The Handmaiden (Amazon Prime)

 

The Handmaiden (Amazon Prime)

This is a wonderful movie. It is a 2016 South Korean erotic psychological thriller by the director Park Chan-wook. It is a multi-layered  story of deception, betrayal, love and revenge. It is a story within a story with dramatic reversals. The story is told in three parts and some of the plot points are not obvious. Part 2 is  flash backs explaining part 1.You may wish to read the plot in Wikipedia before or after. It is in Korean and Japanese subtitles. The Japanese subtitles are shown in yellow and the Korean in white, this is important. Normally I do not like watching movies with subtitles but this is a worthwhile exception.

The movie takes place in Japanese occupied Korea and involves a noble Lady played by Kim Min-hee, her Uncle played by Cho Jin-woong , her maid played by Kim Tae-ri and a fake Count played by Ha Jung-woo. The story has numerous story elements which are cohesive but complex. The story is about an elaborate swindle with unexpected twists and turns. The intentions of the characters are not obvious and there are dark secrets. The acting is excellent especially with the two female leads transcending language and conveying the character’s purpose.  The film’s erotica (not pornography) is fashioned on Japanese Shunga art. It is an integral part of the main characters’ development. There are some graphic torture scenes.

This is a female centric movie. They are victims but eventually victorious. The two female actors are controlled and mistreated by the men  but prove to be more clever and resourceful. This is an exception for an Asian film.

Three cultures are represented in the film: Japanese, Korean and Anglo; they maintain their individuality. The film is set in an English manor attached to a traditional Japanese minka house, with sliding doors and tatami mates. The costumes  include  beautiful traditional Japanese kimono  and Korean handok dresses and English period formal clothing.

The film won numerous awards and received a Rotten Tomato rating of 95%.