The Handmaid's Tale doesn't waist any time in enticing the viewer and pulling him or her right into the backstory of the main characters. The showrunners start off strong by setting the show's evocative and intense first scene before the supposed massacre. This massacre led to the creation of the Handmaid's and their harsh treatment under a world similar to that of communism in the 60's and 70's. The scene shows a portion of what happened to the lead character June/Offred before this world was invented, when this terrifying reality was being imagined, but not much else. After this scene wraps up, we become enamoured and terrified with the world of Gillead, a place created in the aftermath of several government problems, which we will slowly find out in a series of flashbacks.
As of right now, anyone watching this first episode should be impressed to say the least. We are immediately introduced to our lead character, and the terrifying realm of Gillead. We slowly learn why this horrific world was created in the first place (although a formal backstory doesn't occur until the show's sixth episode). From here, we are introduced to a variety of eccentric characters who govern Gillead. Several impressive actors include Ann Dowd, as Aunt Lydia. Lydia is given the arduous task of training, as well as caring for the Handmaids. Other phenomenal actors include Yvonne Strahovski as the harsh and emotionally distant Serena Joy Waterford, the lead handmaid, Elizabeth Moss as June/Offred, and Alexis Bledel as Emily . The camera perfectly captures each stern glare that these women can give, along with their anger, loss, fear and unwillingness to be defeated.
Cinematography is one of the most important aspects of the TV/movie world. The Handmaid's Tale is an example of some of the best camera-work. The diverse lighting and varied camera angles help to increase the excitement, tone and mood of the episode. Red is a prominent color on this show, symbolically representing fertility and blood, giving of life and taking it away simultaneously. It is captured beautifully amidst the countlesss len's flares and the magnificent scenery.
It's important that a movie or TV show has a message, or a certain level of social commentary, something to resonate with the viewers long after the credits have rolled. The Handmaid's Tale introduces several political themes almost right away in "Offred." However, the theme that is the most blatant part of this show is dismantling women's rights and use of religion to justify this.
It's safe to say that at this point in time, The Handmaid's Tale tends to be a woman's show, in that it is primarily about women, the torture inflicted upon these poor women as a result of a completely changed society, and the rise to triumph and revenge and redemption they will hopefully achieve once they organize, as they clearly must. All of these Handmaids are forced to birth a baby, because the other women (the women in green who are the infertile wives) can't. The Handmaids are not allowed to read, write or do anything other than what they are told to do.
The men are in charge of everything in this world. They are most particularly in charge of all of the women. Even the women in charge of the Handmaids ultimately report to men in this harsh world. The show implies that the new society has relied heavily on old, familiar religious themes such as the existence of a punitive God who has left us with bad crops and infertile woman because we were a culture without morals. The question of whether something like this could eventually occur, especially regarding the undoing of women's right's, really creates a sense of horror in this show. It captures, (although in an extremely exaggerated fashion) how in the real world something like this might eventually happen. Here are where the problems on this show start to occur.
The show predicts that this is a world that we could possibly be living in a long time from now. Is it correct to say that certain aspects of this show could come true one day? Yes, but this is an extreme level of what could happen. It's also a bit harsh to make the viewer feel as if all men are as tortourous and downright evil as they appear to be are on this show. Nevertheless, these are important themes to explore. For the showrunners to have decided to include these themes at all is a valiant decision, and just for that, I will continue to love this show until the end of days.
Episode 1 "Offred"= 91% -five points taken off for being incredibly slow moving at certain moment -four points taken off for exaggerated depiction of the future, and harsh treatment of all men
As of right now, anyone watching this first episode should be impressed to say the least. We are immediately introduced to our lead character, and the terrifying realm of Gillead. We slowly learn why this horrific world was created in the first place (although a formal backstory doesn't occur until the show's sixth episode). From here, we are introduced to a variety of eccentric characters who govern Gillead. Several impressive actors include Ann Dowd, as Aunt Lydia. Lydia is given the arduous task of training, as well as caring for the Handmaids. Other phenomenal actors include Yvonne Strahovski as the harsh and emotionally distant Serena Joy Waterford, the lead handmaid, Elizabeth Moss as June/Offred, and Alexis Bledel as Emily . The camera perfectly captures each stern glare that these women can give, along with their anger, loss, fear and unwillingness to be defeated.
Cinematography is one of the most important aspects of the TV/movie world. The Handmaid's Tale is an example of some of the best camera-work. The diverse lighting and varied camera angles help to increase the excitement, tone and mood of the episode. Red is a prominent color on this show, symbolically representing fertility and blood, giving of life and taking it away simultaneously. It is captured beautifully amidst the countlesss len's flares and the magnificent scenery.
It's important that a movie or TV show has a message, or a certain level of social commentary, something to resonate with the viewers long after the credits have rolled. The Handmaid's Tale introduces several political themes almost right away in "Offred." However, the theme that is the most blatant part of this show is dismantling women's rights and use of religion to justify this.
It's safe to say that at this point in time, The Handmaid's Tale tends to be a woman's show, in that it is primarily about women, the torture inflicted upon these poor women as a result of a completely changed society, and the rise to triumph and revenge and redemption they will hopefully achieve once they organize, as they clearly must. All of these Handmaids are forced to birth a baby, because the other women (the women in green who are the infertile wives) can't. The Handmaids are not allowed to read, write or do anything other than what they are told to do.
The men are in charge of everything in this world. They are most particularly in charge of all of the women. Even the women in charge of the Handmaids ultimately report to men in this harsh world. The show implies that the new society has relied heavily on old, familiar religious themes such as the existence of a punitive God who has left us with bad crops and infertile woman because we were a culture without morals. The question of whether something like this could eventually occur, especially regarding the undoing of women's right's, really creates a sense of horror in this show. It captures, (although in an extremely exaggerated fashion) how in the real world something like this might eventually happen. Here are where the problems on this show start to occur.
The show predicts that this is a world that we could possibly be living in a long time from now. Is it correct to say that certain aspects of this show could come true one day? Yes, but this is an extreme level of what could happen. It's also a bit harsh to make the viewer feel as if all men are as tortourous and downright evil as they appear to be are on this show. Nevertheless, these are important themes to explore. For the showrunners to have decided to include these themes at all is a valiant decision, and just for that, I will continue to love this show until the end of days.
Episode 1 "Offred"= 91% -five points taken off for being incredibly slow moving at certain moment -four points taken off for exaggerated depiction of the future, and harsh treatment of all men