While watching The Handmaiden, I couldn’t help but think back to last year when I saw Fifty Shades Of Grey, which touted itself as a genuinely interesting sexual thriller. Boy, did that turn out to be a mistake- what I got instead were bland, uncaptivating characters I was unable to relate to with no chemistry whatsoever. Suffice to say, Park Chan-wook’s reworked adaptation of Sarah Waters’s novel “Fingersmith” is the erotic thriller translated to the big screen that Shades could only dream of being, a psychologically rich, darkly funny, intelligent and ambitious character study of three scoundrels and their attempts to outwit one another.
Lady Hideko (an elegant and wry Kim Min-hee) at first seems like a fairly unassuming character. The product of an upbringing that only becomes more bizarre and twisted as the story progresses, she spends her days entertaining her tyrannical Uncle Kozuki (Cho Jin-woong) by performing readings for aristocrats from his prized collection of pornographic literature. This includes re-enactments involving puppets and harnesses, which makes for one of Handmaiden ‘s most visually striking and sensual moments.
Things get even more interesting when a new handmaiden, Tamako (Kim Tae-ri) comes to work at her mansion and encourages her to spark a relationship with the dapper Count Fujiwara (Ha Jung-woo). But in reality, Tamako is actually Sook-Hee, a pickpocket posing as a lowly servant working with Fujiwara to con her out of her inheritance. The plan is to marry her and then send her away to a mental institution, with Sook-Hee taking a portion of the profits and traveling the world.
Unfortunately, wooing the enigmatic Hideko is easier said than done. Even without the influence of her domineering uncle, it turns out she’s cleverer than she appears. And the sexual chemistry that erupts between her and Sook-Hee throws an even bigger wrench into the machine. It de-evolves into an emotional three way conflict, with each character convinced they can gain the upper hand.
Very little is what it seems in The Handmaiden. Its story is constantly moving with various twists, but they’re not executed simply for the sake of shocking the audience. Dark humor abounds as the cast interacts with one and tries to outthink the other two. The sexual aspects are sensibly weaved into the film’s narrative and themes of possession, and while they’re often are unsettling, they don’t feel exploitive. With the help of some sharp cinematography from Chung Chung-hoon, many scenes have an eerie, dreamlike atmosphere that paint a striking image of Korea under Japanese occupation.
Admist all of this eye candy, Park Chan-wook gets great mileage from some strong performances all around. He gives his film a notably feminist lean in the bond between Hideko and Sook-Hee, while Fujiwara is a charismatic con man who doesn’t have the hidden sweetness of a Nick Wilde- Ha Jung-woo plays him as a pure pig. Kim Min-hee is endlessly fascinating as Hideko, a character with multiple layers and an often unsettling backstory. Cho Jin-woong as her uncle is downright scary, while Kim Tae-ri’s Sook-Hee is an empathetic figure.
If I had one criticism, I feel a couple of scenes dragged a little, and could have had a bit more succinct editing. But The Handmaiden otherwise makes great use of its two and a half hours, building up its characters and plot strongly enough to keep me engaged. There are many scenes that gave me chills, and also moments of sheer beauty. It’s a strange, but also deeply innovative romantic drama that refuses to compromise for its audience. Easily recommended!