Chenel Morrison
April 12, 2018
I’ve watched two films by Park Chan-wook, the first was Thirst (2009) and the second The Handmaiden (2016); I haven’t watched Park’s famous Oldboy, and I don’t plan to. 미안해요.
But judging from both Thirst and Handmaiden, I can see why Park Chan-wook is revered as a cinematic genius, especially after watch the Handmaiden.
Rarely have I watched a movie that “haunts” me even after it is finished. From time to time, though not frequent, I think about The Handmaiden and ruminate about the plot and plot twist, remember details about certain scenes, and ask if I should rewatch it again to clarify. Let me say that I am not a "familiarity lover” at least when it comes to movies, and books; I much rather watch a new movie, or read a new book. I rarely reread books that I already read or rewatch movies, so the affinity I have towards the idea of rewatching The Handmaiden illustrates how dense it is. I feel as if it is a movie that you have to rewatch multiple times to really “get” and then by the nth time, it can show you how wrong you have been the first few times and then make you rewatch it again multiple times. It is art: complex, unconventional and ambiguous.
There were times that I honestly did not know what was going on; I think this might be a common aspect of Park’s film. He gives you a good opening, so you feel like you know what is going on, and then he takes you on a windy, convoluted, dark road, and it is only until the end (or near end) when you realized that everything, every detail, actually made sense up to that point. It is thrilling and rare–especially in this age where movies are made mostly for entertainment, Park makes movies that seem like art. You can’t help but analyze it and feel awed over its storyline, plot twist, and cinematography.
It is art: complex, unconventional and ambiguous.
Although, this is supposed to be a movie review, I didn’t go into details about the plot. It’s because I feel like everyone should watch it for themselves (so no spoilers), and second, I am still trying to figure out the plot for myself, and I don’t think I’ll ever finish (but if I do, I’ll be sure to write another blog post).