Converted from the novel Fingersmith (2002) by British writer Sarah Waters, The Handmaiden is a story that is told through three angles with three different characters. Instead of being set in the Victorian era as the original, the film took viewers back to the 30s in Korea while still a Japanese colony. Sook Hee (Kim Tae Ri) is a bag-practiving girl, supported by Fujiwara (Ha Jung Woo) – Korean scam Japanese Earl, sent to be the maid for a wealthy Japanese family. Fujiwara's plan was to seduce Hideko (Kim Min Hee) – the family's successor to whom she married him. He will then send her to the crazy House in Japan to take up her fortune. However, things turn to a completely different direction as the two women begin to have feelings for each other.
Source: IMDB
In the original novel, the story is divided into three chapters and each chapter is told by the throne of a character. Similarly, the film is divided into three distinct sections and each is a vocal. This non-linear storytelling takes the viewer away from surprise to other surprises, exposing each layer of secret layer and challenging viewers ' curiosity to the final minutes.
To get the most out of The Handmaiden, it certainly can't be just a movie view, and to speak out of the best or that probably needs a very long article. So, if you're passionate about the art, you shouldn't skip this work. And if it's a fan of the talented filmmaker Park Chan Wook, it shouldn't be missed.