Handmaiden, based on Fingersmith by Sarah Waters

Handmaiden, based on Fingersmith by Sarah Waters

This Korean film has been nominated for the BAFTA Award for Best Foreign Film.

Is was not however remarked by those who decide the fate of the Golden Globes.

Let us see what the Academy Awards ceremony and nominations will look like.

The Handmaiden is a memorable motion picture.

Loveless aka Neliubov and First They Killed My Father are better in my opinion than this strange Korean Japanese story.

I mean, the movie seems to be Korean made, but the story has Japanese and Korean elements.

It all happens in the 1930s when Korea was occupied by Japan.

I understand that animosities still exist, even if, faced with the dictator of North Korea and his nuclear weapons, Japan and South Korea may find ways to overcome differences and past grievances.

The film has a complex, interesting story and this is surely part of the reason why this work has been acclaimed, by both viewers and critics.

It has been included among the best 260 films ever made, based on popularity, that is votes on IMDB.

This is also where The Handmaiden has an impressive metascore, reflecting the very favorable views of the critics.

Sookee and Hideko are the female main characters of the film.

This is already an achievement in itself.

In this age, actors are still paid considerably more that actresses and this is part discrimination, of course, but it also reflects the fact that most of the heroes are...

Well...male

So this Handmaiden is unique in that it not only promotes a main character that is female, but two.

Sookee used to steal before she was chosen to be part of a scheme.

A swindler that presents himself as count Fujiwara wants to marry the Japanese heiress Hideko.

He enlists Sookee as a helper in this endeavor.

Only Sookee becomes more than attached to her new mistress.

She thinks Hideko is splendid and...falls in love with her.

There are some very passionate, erotic scenes during which the servant and mistress make love...endlessly.

As another titillating element, Hideko is "protected" by an uncle who has her reading salacious books.

This is abusive and shows how humiliating life could be for women.

Alas, it still is in barbaric societies.

There is a shocking event, when Sookee is taken to a mental institution and locked up.

Even more outrageous, this heinous act appears to be condoned by Hideko

But this is just one version of the story and we get to see completely different perspectives.

And...fingers are cut by the libidinous and sadistic uncle.

A very special, interesting motion picture.