The Handmaid's Tale (1990)

Set in a time when a buildup of toxic chemicals has made most people sterile, Volker Schlondorff's film offers a disturbing view of a society under martial law in which fertile women are captured and made into handmaids to bear children for rich and infertile matrons. The film unfolds from the eyes of newly converted handmaid Kate (Natasha Richardson). She is trapped in this mysogynistic society which both deifies these fertile women as prized possessions and condemns them as whores. Throughout the story Kate has to cope with the jealousy of the woman she serves (Faye Dunaway), the advances of her sleazy military husband (the Commander, played by Robert Duvall), and the loss of her daughter, who has been shuttled off to a similarly aristocratic setting. She also falls in love with one of the Commander's security guards (Aidan Quinn), who sympathizes with her plight and potentially offers her a way out. Throughout The Handmaid's Tale, issues of feminism, abortion rights, male dominance, and conservative religious politics all come under fire. Some may view the film itself as antifemale considering its concepts, but it is quite the opposite. Instead it shows how only through solidarity can women bring down an overriding patriarchical mindset. The film, which works from Harold Pinter's screenplay adaption of Margaret Atwood's novel, features strong performances from those mentioned as well as Elizabeth McGovern and Victoria Tennant. --Bryan Reesman Amazon.com

No cartoon mice, not even 1!

I saw this film about 18 years ago, on a first date when we really wanted to go and see Flatliners but that was sold out, and we had to see this garbage instead. There was no second date, and I blame this film. I had blanked the memory from my mind until now. If you want to see a film about a childless future, go and see Children of Men instead, which isn't perfect, but it is gritty and portrays a rather more realistic dystopia.

Mind you, if you want to see a really mental dystopic future society, watch "Zardoz", that has Sean Connery wearing a belly dancers costume and flying around in a big giant head! Magic.
December 11, 2008

Thought-provoking,disturbing.

This movie grips you and doesn't let go. Very disturbing.....It is a movie about a society in the future where infertility is the norm and fertility is a prized possession which is used to provide offspring to the members of an elite group of people/government. Women who are fertile are used as "handmaids" or as vessels to provide the offspring....once their babies are born, they are taken from them and given to the elite members of society. Haunting!! September 1, 2008

Great Story - Fabulous Storyline

I heard some friends talking about some other movie that reminded me of something I saw 18 years ago . . . on PBS no less. The "Handmaid's Tale" - it's rather "1984" meets "Code 46." And what better cast could you ask for - Robert Duvall, Faye Dunaway, Aidan Quinn (very young looking!) - it's totally bizarre how a failed country or maybe race attempts to turn itself around with ridiculous freedom robbing rules and procedures . . . Hats off to all Bureaucrats! Definately worth a watch. February 25, 2008

The Handmaid's Tale

Margaret Atwood's prophetic novel-- so realistic it's scary. An example of what could happen if the religious right were turned loose with power. January 1, 2008

The book was better, but not a bad movie

I would totally recommend reading the book that this movie is based on. It was a wonderful book and I read it once as a teenager and once again as an adult. The movie captures the book OK, about average for movies based on books. My mother watched it with me and said it was weird but good enough to watch. December 29, 2007

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