The main character, Sook-Hee, is introduced. The film opens with Japanese soldiers marching through and scaring the children, who are crying and clinging to their caregivers. Sook-Hee kisses the babies and hugs the women goodbye before leaving for a large, Japanese estate, where she is to work as a handmaiden.
A hairpin given to Sook-Hee by an elderly woman she worked with as a goodbye gift. She admires it on her way to the Japanese mansion.
Sook-Hee arrives at the mansion and is greeted by Madame Sasaki, the head of the servants. She explains how there are 3 parts to the estate: the main house is an English style building, while the rest are Japanese-style buildings that make up the living quarters. "The Japanese architecture can't compare to the grandiose style of the English," Madame Sasaki tells her. She gives her a new name, 'Tamako.'
As they enter the main part of the mansion, Madame Sasaki reveals to Sook-Hee that Lady Hideko adores reading. She practices reciting poetry with the Master, her Uncle Kouzuki, to later perform these recitals for various wealthy individuals. "Even government officials come here," boasts Madame Sasaki. She leads Sook-Hee to where she will stay, an 'oshiire' (a linen closet) near Hideko's room.
A full shot of the staircase leading up to Lady Hideko's room. This is the main building, showcasing English furniture, décor, and candelabrums.
Sook-Hee explains her backstory. She reveals how she was given away to her moher's 'silversmith shop' as soon as she was born, a place where they collected stolen goods. By age 5, she could tell the difference between real and false money, and she eventually becomes a pickpocket herself. This scene shows the environment she grew up in, a small space full of tools for refining and polishing the stolen jewels.
Count Fujiwara is introduced. He explains the situation with Uncle Kouzuki and the recitals, and how he auctions off the books after. However, these books, of whom the erotic nature is revealed later, are dear to him, so he sells copies. He hires Fujiwara to create fakes for him, and Fujiwara hires Sook-Hee to help him steal the lady's wealth by seducing her, marrying her, and then sending her to an asylum.
Sook-Hee eats with the rest of the servants, adjusting to her new life as a handmaiden.
Sook-Hee is properly introduced to Lady Hideko. She hands her a letter of reference for the position as her handmaiden.
The large cherry blossom tree standing outside of the Japanese estate. This is where Hideko's aunt, who used to do the reciting of the erotic poetry, hung herself after 'going mad' (the reality is that she couldn't take it anymore and it drove her to suicide).
Sook-Hee gives Lady Hideko a bath because the Count is coming. Hideko complains about a sharp tooth hurting her, and Sook-Hee reaches over to file it down with a thimble. The two share an intimate moment.
Count Fujiwara arrives at the estate.
A view of the mansion and the combination of the Japanese and Western styles. On the left is the Japanese-style wing, with a sliver of the English-style building on the right.
Sook-Hee and Fujiwara meet one-on-one to discuss the plan and their progress so far.
A close up of the corset Lady Hideko is wearing. She dresses up Sook-Hee in some of her dresses and jewels.
A close-up of the corset Sook-Hee is wearing in this scene.
Hideko in her Uncle's estate, wearing English attire.
The Victorian Era furnishings located in the main building of estate can be seen here.
Another scene with Hideko and Sook-Hee. This screenshot captures the lighting, color palette, and overall atmosphere and mood of this particular scene.
Lady Hideko and Fujiwara run away to get married, bringing Sook-Hee with them.
Hideko and Sook-Hee in traditional wear.
Hideko outside in the rain, surrounded by greenery.
All three characters drive to the asylum, where Sook-Hee knows that Fujiwara plans to leave Lady Hideko. (1) However, the tables turn, and it is Sook-Hee that is left instead, betrayed by Fujiwara in a plan to help Hideko escape her abuse at home. (2) Even further of a plot twist, both women are in on it, working against Fujiwara. Sook-Hee later escapes the asylum with the help of Hideko, who leaves a hairpin for her to pick the locks.
A full shot of the room where Hideko performs her recitals.
Lady Hideko performing a poetry recital.
One of the many erotic scenes found in the books Kouzuki collects. This is the horrifying reality of the poetry recitals, and Hideko has suffer much emotional abuse from her uncle from very early on, forced to take over the performances after her aunt committed suicide due to no longer being able to stand the abuse herself.
Hideko and Fujiwara enjoy dinner together after eloping and leaving Sook-Hee at the madhouse.
Sook-Hee at the asylum, along with other individuals.
The hotel where Hideko and Fujiwara go to after dinner. In an act of betrayal, Hideko poisons Fujiwara's wine when he attempts to have intercourse with her, strips him, ties him up, and runs away. This is part of her plan with Sook-Hee.
Sook-Hee helps Hideko destroy the library and all of Kouzuki's erotic poetry.
Sook-Hee and Hideko run away together, with Hideko disguised as a man.
The torture scene between Kouzuki and Fujiwara. Kouzuki discovers Fujiwara's plan to seduce his niece (Kouzuki originally wanted to marry her and steal her fortune himself), and his men find him tied up at the hotel. Kouzuki drags him to his basement, the place he always threatened to take Hideko to if she disobeyed. Fujiwara's cigarettes are laced with mercury, so when the room fills with this poisonous smoke, they both die.
A close-up of Hideko disguised as a man.
A full-shot of the scene with Sook-Hee and Hideko together as they travel far away from the estate by ship. While the color palette incorporated cooler tones throughout the movie, it is warmer here, symbolic of the fact that Sook-Hee and Hideko are away from harm. They have each other.
A gift for the two women, who have successfully escaped and can now live together as a couple.
Sook-Hee and Hideko are sexually intimate with each other at the end of the movie, celebrating their love.
In 1930s Japanese-occupied Korea, female pickpocket Sook-Hee is hired as a handmaiden to Japanese heiress, Hideko, who is secluded and cut off from the world. She resides in a large countryside estate that combines both Japanese and Western style architecture under her uncle’s (a rich old book collector) control. There is more to what meets the eye, however: Sook-Hee was actually hired by a Korean swindler posing as a Japanese Count to help him seduce Lady Hideko into marriage, rob her fortune, and send her off to an asylum.
The Handmaiden is based off of Sarah Waters’ bestselling novel Fingersmith (2002), which is set in 19th century England. Similar to its source, the film adaptation is organized into three separate acts. The first part is set up as what the filmmaker wants the audience to believe is happening; the second part deals with what ‘Count Fujiwara’ is plotting; and the third part reveals everything that is happening in its totality. At the end of the first act, the maid accompanies her mistress to the asylum to carry out ‘Count Fujiwara’s’ scheme as planned, despite getting close with her. In a treacherous double-cross, however, the identities of mistress and maid are switched, and it is the maid that is incarcerated in the madhouse. The sudden twist of events reveals what had been going on behind Sook-Hee’s back, and it seems as though she is doomed to remain here forever, but there are even greater twists that are yet to unfold.
This film is a period drama that combines two cultures to present an erotic romance. Every scene in The Handmaiden is a showpiece of stunning production design: ravishing décors, detailed settings and luxuriant costumes. Director Park Chan-wook explains his decision to relocate from Victorian England to the colonial era of the 1930s in Japanese occupied Korea, admitting that he wanted the story, just as in the novel, to be set in a time where there was an idea of “difference.” (In Korean history, the 1930s colonial time was the only period in which the class system was still very much part of society.) This idea of “difference” is central to the story and makes the film what it is. Nothing would ordinarily bring the two main characters together because they are separated by almost everything: social class, culture, age, and personality. Hideko is absent and naïve while Sook-Hee is a burst of youthful energy. The difference in culture specifically (Japanese vs. Korean) adds a significant layer of difference due to different customs, mannerisms, and so on. The house is also significant to the film and could easily be considered as its own character, and it further widens the space between Hideko and Sook-Hee. Hideko resides on the western wing and therefore lives and sleeps as a western lady while Sook-Hee resides in the Japanese wing and sleeps in a “oshiire”, a linen closet. Because they are so different from one another, they are pitted against each other in the beginning, but as a result of discovering and developing unexpected feelings for each other, they are led to work together against ‘Count Fujiwara’s’ evil scheme of Hideko’s downfall.
From Japanese traditional costume to romantic English attire, through shoji screens to gothic corridors, The Handmaiden is a film in which a woman is hired as a handmaiden to a Japanese heiress but is secretly involved in a plot to defraud her.
Betrayal, Eroticism, Revenge, Femininity, Freedom, Violence
This video captures multiple scenes from the film itself in short clips following one after another. I included this mainly because it shows much of the landscape and scenery shown in The Handmaiden, as well as the outside of the mansion and different rooms within it. Overall, much of the color, décor, costume, and beauty of (as the video is titled) the film is shown here.
Costume is the focus in this particular clip from the film. Hideko herself is dressed up in luxurious English attire, and it shows her dressing her maid, Sook-Hee, in a similar outfit. Lace, corsets, and many, many buttons are seen here as the two dress and undress, which I believe is important, as costume is a large part of the film. Setting and décor can be seen as well, with antique mirrors and fancy wallpaper bringing everything together.
More about costume design in the film. This is not a specific clip, but a video that focuses on the costumes used throughout the film.
Red_Wine_Spill from UIC DESIGN on Vimeo.
Wine Spill from UIC DESIGN on Vimeo.
Glass Shatter from UIC DESIGN on Vimeo.
Drop In Wine Glass from UIC DESIGN on Vimeo.
Droplet Falling from UIC DESIGN on Vimeo.
Smoke2 from UIC DESIGN on Vimeo.
Smoke from UIC DESIGN on Vimeo.
Snake from UIC DESIGN on Vimeo.
Snake2 from UIC DESIGN on Vimeo.
Gloves from UIC DESIGN on Vimeo.
Buttoning from UIC DESIGN on Vimeo.
Silk2 from UIC DESIGN on Vimeo.
Silk1 from UIC DESIGN on Vimeo.
Lace from UIC DESIGN on Vimeo.
Kimono from UIC DESIGN on Vimeo.
(Concept 1) Torture/Chaos: Spilling of wine, drop falling into wine (poison), ripples, poison spreading throughout, breaking glass, smoke/gaseous chemicals, snake
The first concept is to recreate a wine spill. The title opens up with the initial fall of the glass, and is followed by the flow of the red liquid and the shattered glass. The film deals with major plot twists and betrayal, and the spilling and breaking of things reflects this. Perhaps spilled ink over books of poetry could be incorporated into this.
For this concept, I could possibly work with rewind: droplets of red wine could be reversed in order to reveal the words, the same with broken glass. Or, the red wine spill could trail into the words.
(Concept 2) Dress Up: All about costume, lacing up corsets, putting on gloves, buttoning up, thread, hats, shoes, silk, layers layers layers (kimono and traditional Japanese attire), sewing
(Concept 3) Hidden Layers: This concept is meant to symbolize what is hidden underneath, taking from the film's twists of lies and information revealed later on. Also meant to take from the opening of doors/sliding of closet (where Sook-Hee sleeps) as people eavesdrop on each other.
These openings are meant to reveal new things, so this could potentially be a means of incorporating other elements of the film including: smoke, snake, etc.
French film poster of The Handmaiden that demonstrates the sliding of the doors and revealing Lady Hideko.
Scene from the film that demonstrates the moving panels of the library floor. Rather than only the openings I have shown in the images uploaded, I could also incorporate moving panels that reveal further information and overlap this with the openings.
Very rough sketches of potential material for Concept 3.
Gama_Handmaiden from UIC DESIGN on Vimeo.