Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		5.0
Audio		5.0
Extras		5.0
Overall		5.0

The Handmaiden Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov July 25, 2017

Winner of Vulcain Prize for the Technical Artist at the Cannes Film Festival, Park Chan-wook's "The Handmaiden" (2016) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of British distributors Curzon Artificial Eye. The release features an extended version of the film as well as various supplemental bonus features, including an exclusive filmed Q&A session with the director. In Korean, with optional English and English SDH subtitles for the main feature. Region-B "locked".

Perhaps it is finally appropriate to start comparing Park Chan-wook to Nagisa Oshima. I’ve thought about it in the past, but I wasn’t fully convinced that Park can be as effective of a provocateur as Oshima was. His potential became obvious in the Vengeance Trilogy, but after Stoker it seemed like he had started evolving into a more mellow mainstream director. Park’s latest film, The Handmaiden, appears to have reversed the process and quite possibly fully restored his desire to once again be bold and contentious.

The film was inspired by Welsh writer Sarah Waters’ novel Fingersmith, but there is no doubt that it is an original Park project. Indeed, it keeps that familiar playful attitude even when it seems like it is overstepping the boundaries of decency or trying to intentionally shock, and it has the special dark mystique that Park’s best early films are known for. So the main qualities that shaped up Park’s reputation are again on full display in this delicious period gem.

The story is set during the 1930s and is broken into three uneven parts. In the first, the con artist Fujiwara (Ha Jung-woo) and his partner Sook-Hee (Kim Tae-ri ) travel to a lavish mansion somewhere in Japan-controlled Korea where the lonely Lady Hideko (Kim Min-hee) awaits her new handmaiden. After Fujiwara presents himself as a wealthy aristocrat with a special appreciation for the arts and Sook-Hee assumes her duties, a series of flashbacks reveal that the two impostors have an ambitious plan -- Fujiwara will make Lady Hideko fall in love with him and after they marry and he takes control of her assets Sook-Hee will be promptly compensated for her invaluable assistance. At this point Fujiwara and Sook-Hee’s arrangement will end and they will be free to part ways as soon as possible. For a while the plan works precisely as intended, but when Sook-Hee realizes that she is attracted to Lady Hideko it quickly becomes useless. The second and third parts then introduce a number of interesting twists that further complicate the relationships between Sook-Hee, Fujiwara, Lady Hideko and the remaining occupants of the mansion.

Park’s film channels the wit and elegance of Stephen Frears’ Dangerous Liaisons, but it has the fearless heart of Oshima’s In The Realm of The Senses. It does a lot of things differently and at the end it leaves a vivid, lasting impression. This I think is a special accomplishment because Asian cinema has evolved dramatically since Oshima’s controversial film and explicit or graphic footage alone is no longer enough to create ripple effects.

While the entire cast is very easy to praise, it is Park’s direction that is absolutely crucial for the film’s attractiveness. Indeed, it provides it with multiple identities that in return allow the cast to shine in a number of different ways. The film’s striking period look is also effectively complemented by a brilliant soundtrack blending a wide range of baroque and contemporary harmonies.

*This two-disc set from Cruzon Artificial Eye contains two different versions of the film. The Theatrical Version of the film is approximately 144 minutes long and it is the same version that is included on the North American release that is distributed by Sony Pictures Home Entertainment. Also included is a longer and more explicit Extended Version of the film, which is approximately 169 minutes long. It is also worth mentioning that the subtitling on this release is done differently. There are optional white and yellow subtitles that identify the different exchanges in Korean and Japanese throughout the entire film.

The Handmaiden Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in an aspect ratio of 2.39:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Park Chan-wook's The Handmaiden arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Curzon Artificial Eye.

I viewed the longer version of the film and from what I could tell it most likely comes from the same master that was used to create the shorter Theatrical Version of the film. In other words, the transitions where the new footage appears do not create abrupt drops in quality. There are a few very small fluctuations that occur during indoor footage, but I am convinced that they are a byproduct of the manner in which light is captured by the Arri Alexa XT Plus camera. (Multiple lenses were apparently used as well, so this is also something that would have contributed to the minor discrepancies in terms of sharpness and contrast, with the daylight footage typically having the most consistently solid appearance). The rest looks fantastic. Colors in particular are wonderfully reproduced and there are some fantastic nuances that only films that shot digitally can boast. Image stability is outstanding. (Note: This is a Region-B "locked" Blu-ray release. Therefore, you must have a native Region-B or Region-Free player in order to access its content).

The Handmaiden Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There are two standard audio tracks on this Blu-ray release: Korean DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 and Korean LPCM 2.0. Optional white and yellow English subtitles are provided for the main feature. Please see the main review above for additional information on the type of subtitling that was done for this release.

I viewed the Extended Version with the 5.1 track and can only echo the comments that I left in our review of the North American release of The Handmaiden. It is pretty easy to tell that the film has a fully digital soundtrack that was carefully mixed to make sure that there is a wide spectrum of outstanding nuances. It is the type of lossless track that I would use to test new audio equipment.

* For the Theatrical Version Curzon Artificial Eye have also provided an English Audio Description track (LPCM 2.0), as well as optional white and yellow English and English SDH subtitles for the main feature.

The Handmaiden Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

DISC ONE - THEATRICAL VERSION

• Q&A Session - presented here is a long filmed Q&A session with Park Chan-wook in which he explains how years ago he saw Alfred Hitchcock's Vertigo on an old tape and the film inspired him to become a director, and discusses the evolution of his style, some of the major dilemmas film directors face in South Korea, the shooting of The Handmaiden and its period atmosphere, to what extent he and his creative team have a complete vision of the film before production begins, etc. The exchanges are in Korean and English and the communication is done with the help of a translator. The session was filmed at the BFI London Film Festival in 2016. (60 min).

• Trailer - original theatrical trailer for The Handmaiden. In Korean, with imposed English subtitles and English text. (2 min).

DISC TWO - EXTENDED VERSION

• Making of - presented here is a short featurette with comments from director Park Chan-wook and cast members about the production process as well as raw footage from the shooting of the film. In Korean, with imposed English subtitles. (6 min).

• Cannes Premiere - presented here is footage from the gala screening of The Handmaiden at the Cannes Film Festival. Music only. (2 min).

• Introduction - presented here is a short video introduction by Kim Tae-ri (the Handmaiden), Kim Min-hee (the Lady), and Ha Jung-woo (the Count). In Korean, with imposed English subtitles. (1 min).

• Director Interview - in this short video piece, director Park Chan-wook quickly explains what inspired him to shoot The Handmaiden and addresses the shooting process. In Korean, with imposed English subtitles. (2 min).

The Handmaiden Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

British distributors Curzon Artificial Eye's upcoming Special Edition of Park Chan-wook's The Handmaiden features a substantially longer version of the film that probably should be regarded as the complete version as it expands its story quite well. The release also presents the film as it was subtitled for theatrical screenings -- with white and yellow subtitles for the different exchanges in Korean and Japanese. The shorter version of the film is also included on a separate disc. If you are a fan of The Handmaiden, I think that it is pretty clear now that this is the definitive release of the film that you want to have in your collection. VERY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.