The Handmaiden

MilesMorales1 · 17-04-2017 6:46pm #1

I saw The Handmaiden today and I can't recommend it more highly. I'd also reccomend seeing it knowing as little as possible, cos I didn't beyond knowing it was a film in Japanese/Korean with english subtitles, and I think it boosted my enjoyment of the film, but it was fabulous. One of the best of the year so far. It's directed by Park Chan-Wook(Old Boy)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IkvHtfRAKNk

Halflifept · 17-04-2017 9:14pm

Saw it a while ago.
It is a slow burning movie with a mix of soft porn which was unexpected. Great movie overall.

Flibble · 18-04-2017 12:25am

Just back from watching it tonight, knew nothing about it going in other than who the director was.

It's absolutely brilliant, i loved it

don't want to ruin it with spoilers, but i think it would hold the attention of almost anyone & is wonderfully written. Go see!!

Slydice · 18-04-2017 12:38am

When I saw it, I watched after someone had already mentioned

how one scene with grabbing of arms looked like the one from when the two guys meet at the start of Predator

. I don't think I got to take in the scene as much as I might have if I hadn't gone in wondering where it might happen.

megaten · 18-04-2017 11:32am

I really enjoyed it. The trailer is quite deceptive in terms of tone but the films still very good.

LuckyLloyd · 26-04-2017 7:15pm

I wouldn't consider myself moralistic or prudish, but definitely felt that it could have cut 10mins of sex scenes with no loss of entertainment. I did enjoy it generally though, and it's very beautifully shot.

Telecaster58 · 03-05-2017 2:27pm

I thought this was a great film. As for the much discussed sex scenes I thought it was quite restrained, and no way could be viewed as prurient. This is in total contrast to a film like Blue is the Warmest Colour which was a gratuitous porn movie.

Chain Smoker · 04-05-2017 6:01pm

Telecaster58 wrote: »

I thought this was a great film. As for the much discussed sex scenes I thought it was quite restrained, and no way could be viewed as prurient. This is in total contrast to a film like Blue is the Warmest Colour which was a gratuitous porn movie.

that's interesting that you feel that way, I think you're totally wrong in both cases. It's not the actions you show, it's how you shoot them.

They were in a can't win situation, it's a huge moment for Adele and has to be treated as such, the whole directorial style dictates that it had to be very upfront about it all.
There's some stuff in it that (to me at least, a man) clearly betrays the director surely never even thought much about how actual lesbian sex works beyond whatever porn he has seen, but it's all quite coldly shot and the notion of anyone masturbating to that scene is just weird to me. Felt like it deliberately outstayed its needed time to really hammer home the point that this is not a very arousing scene, shades of Irreversible's

never ending rape scene

to the approach.
The only shot in that whole film that felt sexually exploitative to me was a

camera pan in a shower later

on.

Meanwhile, all the

tit sucking

and

building up between actions

, especially the

build into cunnilingus which they cut from only to redo again later

in this film is straight outta porn. I can't imagine he'd even say otherwise, it seems ridiculous to even argue it isn't a wilfully pulpy work.

Anyway, I saw this and wasn't too keen on it but I'd put a lot of the blame on it being he extended edition (note: not director's cut, always a huge f*cking red flag). Highlight of the film was

that thimble scene

, fantastically executed piece of eroticism right there!

Telecaster58 · 05-05-2017 12:16pm

Chain Smoker wrote: »

that's interesting that you feel that way, I think you're totally wrong in both cases. It's not the actions you show, it's how you shoot them.

They were in a can't win situation, it's a huge moment for Adele and has to be treated as such, the whole directorial style dictates that it had to be very upfront about it all.
There's some stuff in it that (to me at least, a man) clearly betrays the director surely never even thought much about how actual lesbian sex works beyond whatever porn he has seen, but it's all quite coldly shot and the notion of anyone masturbating to that scene is just weird to me. Felt like it deliberately outstayed its needed time to really hammer home the point that this is not a very arousing scene, shades of Irreversible's
never ending rape scene
to the approach.
The only shot in that whole film that felt sexually exploitative to me was a
camera pan in a shower later
on.

Meanwhile, all the
tit sucking
and
building up between actions
, especially the
build into cunnilingus which they cut from only to redo again later
in this film is straight outta porn. I can't imagine he'd even say otherwise, it seems ridiculous to even argue it isn't a wilfully pulpy work.

Anyway, I saw this and wasn't too keen on it but I'd put a lot of the blame on it being he extended edition (note: not director's cut, always a huge f*cking red flag). Highlight of the film was
that thimble scene
, fantastically executed piece of eroticism right there!

I have no wish to get diverted into a discussion about Blue is the Warmest Colour but suffice to say that if you have no wish to make an exploitative, soft porn film like that, why go to the trouble of casting a couple of cupcakes?

johnny_ultimate · 05-05-2017 12:37pm

What struck me about this film was how oddly romantic it was, in a good way. Despite being so full of quadruple-crosses, scheming, and torture, the relationship between the two leads came across as uncommonly passionate and genuine. That they don't turn out to be complete psychopaths was also a relief.

I do love how lavish Park's direction consistently is. Everything feels dialled up to 11, and I found myself just as caught up in the confidence of the production and art design as I was in the relentless forward momentum of the plot.

Telecaster58 · 05-05-2017 12:50pm

johnny_ultimate wrote: »

What struck me about this film was how oddly romantic it was, in a good way. Despite being so full of quadruple-crosses, scheming, and torture, the relationship between the two leads came across as uncommonly passionate and genuine. That they don't turn out to be complete psychopaths was also a relief.

I do love how lavish Park's direction consistently is. Everything feels dialled up to 11, and I found myself just as caught up in the confidence of the production and art design as I was in the relentless forward momentum of the plot.

Correct. Even ignoring the narrative it was visually sumptuous

Chain Smoker · 09-05-2017 2:51pm

Telecaster58 wrote: »

I have no wish to get diverted into a discussion about Blue is the Warmest Colour but suffice to say that if you have no wish to make an exploitative, soft porn film like that, why go to the trouble of casting a couple of cupcakes?

If you've no wish to, then you shouldn't reply instead of landing a retort and including a preamble to block off any further response?

25-06-2019 7:22pm

Fantastic movie. As usual with the director, you have those moments of "no.. no.. no no no" throughout. Ending a little bit happier than I was expecting but it wrapped in nicely with Hideko's history.

The Handmaiden

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