Dear Readers, it has finally happened!
I have finally watched Ahgassi in its entirety, previously having been a pussy…cat, to actually finish it because I thought it would be too much for me!
It is now almost 2 in the morning, having caught a late night showing on opening day here in Dublin! I have to be up for work (yes, I work weekends too) in four hours tops but I just have to give you my first real impression of this movie!
THERE IS NO, and, THERE SHALL NEVER BE A EQUAL!
There are two movies in my life that have completely changed my view on movies in their category. The Handmaiden is the 2nd one! These two movies are now the two that all others of their kind will be judged! Any movie that dares have a theme of yuri in it’s existence shall from now on be judged with Ahgassi. And they will fail!
I under-estimated how much I would actually love this movie! Previously it was because it is based on my favourite book, so it had to be the best! I also had the thought that since I know that book almost as intimately as the back of my hand, I thought I would be a little disappointed having already known the plot!
I was wrong!
This is it guys. it is already stated but now I am making it a life statement. The Handmaiden/Ahgassi, is now and forever, my favourite, my No.1, my most treasured experience in the whole of my life!
All the things I thought I would come out of the theater feeling, all the feelings I thought I would have while watching this movie, all those things were wrong! I will need a longer post, and most probably after a second viewing tomorrow to explain this but, of all the things I thought I would come away with from seeing this movie, a cracked face that is the result of dried tears, un-even breathing that is the after-effect of crying like a baby, those were not the things I expected to be feeling after words.
But they are!
I have once again been changed but a movie! I am never going to look at yuri movies from now on the same way again. I know from experience from the other movie, that I am going to have to live with disappointments from now on because no other yuri movie shall ever make me feel emotions like Ahgassi has!
Even the little portion I saw from the rips felt completely different to me! Is it the subtitles, now that they are official? The movie was completely different this night!
Dear Readers, I don’t even know what…
I need to sleep these emotions off, think of this, watch the movie again tomorrow after work, then make sense!
Sorry, I will see you all tomorrow!
Good night!
百合 Goggles 
April 15, 2017 at 07:10
You’re so lucky… I hope one day someone release the movie in my country too. Actually I knew about this blog because of Ahgassi.
April 16, 2017 at 14:20
Hang in there. I am sure they will. I hear there are more countries just getting it too so maybe your country is on the list too.
April 16, 2017 at 10:46
What, you’ve been raving about it here for months but hadn’t seen it through? I think what stopped it from being a perfect movie for me was the chopping-off of digits, but then I’m soft-hearted…
April 16, 2017 at 14:16
Strange, isn’t it? And to think that the movie lived up to that hype!! How magnificent?
Sorry to hear that the torture scene turned you off. But this being a Park Chan-wook movie, what surprised me was how tame the scene actually was!
Actually, I love it because it signatured this movie as Park’s. Also, it is not out of the context of the original story. Hell, the book was actually worse! Can you imagine if they showed Sook-hee’s mother being hanged like it was described in the book? Or what happened to Sook-hee’s aunt later in had they followed it by the letter?
Closer to home, the death of the Count’s character in the book was more disturbing too. So really what we got was a blessing in itself.
July 14, 2018 at 08:47
A nice video essay on the symbolism of gloves in 아가씨 that might add a little pleasure to your favorite movie: https://www.filmedinether.com/video-essays/the-handmaiden-why-costume-design-is-important/