When I took my first steps into the world of South Korean cinema a couple of years ago, Park Chan-wook’s Oldboy was one of the first movies I saw. I was deeply impressed, as you can imagine if you’ve seen the film. I watched other movies he made like Joint Security Area, Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance, Lady Vengeance en I’m a Cyborg, But That’s OK and really enjoyed his work. His foray into American cinema was visually beautiful, but the story was a bit too strange for my taste. With The Handmaiden he returns to Korea and manages to impress again.
Structurally the story consists of three parts, which all revolve around the same characters. The Japanse Lady Hideko is a rich woman, who has been chosen as a target by a group of con men. One of them pretends he is count Fujiwara and he wants to win her heart and marry her so he will be able to get away with her money. To prepare for this Sook-Hee is placed in her house as a maid to Lady Hideko. She slowly gets to know her boss and develops feelings for her, but doesn’t that jeopardize the mission?
Despite that summary of the story the movie is so much more. It’s about personal connections, and Park Chan-Wook doesn’t hesitate to also show sex and extreme situations. Nothing is what you initially think it is and the movie has a couple of surprises in store when you hear the story from the point of view of another character. Add to this the beautiful imagery which is a mix of Japanese and English styles and an atmosphere of erotic and sexual tension and you can only conclude that this director hasn’t lost his magic touch. It’s a shame that South Korean movies don’t hit the cinemas as much, because this is a beautiful example of what the country has to offer.
