Review of The Handmaiden (2016) by Ali B — 02 Dec 2016
Park Chan-Wook's latest is very much the equal of "Oldboy", but he brings the gender politics front and centre this time. Instead of extreme violence, there is plenty of explicit sex, a frank celebration of femininity and female pleasure, themes which Park manages to sublimate into what initially seems like a standard "thriller" genre picture.
His most ingenious device is the shaping of perspective- not to disorient, but to provide additional layers of depth and complexity to the female point of view. What emerges is a funny, sexy picture, replete with gorgeous cinematography and a playfully alive mis-en-scene, which sinuously reveals secrets that climax into a kind of cinematic orgasm-not only of ecstasy, but of understanding and self- actualization for its female characters.
This review of The Handmaiden (2016) was written by Ali B on 02 Dec 2016.
The Handmaiden has generally received very positive reviews.
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