'The Handmaiden' lands historic BAFTA for Best Foreign Film

A scene from the Park Chan-wook film "The Handmaiden" / Courtesy of CJ Entertainment

By Jason Bechervaise

Korean auteur Park Chan-wook has played an instrumental part in putting Korean cinema on the map. Many will recall the Grand Prix award he received at the Cannes Film Festival in 2004 for his acclaimed “Oldboy,” a pivotal moment in his career that like Bong Joon-ho has reflected the growth of Korean cinema abroad.

It, therefore, comes as no surprise, perhaps, that Park’s lesbian thriller “The Handmaiden” made history in becoming the first Korean film to win a BAFTA (British Academy Film Awards), a feat achieved when it was announced on Sunday evening in London that “The Handmaiden” had won best foreign film at the 71st BAFTAs.

In the U.K. in particular, Park has been a revered figure. It was there where the branding “Asia Extreme” by the now defunct Tartan films was established, a problematic label many would argue, that would brand Park’s Vengeance trilogy -- “Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance,” “Oldboy” and “Lady Vengeance.”

“Oldboy” was the company’s most successful Asian title underscoring Park’s popularity in the U.K.

Glowing reviews of “The Handmaiden” from the U.K. press following its Cannes premiere in 2016 and after its release in April last year helped propel the film to an extremely successful theatrical run where it amassed over $1 million, a gargantuan figure for an independent foreign language release.

Indeed, the fact that the film is based on a British novel “Fingersmith” (2002) by Sarah Waters also aided in its success.

Park along with his co-writer Chung Seo-kyung cleverly relocated the novel’s Victorian setting to Korea during the Japanese colonial period where it follows a cunning con man who poses as “Count Fujiwara” (Ha Jung-woo) who tries to seduce a Japanese heiress called Lady Hideko (Kim Min-hee) with the help of a pickpocket-turned-maid (Kim Tae-ri) in an elaborate plot to acquire her inheritance.

But at the center of the narrative is a love story between the two female leading characters, which also holds resonance in what remains a male-dominated industry both in Korea and in the West.

The award in London comes at a time where the “Time’s Up” and #Metoo movements are gaining further momentum against sexual harassment and inequality in the film industry.

There has been some criticism, however, following its release owing to the film’s explicit sex scenes thereby subjecting it to the male gaze.

Of course, it’s not just the U.K. where the film has resonated with critics and audiences alike. In Korea, the film pulled in 3 million viewers following its release in June 2016, a large number given its R-rating.

In the U.S., the film won best foreign language awards from numerous film critic circles including those in Los Angeles, New York and Boston in 2016 which could have put it on course for a nomination at the Academy Awards for best foreign film had it been submitted by the Korean Film Council (KOFIC). So far a nomination has eluded Korea.

The film, which was distributed by Amazon studios in the U.S. has a strong track record at the Oscars following the success of “Manchester by the Sea.”

But released in Korea and the U.S. in 2016, a particularly fruitful year for Korean cinema that saw Na Hong-jin’s “The Wailing” and Kim Jee-woon’s “The Age of Shadows” hit screens to much commercial success and critical acclaim, the Korean Film Council submitted the latter.

In retrospect, it was probably the wrong choice, but it does highlight the difficulties in choosing the right title for academy voters, which is decided by a panel of judges.

In other years, Lee Chang-dong’s “Secret Sunshine,” Bong Joon-ho’s “Mother” and Kim Ki-duk’s “Pieta” were submitted but failed to even make the shortlist.

At the BAFTAs, however, such a submission by KOFIC is not required; it can be made by the film’s U.K. distributor if it meets the minimum requirements (released on a minimum of 10 screens for at least 7 days).

Nevertheless, “The Handmaiden” at BAFTA is a hugely significant moment for Korean cinema on the world stage in what is long overdue. Some may even wonder why it has taken this long to receive such an award given the admiration for Korean films that stretches across the globe.

With Lee Chang-dong’s “Burning” expected to be released this year having wrapped up filming in January -- a Cannes bow looks likely -- it might not be too long before another Korean film goes on to win such a coveted award.