The Handmaiden

Main Plot

"The Handmaiden," directed by Park Chan-wook, is a psychological thriller set in 1930s Korea during Japanese colonial rule. The story follows a young woman hired as a handmaiden to a Japanese heiress living in a secluded estate. Unbeknownst to the heiress, the handmaiden is part of a con orchestrated by a swindler posing as a Japanese count. The plan is to defraud the heiress of her inheritance by convincing her to marry the count, after which she will be committed to an asylum. As the plot unfolds, unexpected emotions and alliances develop, leading to a series of twists and revelations. The film explores themes of deception, power, and liberation, all set against a backdrop of lush, intricate visuals and a hauntingly beautiful score.

Characters

• Kim Min-hee plays Lady Hideko, a wealthy Japanese heiress manipulated by con artists in a complex plot involving deception, romance, and betrayal.
• Ha Jung-woo plays Count Fujiwara, a conman who collaborates with a pickpocket to defraud a wealthy heiress.
• Cho Jin-woong plays Uncle Kouzuki, a wealthy and perverse book collector who manipulates and controls the female protagonist for his own gain.

Ending Explained

In the conclusion of Park Chan-wook's film "The Handmaiden," the intricate plot of deception and betrayal reaches its climax. The movie, set in 1930s Korea under Japanese colonial rule, follows a complex scheme involving a conman named Count Fujiwara, a pickpocket named Sook-hee, and a wealthy heiress named Lady Hideko. The ending reveals that Sook-hee and Lady Hideko have been manipulating Count Fujiwara all along. Initially, Sook-hee was recruited by Fujiwara to help him seduce and defraud Hideko, but the two women develop a genuine romantic relationship and decide to turn the tables on him. They orchestrate a plan to escape together, framing Fujiwara for their supposed deaths. In the final scenes, Fujiwara is captured and tortured by Hideko's sadistic uncle, Kouzuki, who seeks to uncover the truth. Fujiwara, in a final act of defiance, poisons himself and Kouzuki, destroying the evidence of their crimes. Meanwhile, Sook-hee and Hideko successfully flee, symbolically shedding their past identities and embarking on a new life together. The film concludes with the two women on a ship, free from their oppressors, and embracing their newfound freedom and love.