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Park Chan-Wook — who gained fame in the West for the revenge classic “Oldboy” — set his latest film “The Handmaiden” in 1930s Korea, a time when the colony saw heightened tensions over wealth and gender obligations. The story is adapted from Welsh author Sarah Waters’ Fingersmith, a lesbian crime novel set during the Victorian era — which Park finds clearly parallels the mores and politics in colonial Korea.
The protagonist is a young woman from humble means, hired by an heiress that finds herself entrapped by two mens’ plots for her money. Their affectionate relationship quickly turns erotic, a middle finger to the impotent men that lust for them.
With every haunting twist, Park delves into a dark, violent, desperate world where the women discover power in themselves they had previously neglected. Reviews mark that some found the graphic scenes gratuitous or dominated by the male gaze, but that the film ultimately came off as, if not emancipatory, refreshingly feminist.
The film is in the official selection for the coveted Palme d'Or, which will be announced May 22. Park has already featured at Cannes, winning the Grand Prix for “Oldboy” in 2004 and the jury prize for “Thirst” in 2009.
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