A twisted and unexpected erotic drama, “The Handmaiden” directed by Park Chan-wook is based on the novel by Sarah Waters. The film was released in the year 2016. Starring Kim Min-hee, Ha Jung-woo, Lee Yeon-hee and Kim Tae-ri in lead roles.
This film won the audience awards at Cannes Film Festival as well as many other awards including best actor for Ha Jung-woo at Cannes Film Festival. And in this article we will be discussing the meaning of this movie and how the ending was. As well as we will add some frequently asked questions about the movie.
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Movie Meaning of The Handmaiden 2016
Handmaiden is a critically acclaimed Korean film set in Japan during the 1920s. It tells the story of an unusual handmaiden, Miss Hae-sook, who serves as a personal attendant to Lady Hideko and participates in her secret intrigues. This beautiful and marvelous film is known for its sumptuous visuals and well-crafted story, which has been praised by both fans and critics.
The film opens with a news report about exports of agricultural products from Korea reaching new heights. A man, who is unidentified, comments that the exports are due to good weather and cheap labor. He then asks if anyone knows how many people are working in agriculture production in Korea today.
Lady Izumi Hideko (Kim Min-hee) is out walking when she’s accosted by two men who force her into a car at gunpoint and drive her away. She manages to make a call for help while being driven, telling the person on the other end that she’s been kidnapped and taken to an unknown location.
Sook-hee character is a handmaiden who serves Lady Hideko, the older sister of Emperor Hirohito. Hae-sook is an unusual servant in that she does not stay behind the scenes and instead participates directly in the intrigues of her mistress. In fact, during much of the film we are left to wonder exactly what kind of person Hideko really is.
Throughout The Handmaiden we see glimpses of life during Japan’s Meiji period (1868-1912). This was a time when Japan underwent dramatic changes as it moved from a feudal society to an empire ruled by a monarch. One of the most significant changes during this time was Emperor Hirohito’s ascent to the throne in 1926. Despite being only 18 years old at the time, Hirohito quickly became known as Japan’s “tsar” and led a very active political life.
While The Handmaiden is set largely in China, Korea features prominently as both Hideko’s home country and place of origin for many of her handmaidens. In fact, much of what we see in relation to Japan during this period comes from Korean sources, including newspapers and novels.
The Handmaiden was released in 2016 and has since won acclaim from both critics and fans alike. The sumptuous visuals and well-crafted story have been praised by many, with some saying it is one of the best films ever made.
The Ending of The Handmaiden 2016
“Lady Hideko and her maid Nam Sook-hee are arrested and Lady Hideko is taken away to a prison camp. After Lady Hideko’s release, she joins Uncle Kouzuki in Thailand where they live as refugees.” This is how the movie ends.
The man she’s speaking to tells her that he’ll send help, but only if she can give him some sensitive information first. He says he won’t hurt her, but warns her that if she doesn’t cooperate the situation will become worse for her. Lady then asks what kind of information he wants and the man responds with a list of people and organizations. When Lady asks why he needs this information, the man on the other end cryptically replies “You’ll know soon enough”.
Lady then asks the man to let her go, but he says that’s not possible. He tells her that if she doesn’t give him the information he’ll kill one of her family members and hangs up. Lady panics and tries to think of a way out. She remembers seeing an advertisement for a marriage counseling service earlier in the day and decides to try calling them. The woman on the other end seems surprised when Lady identifies herself as a hostage, but agrees to help get her free.
Lady then asks how much money it will cost and is told it will be 300,000 yen. Lady orders her servant to bring the money and leave, but Uncle Kouzuki interrupts her and tells her that 300,000 yen is too much for such a simple task as bringing in the money. He offers to pay 50,000 yen instead which Lady accepts.
Lady then asks how he knows about hiring cleaners so she can get some rest and he replies that his wife does it every week. Madame Sasaki then appears telling them that there is someone waiting for Lady who wants to see her urgently.
Lady leaves with Uncle Kouzuki following behind her while Butler Madame Sasaki watches from a distance.
Lady enters her room to find a young man waiting for her, he introduces himself as Son Oh-jae and tells Lady that he is the son of Lady’s old friend who died recently. Son Oh-jae asks Lady to have dinner with him at a restaurant later that night and Lady agrees. At dinner, Son Oh-jae starts talking about his mother which makes Lady feel uncomfortable so she excuses herself and goes back to her room.
Uncle Kouzuki has followed her but she manages to get away from him and hides in an empty bathtub. Uncle Kouzuki tells her that it is not proper for a woman to be alone with a man and if she does not want him to touch her then she needs to tell him right now. Lady says that she is just uncomfortable around Son Oh-jae and Uncle Kouzuki backs away, but he warns Lady that if anything happens between them then he will report it to the police.
Key Characters of The Handmaiden 2016
Kim Min-hee
Kim Min-hee acted as Lady / Izumi Hideko in this movie.
Lady is a woman who has been imprisoned in her home for 10 years, who is the main character of this movie. She acted very well and was praised by all the critics and viewers who enjoyed this movie.
Ha Jung-woo
Ha Jung-woo acted as Count Fujiwara in The Handmaiden 2016. Count Fujiwara is a man who has been imprisoned for five years and he wants Lady to become his concubine so that he can release from prison. He was also praised by all the critics and viewers who enjoyed this movie.
Kim Tae-ri
Kim Tae-ri acted as the maid Nam Sook-heein The Handmaiden 2016. Nam Sook-hee is a woman who was born into a low class family and she wants to become the best maid for Lady in order to make her life better. She was also praised by all the critics and viewers who enjoyed this movie.
Ha Jung-woo
Ha Jung-woo acted as the Uncle Kouzuki in The Handmaiden 2016. He is a man who has been imprisoned for 20 years and he owes money to many people, including Lady’s father. He was also praised
by all the critics and viewers who enjoyed this movie.
Kim Hae-sook
Kim Hae-sook acted as Butler Madame Sasaki in The Handmaiden 2016. Madame Sasaki is a woman who was born into a high class family, but she became a maid after her father died. She wants to get back to her high class life, but she can’t because of the debt that Uncle Kouzuki owes her. She was also praised by all the critics and viewers who enjoyed this movie
Important events of The Handmaiden 2016
The Beginning
The Handmaiden starts with Lady 10 years ago, when she was a young woman and her biological father kidnapped her to be his concubine. She has been living in captivity ever since then, with only the help of the handmaids who look after her. One day, while Lady is bathing, she hears noises outside and finds that Uncle Kouzuki has escaped from prison.
He wants to force Lady into marriage so he can get rid of the debt that he owes many people and free himself from prison. However, as soon as they leave the palace grounds, the young heir and maid fall for each other, only to be pushed away by their respective families.
10 years have passed and Lady is now a young woman who is about to be married off. However, when she goes to visit Uncle Kouzuki in prison, she finds out that he has died. Heartbroken but relieved, Lady returns home only to find that her father has arranged her marriage to an old man instead. Now she must fight tooth and nail not just for her own freedom but also for the freedom of all the handmaids who look up to her.
Count Fujiwara (Ha Jung-woo) and his wife were kidnapped as part of North Korea’s politburo executions. Wang’s uncle, Kouzuki (Cho Jin-Woong), saves them and sends them to Japan on a boat with two handmaidens, Lady Hideko (Kim Min-hee) and Izumi (Kim Tae Ri). The women are long Kept alive by Madame Sasaki who allows them limited freedoms within the household in order to steal information about Japanese politics. Gradually, they all fall in love with one another while Kouzuki plots to bring Wang and his family back to North Korea.
Lady falls in love with the young prince, but her father won’t allow them to marry because he views him as a lower class citizen. Izumi hides her affections for the prince from her family, but they catch on and force her into an arranged marriage instead. Uncle Kouzuki is in love with Lady, but she’s too shy to show it so he helps Izumi elope with the prince instead.
Meanwhile, Butler Madame Sasaki loves working at the palace and dreams of one day becoming the Queen’s Butler. When she finds out that the prince is headed her way, she decides to make her move.
The Escape
Plan tells the story of Lady Hideko and her fellow handmaidens who have been kept alive by Count Fujiwara in order to steal information about Japanese politics. After six years, they finally escape from their captors and set out to find freedom. Along the way, they must fight against the combined forces of their enemies – the prince, Butler Madame Sasaki, and even their own family members.
A political prisoner (Ha Jung-woo) is rescued from North Korea and brought to Japan where he befriends two handmaidens (Kim Min-hee and Kim Tae Ri). As they try to escape but are constantly thwarted by Madame Sasaki (Sophie Okonedo), an ambitious maidservant who’s in love with the prince, their disparate dreams clash as they build a future together.
Lady Hideko, a high-class lady who was captured by the Japanese army during World War II and sold as a handmaiden to an old Japanese count. She falls in love with her master and starts plotting to escape but is caught. The Count then reveals his true intentions for buying her – he wants to use Hideko’s beauty to win the war against America by spreading propaganda that Japan is not at war with China. As part of this plan, he has also arranged for Madame Sasaki, an opera singer rumored to be cursed due to mouth cancer, come live with them so shecan sing for him. Hideko manages to escape and helps the Allies win the war.
Lady Hideko (Kim Min-hee) – A high-class Japanese woman captured by the Allied army during World War II, sold as a handmaiden to an old Japanese count who falls in love with her, but is eventually caught and revealed to be working for him simply because he finds her beautiful. She starts plotting her escape but is ultimately successful, helping allied forces win WW2.
Uncle Kouzuki (Ha Jung-woo) – Owner of a Shanghai brothel who owns Hideko and her fellow handmaids. He is ruthless, using his prostitutes as leverage to control his business rivals. Madame Sasaki (Kim Hae-sook) – A famous opera singer rumored to be cursed due to mouth cancer, who arrives in Japan with the intention of singing for the Count in order to spread propaganda that Japan is not at war with China. Although she initially despises Hideko, they eventually become friends and hide from the Allied forces together.
The Handmaiden- Ending Explained
The Handmaiden is an intense and well-made thriller that culminates in a powerful finale. The film’s various plot twists make for riveting viewing, culminating in a satisfying resolution. The ending of this movie was beautifully portrayed. The film ended with the characters finally being free and happy, which summed up everything that had happened throughout the movie. The day was a rainy day and the the film ended with a beautiful rainbow. This ending was touching, satisfying, and elegant all at the same time. Lady Hideko was motoring over the river, when her car ran out of gas.
A friendly old man helped them push their car to a nearby garage and they were able to get fuel for their car there. As Hideko was paying the bill, she saw an advertisement in the paper that said: “The Handmaiden”. She decided to call and check it out. The director answered the phone and invited her over for an audition. After she arrived, he told her that he had already cast someone else in the role of Lady Hideko but offered her another part in his movie. Hideko refused and decided to go back home.
Later that night, she was driving home from work when her car ran out of gas again. She found a spot close to the river and was able to get fuel for her car there using the same old man who had helped her before. As she was paying him, she saw an advertisement in the paper that said: “The Handmaiden”. She decided to call and check it out again. The director answered the phone and invited her over for an audition once more. After she arrived, he told her that he had already cast someone else in the role of Lady Hideko but offered her another part in his movie. Hideko accepted and she was finally able to be a part of the film.
The final scene of the film showed Hideko being driven to set on a rainy day in Japan, where she was going to take her final scene as Lady Hideko. The old man who had helped her before drove her there and they were both laughing together because everything that had happened during the filming of their movie had ended up working out perfectly.
Conclusion
The Handmaiden is an extremely visual and engaging film that provides a compelling story. The acting is excellent, the visuals stunning, and the pacing excels. Overall, The Handmaiden is one of the most entertaining films I have seen in some time and I would highly recommend it to anyone looking for a gripping drama with unequivocal artistry.
In this article I have given a brief overview of The Handmaiden and its main themes, as well as providing my final verdict. I tried to show the portrayal of the meaning of the movie and also tried to explain the ending part. So those who love watching movies and want to learn more about them, they can read this article at least once in their lifetime.
FAQs
Is the Movie- the Handmaiden a True Story?
No, the movie is not based on a true story. It is an adaptation of the novel “The Handmaiden”. But most of the people in the movie are based on people who actually existed in history. For example, the role of Hideko is based on a real woman called Yoko Ogura. So the movie is factual in a way, but it depends on your interpretation.
Can We Watch the Handmaiden?
Yes, you can. This movie is a complete example of masterpiece artwork. The Handmaiden is available to watch on Netflix. Other streaming services may also have it. So if you have not watched it yet, make sure you do!
Is This Movie Recommendable to Everyone?
This is a difficult question. On the one hand, The Handmaiden is a visually stunning and involving drama with excellent acting. This would be recommendable to anyone who enjoys quality cinema. But because it is based on a novel with complex and emotional themes, some viewers may find it too intense or challenging for their liking. So while this movie is definitely worth watching by anyone interested in good filmmaking, those wishing to avoid anything that might upset them should probably steer clear as well.
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