Storyline
1930s Korea, in the period of Japanese occupation, a new girl (Sookee) is hired as a handmaiden to a Japanese heiress (Hideko) who lives a secluded life on a large countryside estate with her domineering Uncle (Kouzuki). But the maid has a secret. She is a pickpocket recruited by a swindler posing as a Japanese Count to help him seduce the Lady to elope with him, rob her of her fortune, and lock her up in a madhouse. The plan seems to proceed according to plan until Sookee and Hideko discover some unexpected emotions.
Writers: Seo-Kyung Chung, Chan-wook Park, Min-hee Kim, Jung-woo Ha, Jin-woong Jo, Min-hee Kim, Kim Tae-ri, Jung-woo Ha, Jin-woong Jo, Hae-suk Kim, So-ri Moon, , , , , , ,
Cast: Min-hee Kim -
Lady Hideko
Kim Tae-ri -
Sook-Hee
(as Tae Ri Kim)
Jung-woo Ha -
Count Fujiwara
Jin-woong Jo -
Uncle Kouzuki
Hae-suk Kim -
Butler
So-ri Moon -
Aunt of Noble Lady
Trivia:
Kim Tae-Ri (who played Sook-hee) has been a big fan of Kim Min-Hee (who played Hideko). She did not know that Min-Hee would be playing Hideko during the audition. It was only in a meeting with Director Park Chan-wook after being chosen, that Park asked who her favourite actor was. Tae-Ri answered Min-Hee and Park was very delighted. Tae-Ri and Min-Hee have gradually built up their friendship and trust since 2014 during the preparation stage. In Tae-Ri's acceptance speech of the Best New Actress at Buil Film Festival (2016), she honored the award to Min-Hee whom she ''fell in love with at first sight''. See more »
Quotes:
User Review
Author:
Rating: 10/10
This is hands down the most perfect film I have seen so far this year.
I gave a score of 5/5 to movies like The Revenant, Spotlight and The
Songs We Sang. But even with these excellent films I can always find a
spot that doesn't quite sit right with me. With The Handmaiden, it is
perfect; every frame handcrafted to perfection. Even with 4min of
explicit sex taken away by my country's dumb censors, this is still
perfect every way I see it.
Auteur Park Chan-Wook's The Handmaiden is a superb exercise in form,
structure and tone. With the latter, Park (Oldboy & Joint Security
Area) has achieved something extraordinary. If any scene were to linger
a few seconds longer or he had decided to focus on a certain issue, the
film would have veered off to a different territory. As it is, and with
all the major characters' kooky off-kilter portrayals, I can't pinpoint
whether I was watching something real or abstract. I was also kept in
awe by the intricate and resplendent set- design which suggests
something dark and Gothic is working the undercurrents. There are of
course some serious girl on girl action but that never encroaches into
the spine of the story.
Adapting Sarah Waters' Fingersmith, a Victorian tale awash with all
manner of Dickensian motifs, Park spins an engrossing tale that ebbs
and flows with a Hitchcockian suspense; it withholds as much as it
discloses; it is an erotic tale that beats with raw fervour. It is at
once a love story but also a menagerie showcasing human beings in their
vilest forms. Park's finger hovers over all the buttons, teasing us
gleefully but it is with the ultimate restraint that he never descends
down to the usual tropes. The story is divided into three chapters;
each told from a different character's perspective. The structure is
Rashomon-esque but Park puts his own stamp on it. The film may be
nearly 2.5 hours but I hardly moved in my seat; my senses kept
spellbound as each twist hits me hard. When it ended I couldn't believe
2.5 hours have whizzed by. The plot is pulsating and it never lets up.
There is even an octopus in it! This is definitely the most perfect
film I have seen this year. You may not agree with me but for me this
is cinema of the masterclass level.
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