The Handmaiden

Adapted from the novel Fingersmith, by Sarah Waters, Korean director has moved the setting from Victorian England to his own country in the 1930s, then under Japanese subjugation.  The film is quite self-consciously divided into three parts, and each one layers on the complexity and deceptions of the characters' relationships.

A young Korean woman, Sook-hee, leaves her family to take up a post as a domestic in the house of wealthy bibliophile Kouzouki.  The housekeeper, very much an Asian Mrs Danvers, briefs her on her duties as handmaiden to her master's niece, the beautiful and naive Hideko.  A hard up Japanese aristocrat, Count Fujiwara, arrives to help Kouzouki create fakes of valuable old books, and give art lessons to the young woman, in whom he begins to take a considerable interest.

In flashback we learn of the first level of deceit, as it is revealed that the 'count' is an aspirational Korean con-man who has recruited Sook-hee, from a gang of pickpockets, to aid him in seducing her mistress into marrying him so that he can make off with her considerable fortune.  And that Hideko is less in control of her destiny than we'd thought, being very much under the control of her sadistic uncle.

Part one, largely scene from the handmaiden's point of view, ends with an unexpected double cross.  From then on the layers of chicanery and mistrust build upon one another.  Part two relives many of the same scenes, but this time from Hideko's perspective, and fills in the background of her own life to show why she isn't quite the ingenue first portrayed.  As the relationships become more convoluted it is less clear who is manipulating who, and to what ends.

In the final part the action follows on from the first two, with further plot twists and, eventually, some clarity as to who are the winners and losers in this battle of wits and lies.    Even at the final resolution, not everyone gets what you expect.

The Handmaiden is a wild mix of historical romance, thriller, eroticism, art house and psychological drama.  It might even be seen as feminist, with two strong female leads who get to run rings around the confused men.  In the background lurks the occupying power, and the decisions the local population have to make in how far to go with collaboration, how much to resist.  Under a colonial regime nobody can afford to just be themselves, and deception is as much a part of the society as it is in the lives of the main characters.  The subtitles are in white when Korean is being spoken, yellow for Japanese, and the mix helps reflect the snobberies, allegiances and role playing that are an integral part of foreign occupation.

It's also a very sexy movie, teasingly so in the early scenes, moving on to some intense couplings later.  These do have a whiff of male fantasy about them, but ultimately justify their inclusion through their adding to our knowledge of the shifting balance of power and faith between the characters.  It might also contain the most erotic dentistry scene you'll ever watch!

At near enough two and half hours it could be a long haul for the viewer, but the twists and turns of the plot are more than enough to hold the interest, and it's never clear until the titles roll if there are any further scorpion stings to hit home.  I found myself thinking I could happily watch again, now relieved of the need to pay close attention to the subtitles and able to soak in the intense visual experience.  It's a beautiful film to watch, especially round the sumptuous the interiors of Kouzouki's vast home, a fantasy mix of Japanese and English architecture, with it's very own deception built in.

It might stray into the ridiculous at times - what was that giant octopus doing in there? - but underlying all the smart cinematic dazzle is a strong storyline and all the curveballs you could want to keep you guessing.  Highly recommended.