South Korea’s art-thriller master Park Chan-wook ’s new film, 「The Handmaiden」
It is stunningly beautiful, enchanting and was interesting, as I had expected.
Loosely based on Sarah Waters’ award-winning novel 「Fingersmith」 the film relocated the Victorian Britain to 1930s colonial Korea.
As the female protagonists enter into an affair, it is clear that there is an element missing, the element of the audience’s emotional attachment to the characters. The film hastily develops the relationship between the two women from the limited exposition that vaguely depicts their feelings toward each other.
Also 「The Handmaiden」 provides viewers the fun of growingly finding the truth behind what happened to the three people through its story split into three sections and unfolds from multiple points of view.
It begins when a con man who calls himself Count Fujiwara (Ha Jung-woo) employs the help of Sook-hee (Kim Tae-ri), a lowly pickpocket, to swindle a wealthy, lonely heiress named Hideko (Kim Min-hee). The woman lives in a cavernous mansion under strict protection from her uncle after losing her parents in her early years.
The plan is for Sook-hee to become Hideko’s maid and slowly convince her to marry Fujiwara so that he may elope with her and subsequently make away with her fortune. The scheme, however, doesn’t go as planned and hidden truths slowly rise to the surface. The story then takes a series of unexpected turns.
What makes it stand out from all other films is its lavish-looking artistic elements, ranging from the secluded mansion’s interior decorated in hybrid British-Japanese style and Hideko’s beautiful costumes.
For the work, the film’s art director Ryu Seong-hie won the independent Vulcan Award of the Technical Artist at the 69th Cannes Film Festival. Ryu became the first Korean winner of the award.
No comments:
Post a Comment