Could the United States be converted into fundamentalist utopia -- the 'Republic of Gilead' -- and the status of women be demoted to Old Testament proportions? It seemed possible in 1985, when Margaret Atwood wrote
The Handmaid's Tale, and even though the political muscle of evangelical sects has diminished a bit since then, but not the peril of an
authoritarian regime. And, to a degree almost unimaginable in the 1980's, the Internet has muddied the waters of reality, creating a new sort of primordial soup, from which all kinds of new monsters may yet be
slouching toward Bethlehem to be born. Religious fervor is one thing, but chaos is another.
In 1990, the novel was adapted as a film. Things looked good at the start, with Harold Pinter (later a Nobel laureate) set to write the script, and an A-list cast was lined up that included Robert Duvall as the Commander, Faye Dunaway as Serena Joy, and Natasha Richardson as Offred. The original director, Karol Reisz, had wanted thousands of extras for the crowd scenes, along with other big-budget set pieces; when the studio nixed these, he quit, and was replaced by
Volker Schlondorff. Pinter, claiming he was "exhausted," begged off doing any of the script changes Schlondorff requested, giving him and author Margaret Atwood "carte blanche" in rewrites, and later trying to have his name taken off the script. Another day in Hollywood.
Given all that, it's remarkable that the film is as strong, as coherent, and as passionate as it is. Certainly, it was far ahead of its time in many ways, and despite its modest production values conveys an uncanny feeling that such a world might still, a third of a century later, be just around the corner.
Watching this movie reminds me of how different films were before the rise of CGI. And the higher weight of dialogue and techniques like pacing and music. Were product placement was not a thing and the overall look was far more real then the polished Hollywood blockbusters of today. I enjoy the slow pacing and the way all of the characters share the human complexity that is often lost on more modern villains and hero's. As for the question could it happen here? Of course it could and may still. One thing that is very hard for people to understand is the other world that exists when things go bad. Choices that now are just academic or played out on our favorite drama when brought over into the real world are not dramatic or fun or interesting. They are horrible and the strongest most noble among us can far easier then we can imagine fall into darkness. I think the reduction in budget can in some cases help filmmakers tighten up scripts and concentrate on more with less to the advantage of the films vision. Of course the power house cast helps! I felt I understood all of the main characters motivations and enjoyed the small touches like the Commander playing solitaire with his handmaiden. I think professor your comment on chaos is interesting as chaos is were such regimes are born from. In such chaos often people gravitate towards order and peace even if and often at the end of a billy club or a gun. Humans are if nothing else adaptable and survivors.
ReplyDeleteTess Collins
ReplyDeleteOne aspect of the 1990 film adaptation of “The Handmaid’s Tale” that I was immediately struck by was how similar the plot and dialogue is to the original text. I’ve seen a couple episodes of the Hulu series that just came out recently and that adaptation seemed to take a lot more creative liberty and use quite a bit of artistic flare. Although the costuming and set design in the Hulu series feels very similar, albeit updated, to the 1990 film, the plot moves a lot more slowly, and there is very little dialogue – the majority of the story line is revealed through Offred’s narration. This film included much more dialogue and I even recognized some of the lines as being exact quotations from the original text. For example, at one point when the handmaids first arrive at the Red Center, Aunt Lydia says exactly, “there is more than one kind of freedom…Freedom to and freedom from. In the days of anarchy, it was freedom to. Now you are being given freedom from. Don’t underrate it.” (pg. 24)
I thought the film was well-produced for its time, but if I’m being completely honest, I really did not enjoy it. I found the book to be very interesting and although I did find the concept of the Republic of Gilead very disturbing, I loved Margaret Atwood’s writing and I thought she did an eloquent job of addressing some really important themes. However, watching this story acted out on screen just felt a little too unsettling and creepy. I did not like the depiction of the Ceremony at all and I thought that the scenes at the Red Center were disquieting as well. I much prefer to read books rather than to watch films, especially when they are about heavy or suggestive topics.
Despite my own personal dislike for this film, I did think that the actors and actresses did a very good job portraying their roles. The actress who played Offred ignited a lot of emotion and Serena Joy and the Commander personified their oppressive forces really well.
Reading this novel before watching the film gave me a great idea of what this movie was going to be like. Just watching the trailer before the film gave a very bleak and dark feel, it created a scary atmosphere. The first thing I noticed when starting the movie were the colors; everything was dull and the only things that really caught the eye were the red outfits of the handmaids and the blues in the commander’s wives outfits. This movie in my opinion was very creepy just like the book but for some reason I liked the reading better. I am definitely not the type to watch something like this so it was for sure a new genre for me to understand. Offred departing from Nick in the end of the movie was pretty sad, it gave a different perspective in the film since everything was pretty creepy and strange. The killing of the commander was an intense scene because the viewer believes Offred is going to be taken by the police when they arrive. Turns out these police officers are part of the resistance movement which Nick is a part of so she gets to flee and hide out without the repercussions. The ending leaves a feeling of uncertainty because it ends with Offred wondering if Nick will ever reunite with her.
ReplyDeleteMadison Marcure
ReplyDeleteI was surprised to see that they plot of the film and the plot of the book were very similar; although I enjoyed the book a little more. This shocked me because normally it is the other way around. Despite that, the film was relatively well-produce for that time. The whole plot was creepy and twisted but at the same time left you wanting more. I also found it interesting in the blog post to learn about all the drama that occurred behind the scenes. Most of the time you don't hear about that stuff or never bother to look it up, but to read about the messy side of the film made me view and understand it in a whole new way.
For some reason I began watching this film with the expectation that it wasn’t going to be as detailed and loyal to the book so I was honestly caught a bit off guard to say the least. Although unexpected, I do think the thought put into each scene/detail (even the graphic ones) made the film much more dramatic. This is also due in part to the actors and actresses doing a really great job embodying their characters. Seeing Offred cry for her daughter she didn’t know whether or not was alive and later seeing how Serena just gives her a picture and says she’ll never be able to see her again really hit a nerve, which I think is a good indication of how well they played their roles. Despite not being a film I’d generally watch, I will say it’s always interesting comparing films like this to ones today and picking out distinct differences.
ReplyDeleteThat's a great visual moment with Serena and Offred, I agree -- something only a film could do!
DeleteThis film is great because you can easily pick out film elements. After taking a film class, I can easily identify film elements that film makers use universally. One huge idea that film makers use is the use of color for symbolism. When the girls are first indoctrinated, they are all wearing white which symbolizes their innocence, purity, and love. Then eventually they are put into red clothing which shows their development into child bearing and fertility. Red is the color of passion and rage, so that can go for something too. Lastly, in the ceremony scene, all the wives are wearing blue. Blue symbolizes harmony, contentment, and tranquility. It is really interesting to see the use of color in that way in this film. I think it helps us, the audience, understand more of what kind of mood is being set.
ReplyDeleteOffred is bound to become a handmaid -- a sexual slave that works as a surrogate for couples who want children but cannot have them themselves. She works for the intense Serena and her cruel leader. Offred is in love with the commander's driver, Nick, and must find a way to have a child before being shipped off. It is a scary look at spiritual fanatics taking over a country which is very disturbing because, in real life, there are some genuinely crazy religious psychos in the world. This film will keep you on the edge of your seat with clever twists and suspense!! I do have to say that this is a horror vision of the future. It shows that 1 out of every 100 women is pregnant, who isn't doing slave labor. The ones are "sold" off to wealthy families where they have sex with the husband to provide a baby. It slowly shows how women are treated and used, and it just gets more horrifying as it unfolds. Although the film can keep you on the edge of your seat, I didn't find the movie all that impressive. In this case, Christianity, which to me didn't seem too believable. And I guess that's the critical component of my review. Reproduction is controlled and given a ceremony. It's an old theme, though given a unique flavor in this play. Like a lot of sci-fi, it's a bit of a warning, but one that strikes me as being a bit more imaginative than anything else. No matter how you dress it up, it just doesn't stand to reason that anyone, for any length of time, would ever put up with the draconian standards used to clamp down on sexuality.
ReplyDeleteThe movie The Handmaid’s Tale (1990) is a dystopian society fable. America, now Gilead, is ruled by puritanical right-wing extremists. Gilead has a totalitarian government which suppresses its peoples’ freedom of choice. Gilead has become a male-controlled police state dedicated to the oppression of women. Gilead's separation of men and women into mutually exclusive roles points to a system of binary divisions coded by gender. Although male characters are rarely portrayed in the film, their power is omnipresent. Men are either corridors of power, or are fighting soldiers known as the Angels. In The Handmaids Tale, women are stripped of their real names, their voices, and their rights. They are indoctrinated into the religion-based ideas of this new society where they will be Handmaids. The production of children has become the Republic of Gilead's overarching goal, governing nearly every aspect of life. I decided to focus on the gender roles in the Handmaid's Tale because today's society is so focused on controlling women's rights as they did in Gilead.
ReplyDeleteAfter listening to the lecture and then watching movie, I expected the film to be much worse off then it was. The original director abandoning ship didn't instill any confidence in it being well done, but it really was. One aspect I really enjoyed in the movie was the Handmaid's having more of an underground network, with information gathering and plots to kill their own commanders. It gave a lot more weight to Ofglen being replaced all of the sudden. I think one thing that stood out to me as lacking from the movie was more backstory in the before times. We don't get to see Moira and Kate's friendship before, and really don't get to see any of Kate's husband and how she misses him. We also don't see how much of the Handmaid's life is spent just waiting for something to happen, but of course that would have made for a very boring movie.
ReplyDeleteIt's still crazy to think about how all it takes for a world like this to come to be is the right (wrong?) group of people to decide it's time to change things to their liking. We all want peace, but I guess that can mean different things to different people.
Karina Nunez
ReplyDeleteFor those who haven't read the book prior to watching the film will have some confusions as the film is not as detailed as the book which usually happens with all films made from a book. The handmaids tale book version gives you the background of what the characters have went through and putting that story line to film really catches the audience. considering how low budget the film looked it had me at the end of my seat waiting to see what would happen next. From the eery music to the acting it overall was a good film as twisted as the story line was. I felt for Offred the entire time watching what she and the other handmaids went through is truly awful. All Offred wanted was to be reunited with her daughter and to escape from the awful torment of being a handmaids. The part where the daughter is looking for her was truly heartbreaking. At the end I'm glad Offred was able to escape the actress portrayed her character very well.
I much enjoyed watching the film and the colors used to symbolize which character of course the film was not as detailed as the novel but yet very interesting, when the females were all tightly gathered in the back of the truck to be transported else where it brought me back to the very depressing yet well done film “Schindler’s List”.
ReplyDeleteBreAna Durand
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed witching this film. However, I did prefer the book over the movie. I enjoyed the book because it was more descriptive than the movie, even though they were very similar. Both the movie and the book evoked emotion. The scene where Offred was crying for her daughter had me drawn in, wanting to help her. I believe that this also had to do with how well the actors and actresses acted in this film. The way the film was produced kept me wanting more. The director did an amazing job with the use of the color and symbolism.
olivia bradstreet
ReplyDeleteI loved this film, though, I wish it was more in depth as the book. However, the color in this film was so strong when symbolizing the different elements. This made me enjoy the movie more, because the actors are so talented that they make everything seem so real. Though the movie could have been more detailed like the book, which would have made it better, I still enjoyed it and I think the director did a great job bringing out the important elements from the book.
I do not have much to say about the film. I enjoyed the book much more than I did the film. I liked the detail of the book much more. The description of the colors of the characters were better understood in the book than it was the movie. I am one that normally enjoys books better than movies to begin with. I think the book was easier to follow the story line better than the movie as well. However, I do believe the characters were portrayed perfectly.
ReplyDeleteStephanie Pauley
DeleteAfter hearing the lecture and then seeing the film, I expected it to be in much worse shape than it was, especially since the original director had left the project. I was immediately struck by how similar the plot and dialogue were to the original text in the 1990 film adaptation of "The Handmaid's Tale." Although I thought the film was well-made for its time, I did not enjoy it. Despite my dislike for the film, I thought the actors and actresses did an excellent job portraying their roles.
ReplyDeleteShannon Duckworth
ReplyDeletePersonally I liked the book a lot more than the film. Only because it went into so much detail and I got a more in-depth idea about what was actually happening at the time. The thing that stood out the most throughout the film was the bright colors. The setting was very dull making the red, blue, and white clothes appear very vibrant. I think each actor did an amazing job playing their roles. Offred's character was portrayed very well. Even though the film was not as detailed as the novel, I still enjoyed it. It has a very creepy feeling to it. It is very unsettling to think that something like this could very well happen in the future.
Sabrina Soler
ReplyDeleteAlthough the book and movie were very similar, I didn't enjoy the movie as much as I did the book. The book was a lot more in depth and descriptive. It was very disturbing to see women's rights get taken away completely. Despite liking the book more than the movie, I appreciate them keeping the plot similar to the book.
I think i honestly liked the book better than the movie, the movie doesn't let you imagine as much as the graphic novel does. although i appreciate both the movie and the book, but i really like the book better.
ReplyDelete- Lindsay Nadeau
ReplyDeleteI can see several people posting about how the book was better than the movie, which I do agree with but I personally was not a huge fan of either. I think it was a little strange and unsettling especially from a females point of view. I don't agree with how strongly they are against adoption and how they essentially force women to continue to bear children all the time, as this seems quite exhausting and degrading in a way. To the men, these women are basically slaves. If I had not been knowledgeable of this book prior to watching the movie I would be even more shocked and saddened at the events and roles of the actresses in the film.
Dylan Gagnon
ReplyDeleteI really wish this movie was as detailed as the book because otherwise it's incredibly well done. It was much easier to grasp the understandings of how society worked in Gilead in the book than in the movie for me personally, yet the way the storyline was shown was far easier to comprehend. In addition it seems like they really tried to show how dramatic every relathionship in this was, wheter it was Offred and Comander Fred or Offred and Nick, even Offred and her daughter were heavily dramatized and encapsulated the emotions that were written about but could not be fully understood. To add to the acting, the overall production of the movie seemed well put together but far too strong of emphasis on their wardrobes for me, I understand it was to convey symbolism but I found their format obnoxious and overdone truthfully. Finally, I think they did a solid job of showing exactly how you think the males would act in a society such at Gilead, a disgusting society to add to it.