I recently watched “The Handmaiden” directed by Park Chan-Wook and was struck by the differences and similarities to the other sapphic film we watched, “Portrait of a Lady on Fire.” Although very similar in its themes and plot points, “The Handmaiden” dives deeper into the effect of male centrism on queer relationships between women, which “Portrait of a Lady on Fire” keeps in the background instead of putting it front and center. Although I enjoyed both, I can recognize the differences between the two on its depictions on sapphic love.
“The Handmaiden” focuses on a rich heiress who is set to marry a man, but instead falls in love with her handmaiden and tricks the abusive men around them to elope with her. This is similar to “Portrait of a Lady on Fire,” but the woman that Heliose is set to marry is never shown and the two women do not defy the arranged marriage. This shows the difference between the two films, as “Portrait of a Lady on Fire” seems to depict the patriarchy as unmoving, while “The Handmaiden” depicts it as stifling, but escapable.
In the first parts of “The Handmaiden,” the two women are depicted beautifully, with respect to their characters and their quiet, intimate moments. As the movie progresses, their love becomes more and more dangerous and deceptive, culminating in a long and explicit sex scene. However, I as well as many other find issue with these scenes, as it feels like a performance for the audience, like pornography, instead of an intimate and personal relationship between the two characters. In the last part of the movie, the characters are clearly shot from the male gaze, focusing on their body parts in a voyeuristic way. This feels ironic considering the entire movie is about the two women escaping objectification by men. This notion is completely rejected in “Portrait of a Lady on Fire,” as the women’s nudity never feels objectifying or pornographic and their intimate scenes feel personal to them, instead of for the pleasure of the viewer.
Despite this, I can agree with the widespread acclaim and acceptance of “The Handmaiden” as a classic in the LGBTQ+ genre. The characters are complex, the romance is passionate and unashamed, and the theme of two women finding solace in a deeply misogynistic society is extremely touching. And most satisfyingly, the women win in the end and escape the patriarchy.
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