Queer Cinema Across Cultures: Adapting ‘The Handmaiden’

In a mesmerizing dance between text and screen, Park Chan-wook‘s The Handmaiden takes Sarah Waters‘ Victorian-era novel Fingersmith and transplants it into 1930s Korea, weaving a tale of deception, desire, and breathtaking transformation. How did this daring adaptation not only capture the essence of the original but elevate it to new artistic heights? To kick off Pride Month, we will look at one of the most iconic queer films of the past twenty years, The Handmaiden, and discuss the effectiveness of adaptations across cultures.

As a warning, this article will have spoilers for The Handmaiden. 

The Handmaiden is based on Sarah Waters’ novel Fingersmith, published in 2002. Fingersmith was first adapted by the BBC in 2005 into a three-episode TV series, which was relatively successful and holds 7.8/10 on IMDb. However, the 2016 adaptation, The Handmaiden, directed by renowned Korean filmmaker Park Chan-wook, brought the story to a new level. Park, known for his award-winning 2003 thriller Oldboy and the recent Decision to Leave (2022), specializes in dark, shock cinema. His films often blend crime, dark comedy, and thriller elements, characterized by his distinctive filming style.

In adapting The Handmaiden, Park shifted the original setting from Victorian England to 1930s Korea during the Japanese occupation. Like the source material, the movie is divided into three parts that follow a grand scheme centered around the fortune of a Japanese heiress named Hideko. The story begins from the perspective of a young Korean woman, Sook-Hee. After being abandoned at a young age, Sook-Hee is raised as a petty thief by her adoptive mother and a group of women with similar backgrounds. One day, a Korean con man posing as Japanese “Count Fujiwara” recruits Sook-Hee to pose as a maid and assist in seducing Hideko, intending to lock her away in a mental institution after their marriage to access her fortune. Sook-Hee takes the job and enters Hideko’s home as her personal maid. However, the two women develop feelings for each other, complicating Sook Hee’s plans.

Fujiwara and Hideko eventually marry, but the plot takes a twist, revealing that Hideko and Fujiwara were plotting against Sook Hee all along. The second section follows Hideko’s perspective, showing flashbacks of her traumatic childhood in her uncle’s house, where she was forced to read pornographic literature for his colleagues’ entertainment. “Count Fujiwara” approaches her with an escape plan: frame a random woman as “Lady Hideko” and leave her in a mental institution, allowing Hideko to escape. After locking up Sook-Hee, Fujiwara proposes to Hideko again, this time under Sook Hee’s identity, claiming Sook Hee will die soon. Suspecting Fujiwara’s true intentions, Hideko drugs him and escapes. Meanwhile, Sook-Hee is rescued from the asylum by an old friend, and after reuniting, the two women flee together to China.

Adapting iconic works is not to be taken lightly. An adaptation transforms one form of artistry into another, such as book-to-film. When adapting across cultures, the challenge intensifies. It involves more than just changing the language and setting; it requires a cultural rebranding to convey the message to a new audience. Fingersmith is often seen as a seminal piece of feminist literature exploring female sexuality and the male gaze. In The Handmaiden, Park Chan-wook deepens these themes. While maintaining the original plot with some modifications, he politicizes the role of women against the backdrop of a significant period of change and resistance in Korea. The original work portrays a stagnant social structure with little hope for change regarding women’s status and sexual liberation. However, writing The Handmaiden during Korea’s colonial period highlights the feminist themes as part of a break from oppressive Japanese colonial rule. Revolutionaries of the time moved away from traditional Confucian ideology, which placed women below men and denied them education and independence. By situating the plot in this historical context, Park underscores a cultural revolution alongside the independence movement, enhancing the feminist narrative.

Through its exploration of colonial themes, cultural revolution, and national identity, The Handmaiden stands out as a uniquely Korean film. Even without fully grasping the historical context and deeper themes, the film remains an incredibly effective adaptation. Adaptations aim to retain the original source’s essence while infusing it with a fresh perspective to captivate new audiences. In “The Handmaiden,” the queer and feminist themes from “Fingersmith” are preserved and expanded upon, particularly in the politicization of female sexuality.

Park Chan-wook’s masterful direction transforms Sarah Waters’ narrative into a visually stunning and emotionally rich film that resonates across cultures. By setting the story during Korea’s colonial period, Park not only enhances the feminist narrative but also highlights a time of significant social upheaval and resistance. This contextual shift allows The Handmaiden to explore themes of empowerment and liberation more deeply, making it a powerful statement on both personal and political levels.

In celebrating Pride Month, The Handmaiden serves as a reminder of the transformative power of adaptations. It demonstrates how a story can be reimagined and recontextualized to reflect different cultural and historical realities while maintaining its core message. Park Chan-wook’s adaptation is a testament to the enduring relevance of Fingersmith and its themes, proving that a well-crafted adaptation can honor the original work and create something new and compelling.