아가씨 / Ah-ga-ssi

The Handmaiden Blu-ray Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov, April 9, 2017



Untie me

Perhaps it is finally appropriate to start comparing Park Chan-wook to Nagisa Oshima. I've thought about it in the past, but I wasn't fully convinced that Park can be as effective of a provocateur as Oshima was. His potential became obvious in the Vengeance Trilogy , but after Stoker it seemed like he had started evolving into a more mellow mainstream director. Park's latest film,, appears to have reversed the process and quite possibly fully restored his desire to once again be bold and contentious.The film was inspired by Welsh writer Sarah Waters' novel, but there is no doubt that it is an original Park project. Indeed, it keeps that familiar playful attitude even when it seems like it is overstepping the boundaries of decency or trying to intentionally shock, and it has the special dark mystique that Park's best early films are known for. So the main qualities that shaped up Park's reputation are again on full display in this delicious period gem.The story is set during the 1930s and is broken into three uneven parts. In the first, the con artist Fujiwara (Ha Jung-woo) and his partner Sook-Hee (Kim Tae-ri ) travel to a lavish mansion somewhere in Japan-controlled Korea where the lonely Lady Hideko (Kim Min-hee) awaits her new handmaiden. After Fujiwara presents himself as a wealthy aristocrat with a special appreciation for the arts and Sook-Hee assumes her duties, a series of flashbacks reveal that the two impostors have an ambitious plan -- Fujiwara will make Lady Hideko fall in love with him and after they marry and he takes control of her assets Sook-Hee will be promptly compensated for her invaluable assistance. At this point Fujiwara and Sook-Hee's arrangement will end and they will be free to part ways as soon as possible. For a while the plan works precisely as intended, but when Sook-Hee realizes that she is attracted to Lady Hideko it quickly becomes useless. The second and third parts then introduce a number of interesting twists that further complicate the relationships between Sook-Hee, Fujiwara, Lady Hideko and the remaining occupants of the mansion.Park's film channels the wit and elegance of Stephen Frears' Dangerous Liaisons , but it has the fearless heart of Oshima's In The Realm of The Senses . It does a lot of things differently and at the end it leaves a vivid, lasting impression. This I think is a special accomplishment because Asian cinema has evolved dramatically since Oshima's controversial film and explicit or graphic footage alone is no longer enough to create ripple effects.While the entire cast is very easy to praise, it is Park's direction that is absolutely crucial for the film's attractiveness. Indeed, it provides it with multiple identities that in return allow the cast to shine in a number of different ways. The film's striking period look is also effectively complemented by a brilliant soundtrack blending a wide range of baroque and contemporary harmonies.The version ofincluded on this release is approximately 144 minutes long. Apparently, there is a longer version in existence, but I have not seen it yet and cannot comment on the additional footage. Later this year, British distributors Curzon Artificial Eye will release the longer version of the film on Blu-ray. You can see our listing of this upcoming release here