An engrossing, and chilling adaptation of Margaret Atwood’s novel
The Handmaid’s Tale has been a phenomenon, one of those incredibly timely moments where entertainment and the arts collide with developments within our society. A wave of regressive, insular policies is sweeping the States and overseas territories too: is it a fearful prelude to Atwood’s chilling vision of the future, or just transient swings on our way to social enlightenment? Hopefully the latter, but with the current state of affairs, such fears only add to the potency of an already impactful story and show.
Synopsis:
Based on Margaret Atwood’s award-winning, best-selling novel, “THE HANDMAID’S TALE” is the story of life in the dystopia of Gilead, a totalitarian society in what was formerly the United States. Facing environmental disasters and a plunging birthrate, Gilead is ruled by a twisted fundamentalist regime that treats women as property of the state. As one of the few remaining fertile women, Offred (Elisabeth Moss; Top Of The Lake, Mad Men) is a Handmaid in the Commander’s household, one of the castes of women forced into sexual servitude as a last desperate attempt to repopulate a devastated world. In this terrifying society where one wrong word could end her life, Offred must navigate between Commanders, their cruel wives, domestic Marthas, and her fellow Handmaids — where anyone could be a spy for Gilead — with one goal: to survive and find the daughter who was taken from her.
It shouldn’t be the case that Margaret Atwood’s 1985 novel is more relevant today than when it was originally written, but here we are: An adaptation that realizes her chilling vision of the future with aplomb. A depiction of a dystopian theocracy. A world drained of fertility and the rise of those to seek to maintain humanity, but the cost of doing so asks whether we’re even human anymore.
The United States has become the Republic of Gilead. An elite patriarchy holds power, toxic masculinity prevails as women are held under the yolk of men who assert themselves and religion with a twisted fervor. Those women who are able to conceive and give birth are reduced to vessels for the state, or specifically those men that run it, to provide them heirs to continue their hold on power into the next generation.
This is a patriarchy, but women fill the screen; this is their tale. The camera lingers on Offred, close ups of Elisabeth Moss’s face filling the screen scanning for insight into her feelings as she suffers her ordeal. Serving as a bearer to a high-ranking Commander (Joseph Fiennes) and his wife (Yvonne Strahovski), she’s tortured by memories of her previous life and her husband (O. T. Fagbenle) and daughter (Jordana Blake) she left behind. Flashbacks and moments of defiance connect you to her raw emotion bursting through the restraint. It’s mesmerizing work from Moss, supported by an equally talented cast including Alexis Bledel, Madeline Brewer, Samira Wiley, and the always stellar Ann Dowd.
The show itself is stark, but beautiful, unnervingly framed, with an eerie silence occasionally punctuated by unsettling sounds or some on point musical choices. There is an attention to detail, little world building clues and touches that drip in details on this dystopia rather than spoon feeding details: A mutated palette where every color carries a meaning or rank; the rule of law reinterpreted via the Old Testament; human rights and immigration shunted aside in favor of perceived purity; abhorrent acts and policies are normalized; “under his eye” and “blessed be the fruit” are the chilling phrases that mark the perversion and weaponization of religion to bring people to heel. It’s a horror that feels entirely within our grasp.
The Package
Gilead is a land drained of life; a cool palette dominates, but this release still shows off the beauty of the show’s aesthetic. Flesh tones are pale, the occasional hint of color pops. Detail and contrast are admirable. The 3-disc set includes all 10 episodes of the first season, as well as two brand new featurettes that chronicle the making of the show.
* From Script to Screen: Go inside the premiere episode’s “Salvaging,” a harrowing scene where Handmaids violently participate in the execution of an alleged attacker. Interviews with series Showrunner/Executive Producer Bruce Miller, Elisabeth Moss, Ann Dowd, and Madeline Brewer, as well as an in-depth look at the story points, character arcs and complexity of shooting this sequence with Director of episodes one through three, Reed Morano.
* Hope in Gilead: Examine the reasons why “THE HANDMAID’S TALE” has captivated millions and become a cultural phenomenon. The cast and crew discuss parallels with today’s political climate as well as the series’ themes of hope, resilience and the fight for freedom.
The Bottom Line
In lighter times, The Handmaid’s Tale would still be an evocative, claustrophobic, and unnerving piece of work. Our current societal predicament only adds more urgency and resonance to this story. A superb adaptation of a seminal work, one that showcases the superlative talents of Elisabeth Moss. Hard to watch, but essential viewing.
The Handmaid’s Tale Season One is available on Blu-ray from March 13th, 2018.