The protagonist, first Kate then later dubbed Offred, of The Handmaid’s Tale (199), directed by Volker Schlöndorff, stands as a symbol for humanity in the times when inner struggles are brought on by external struggles. Multiple times the camera uses close-ups as a way to portray this intimate battle but also emphasis Kate’s entrapment within a world that regards her as no better than an object, complete with a bar code.
Though she is not alone she seems to be particularly different from the other handmaidens who have been utterly brainwashed, except for her friend Moria. Together, the two women are the connection between this dystopian and totalitarian society and the world we, as viewers, relate to today. Though the world they may live in seems incomprehensible to our world today, the fact that Kate and Moria struggle to adjust makes the film more believable and realistic. However, the two are separated most of the film but that does not seem to make their bond any less strong. During the bathroom scene when the women are talking through the stall this becomes blatantly obvious. Even with the physical separation of the stall walls the women are still completely connected. When Moria’s faceless hand appears over the top of the stall to hold Kate’s hand this invisible, and in this case faceless, bond is stronger than ever.
This portrayal of physical separation occurs multiple times throughout the film continuing to act as a metaphor about the separation between humanity and this new inhumane idealistic world. When Kate first meets Serena Joy, her house master, the camera creates a feeling of physical separation by rarely filming them together in the same frame. Serena stands tall in her blue outfit with the camera pointing up at her causing feelings of superiority. In the background idealistic old world paintings similar to those during the Renaissance age hang. This hints at the values of this society; order, idealism, community, class system, exploitation of God, ect. On the opposite side of the room, Kate sits in her red outfit on the couch physically representing her status below Serena Joy. Behind her are windows separate her and the outside world all the while highlighting her entrapment within a world she does not belong to. Later, when Nick is driving Kate the two make eye contact through the rear view mirror. After Kate smiles, Nick puts his sunglasses on further emphasizing isolation and in this case, separation of gender. Nick spots Kate again at night when she stands before her bedroom window. She has just been raped by the Commander and is very distraught. She is able to open the top of the window to allow only her head out to get air all the while completely naked. This time the separation becomes personal. Her vulnerable naked body no longer belongs to her but instead society; particularly men. Again, the window symbolizes her entrapment yet separation, all the while exposing her. Last, the camera films Kate, through a rounded mirror framing her as she walks down the curving white stairs in her white nightgown, against the white walls. It is as if the audience is looking into her life through a crystal ball showing only perfection. But as the film foreshadowed before when the camera filmed the cookie-cutter, white home of the Commander and Serena Joy, from afar, it came to question what actually went on inside the home. Everything appears to be perfect on the outside but within it is quickly realized corruption and mistreatment lie.
Loss of individuality and personal experience is also a major theme of this film that is pertinent to this particular society. Because collectivism and community is so important in order to maintain control nothing can be personal and everyone has their assigned role to benefit the growth of society. Birth and death are controlled by the community alike. When a handmaiden goes into labor a birthing party is thrown. The upper-class women in blue enjoy drinks and celebrate while the handmaidens form a sea of red as the watch the birth. Before the birth mom even knows the gender, the baby is swept away to be raised in the upper-class society. The baby is as much an object of society as each person within it. Public execution is also used as a way to remind people of their places within society. The handmaidens’ together pull on the rope to hang those convicted; bearing them with both the responsibility of life and death with no credit for either. This is similar to the way men are accepted as being more powerful than women and yet they do not bear any responsibility for their own actions. This is made known when Kate is unable to get pregnant even when it is the Commander’s fault. Unfortunately, Kate would still be the one blamed.
However, because this film is really about inner struggle that are dealt with because of external problems, the most powerful scene is when Kate slices the commander’s neck. The blood seeps out onto Kate’s red veil. The veil separated her from what she truly believed but now as the red blood soaks the red veil it is as if Kate is finally acting out against the external world that has repressed her. In the end, though Kate escapes, a lot is still left unanswered. She has not found her daughter and we do not know if she and Nick will ever be together. Instead, she is only beginning her journey to freedom but also, her future. But, similar to the future, much is left unclear.
As additional commentary, I would like to connect this film in relevance to the beloved Hunger Games (2012), directed by Gary Ross. I found similarities between Kate and Katniss who are both women thrown into a world they did not ask to be in all the while carrying great responsibility for a society they do not believe in. One scene in particular from the Hunger Games when Katniss, wearing an elegant red dress, is presented to the upper class of society. You can read the disheartening expression of her face as she pastes on a smile all the while struggling with inner turmoil. I would say the Hunger Games is the present day Handmaid's Tale in multiple aspects.
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