing at first sight, endeared more and more with every moment. And Min-hee's a frozen, damaged soul who's given up on the world and putting up a perfect facade of naivete disguising cunning, but is slowly defrosted by Sookee's heart. She comes to warm life before our eyes while never losing that intellect. Cho Jin-woong is as disgusting as required, and Ha Jung-woo keeps up with the leads, running the gamut from 'smug snake not half as clever as he thinks' to 'actually much smarter than he seems and just projecting incompetence' to 'Still outplayed and wryly accepting defeat'. He finds the humanity in the character while never sugarcoating him either.
And the direction, script, and cinematography blend into a perfect whole. The usage of doors as a symbol of class, the little hints at the edge of the camera, how it gives you just enough information while holding back the answers... And for my part, I thought the sex scenes were very tasteful and artfully applied. The desire and lust is built up very well, the character work is never forgotten in the scenes themselves, and it captures that giggly, euphoric rush of trying something new that you both enjoy. And that's the key. The mutual enjoyment and delight the two have is always there, contrasted against the selfish lust of the men around them. They find sanctuary in each other, and the result is a fairy tale that's inspired, smart, and romantic in equal measure.