The Handmaiden: A Lesbian Con-artist Masterpiece

Between 1910 and 1945, Korea was under the rule of Japan. The decades of ‘Japanisation’ saw Korea become the second-most industrialised country in the region, the creation of possibly-fake Japanese-Korean regions (notably Mimana), the destruction of the Korean royal palace Gyeongbokgung and, during the final years of Japanese rule, tens of thousands of young Korean women being enslaved as ‘comfort women’ for Japanese soldiers (please note: this piece is written by a British man with an at best pedestrian knowledge of Japanese-rule Korea. Read up on it if you want a fascinating deep-dive!). It is in this world that Park Chan-wook and regular co-writer Jeong Seo-kyeong brings us the story of handmaiden Sook-Hee (Kim Tae-ri) and her lady, Hideko (Kim Min-hee). Continue reading The Handmaiden: A Lesbian Con-artist Masterpiece

Why “Lady Vengeance” is the Film 2019 Needs

At time of this article’s writing, a huge discussion is taking place online, about where or not Todd Phillips’ “Joker” is, to borrow an overused phrase, the film we need right now. Some who have seen the movie, and some who have not, assert that “Joker” is a rallying screed for the far-right nutters who are shooting innocent Americans at an alarming rate. And it’s a fair question to raise about any film – how does this piece of art fit in with, or even inform, our social / political climate? With that in mind, the 2005 masterpiece “Lady Vengeance” is very much the film we need right now. Continue reading Why “Lady Vengeance” is the Film 2019 Needs