A Film That Dared to Break Conventions
When Park Chan-wook’s The Handmaiden premiered at Cannes in 2016, it wasn’t just another addition to Korean cinema—it was a thunderclap. Adapted from Sarah Waters’ novel Fingersmith and transposed to Japanese-occupied Korea, the film was lush, erotic, violent, and poetic all at once. At its heart, it told the story of Lady Hideko (Kim Min-hee), her handmaiden Sook-hee (Kim Tae-ri), and the conman Count Fujiwara (Ha Jung-woo), in a tangled tale of deception, desire, and liberation.
But what happened after the credits rolled was just as fascinating. For the actors involved, The Handmaiden became a turning point—catapulting some into global recognition, reshaping others’ careers, and even testing personal resilience.
Kim Min-hee: From Acclaimed Actress to Controversial Muse
Before The Handmaiden, Kim Min-hee was already known in South Korea for her graceful performances in films like Helpless and Very Ordinary Couple. As Lady Hideko, she delivered a performance that was chillingly fragile yet devastatingly powerful. Her ability to embody both the victim and the strategist made her the haunting center of the film.
The role earned her international recognition, with critics around the world describing her performance as “mesmerizing.” She won Best Actress at the Baeksang Arts Awards as well as the Asian Film Awards. Still, while her career was taking off, her personal circumstances underwent a huge change.
In 2017, news of her relationship with the then-married director Hong Sang-soo broke. In South Korea, where social conservatism imposes strong expectations on personal behavior, this relationship was explosive. Kim endured boycotts and intensified media attention, but did not pull back. Instead, she became immersed in the relationship, collaborating with Hong on a series of highly regarded international arthouse films (On the Beach at Night Alone, The Woman Who Ran, Walk Up), where she was the lead.
Many people see the career she chose after The Handmaiden as a reflection of Hideko. The shift in personal narrative and public perception, after all, was immense: she was disparaged and determinedly so. Domestically, the shift in narrative reduced her mainstream popularity, but, in parallel, her arthouse global stature soared.
Kim Tae-ri: A Star Is Born
If The Handmaiden was a milestone for Kim Min-hee, it was nothing short of a launchpad for Kim Tae-ri. When cast as Sook-hee, she was an unknown—selected from an audition pool of 1,500 hopefuls. Park Chan-wook took a chance on her raw energy and natural screen presence.
Her portrayal of Sook-hee—witty, earthy, and cunning—won over both Korean and international audiences. Critics praised her as the film’s revelation. Tae-ri herself admitted in interviews that she was terrified during filming, often leaning on Kim Min-hee’s guidance. Their on-screen intimacy required vulnerability and trust, and both actresses spoke about how they built a sisterly bond during the shoot.
After The Handmaiden, Tae-ri’s career skyrocketed. She transitioned seamlessly into diverse roles: a swordswoman in the period drama Mr. Sunshine, a rebellious young woman in Little Forest, and a space pilot in Netflix’s Space Sweepers. By the time she starred in the hit series Twenty-Five Twenty-One (2022), she had become a household name across Asia.
Considered the best example of the transformative reach of The Handmaiden, her rise from obscurity to one of Korea’s most sought after celebrities is remarkable. Still, she narrates her first project with fondness, stating, “this is the project that taught me how acting is both courageous and deeply vulnerable.”
Ha Jung-woo: Career Steadier than a Conman’s Smile
Ha Jung-woo was one of Korea’s top actors well before The Handmaiden, and one of his most famous roles was Count Fujiwara, the charming trickster attempting to outsmart everyone. He is one of the few actors who could ground the menacing performances around him while maintaining a sinister wit.
Unlike most box office draws, the film did help build his international reputation, proving to global audiences that he is a versatile performer beyond the domestic box office, capable of nuanced villainy. The film did help build his international reputation and he went on to star in Along with the Gods and The Tunnel.
Ha Jung-woo off screen after The Handmaiden was also dealing with rough patches. He was investigated for abuse of propofol, a sedative, at a plastic surgery clinic. He admitted to some of the presiding allegations. The public and fans, however, seemed to have little ire, perhaps in recognition of his positive career in Korean cinema.
Cho Jin-woong and the Supporting Ensemble
The gravitas and menace to the story of The Handmaiden, was partially attributed to the performance of the actor that played the sinister Uncle Kouzuki, as he was already respected for films such as A Hard Day. The height of his reputation as a dependable and reliable character actor was solidified in Korean cinema with the chilling performance in The Handmaiden.
For the supporting cast, the international recognition that the film received allowed them greater access to festival circuits. Many of them went on to speak of the directing style of Park Chan-wook as a masterclass in meticulousness, which had a direct influence on them for future projects.
Behind the Velvet Curtain: Making Intimacy Human
Perhaps the greatest amount of unnecessary explain was The Handmaiden’s love scenes, with shoddy work, The scenes could have been exploitative. This was not the case with Park Chan-wook, who ensured with respect the intimacy scenes between Kim Min-hee and Kim Tae-ri. The set was closed and the complete details were discussed with the actresses before every shot.
Kim Tae-ri conveyed that she was left emotional and had to cry after filming a particularly vulnerable scene. Fortunately, Min-hee was around, and she was courteous and mentor-like to Tae-ri, after which their bond was at least, to some degree, trustfully solidified. While most would prefer a happier, more pleasant scene to cry after, these seam-to-seam constructed scenes gave unbearable tough moments for these actors, as they both more than once, stated, were required to spend time crying.
The scenes described were stated had not as moments of titillation, were called as acts, or rather scenes of liberation. Hideko and Suk-hee were for a time acting, or rather scenes of a tale, reclaiming their agency from oppressive men. For a time and to some degree these actors were able to reclaim their power, or in this case, to some measure, power over their tale.
The Return of a Legacy that Civilized and Changed Lives, the tale also Wonderland of Fantasies. Staging a wonder was more than winning the awards or figures.Looking back, The Handmaiden was more than a narrative about two women escaping a man’s web of deception. It was also a tale about the performers embracing different stages of their careers: taking risks, experiencing setbacks, and ultimately triumphing, akin to the roles they embodied.
Watch Free Movies on Swatchseries-apk.store