FILM REVIEW

Chistine Jane Asmod

St. Catherine

THE HANDMAID’S TALE

An american dystopian drama web televison series created by Bruce Miller, based on the novel
of the same name by Margaret Artwood. Starring Elisabeth Moss, Joseph Fiennes, Yvonne
Strahovski, Alexis Biedel, Madeline Brewer, Ann Dowd, O.T. Fagbenle, Max Minghella and
Samira Wiley.

PLOT SUMMARY: The Handmaid's Tale is the story of life in the dystopia of Gilead, a
totalitarian society in what was the United States. Gilead is ruled by a fundamentalist regime that
treats women as property of the state, and is faced with environmental disasters and a
plummeting birth rate. In a desperate attempt to repopulate a devastated world, the few
remaining fertile women are forced into sexual servitude. One of these women, Offred, is
determined to survive the terrifying world she lives in, and find the daughter that was taken from
her.

REVIEW:

The Handmaid's Tale takes you into this dystopian future, and it has never felt more real.
Actually it doesn't hit you over the head every so often with good scenes; the beauty of it is that
it has a suspense, strong and breathtaking film.
The Handmaid's Tale is a series that presents what could happen were women's rights that wasr
taken away, or should I say that The Handmaid's Tale is a series that presents what could happen
were women's rights that was taken away. In a Puritanical society, the Bible was the sole
authority. Puritans believed it applied to every area and level of life. The Salem Witch Trials are
one such example of Puritanical beliefs in action. Were it not for historical documentation, you
would have people negating those as well. So, as to the question of whether it could or couldn't
happen, the people most saying it and stating that it could not happen, are the ones that most
believe it can.

I've learned some great lessons from this series. First is never judge a show just based on the
promotion of the show. I was reluctant to watch the series based on the title, custome and setting.
I've never been so wrong. This is one of the best dramas on television. Excellent direction,
screenplay, acting and setting. The plot is unique, original and something I've never seen before.
The plot takes place in a future society separate from the United States where women are forced
into sexual servitude due to declining birth rates. The main character is on a constant quest to
escape her captors and find her own daughter who was stolen from her years earlier. It's
examination of totalitarianism and exploitation is unparalleled. Moss is a revelation. It is such a
privalage to view a lead actress in such a controversial role. Her portrayal and character
development is magnificent. She is the core of this series, she's captivating and the series
wouldn't exist without her. I hope this series continues for many seasons.

With beautifully shot, crisp and clear scenes that show off a true emotional facial expressions
during times of sadness, and a focus on deep and rich colors like red and blue, this show is a
masterpiece.
On the other hand, this show is an emotional roller coaster of shock and distress — it follows a
society in which rape is a force or threats to make someone do something, using power,
manipulation and the silent threat of violence.
As a handmaid, you stay in line, do the shopping for the house you live in, keep your head down
and comply, comply, comply. They even have to wear red, shapeless dresses that hide a portion
of their face.
Other thing about The Handmaid's Tale isn't its evocation of a dark political future, however. It's
the way we're drawn into the personal perspective of June, a book editor who paid very little
attention to politics until one day her credit card stopped working. Because she's fertile, June is
sent to a reeducation camp for handmaids. Eventually she's renamed "Offred" when she becomes
the property of a man named Fred and his supposedly infertile wife. Other women aren't so
lucky. The infertile are sent to die cleaning up toxic waste in the colonies. Lesbian "gender
traitors" are hanged in public places, where their bodies are left on display for days.

CONLUSION/EVALUATION

The state of Gilead uses religious fundamentalism to justify male political, patriarchal
authority.
Gilead’s social polices are based on the Old Testament, where patriarchal
authority is justified as the ‘Law of God’. Gilead is where Patriarch Jacob established his
‘household, his lineage and his flocks and herds’.
The use of patriarchy as a powerful device is further through the male characters in the film
series, of which the Commander is the most significant. The Commander is the most powerful
authority figure in Offred’s world. He is a high-ranking government official, and he is head of
the household to which Offred is assigned.
The role of men is to incite or causing the women in harm to bring out their
opinions about the current situation, in particular Offred. The position of men during Gilead were
having gender inequality, they control the Work-force, they control the government, they set a
limitation toward Handmaid’s, and they are access to illegal products.
When Offred says of her Commander, “His hair is gray. Silver, you might call it if
you were being kind... The one before this was bald, so I suppose this is an improvement.” The
Commanders, then, almost as a rule, are older. This is why her doctor likely tells her that she’s
not gotten pregnant yet because so many “of those old guys are sterile.” However, it is illegal to
say that a man is sterile; only women are fruitful or barren. If woman in Gilead cannot get
pregnant, it is assumed that it is her own fault and can have nothing to do with the man.

I think the message of this film in a community, where the genders are unequal, everyone
suffers. When the genders are not equal, as in Gilead, no one wins.