1 Negotiate the Male Gaze: Destruction of Pleasure and Phallocentrism in The Handmaiden (2016) YIYI GU Emory University Abstract This paper aims to discuss the construction and deconstruction of male gaze in a well-known Korean film, The Handmaiden (2016). Methodologically, the study employs a textual analysis to delve into the gender dynamics portrayed in the film, with a particular focus on the themes of lesbian love, the male gaze, and the dichotomy between male and female characters. At the heart of this exploration lies the film’s dual narrative of challenging the mainstream gender representations by destroying and subverting the male gaze and providing the visual pleasure through the ultimate phallocentric narrative. Using The Handmaiden as a case study, this paper discusses the challenges faced by scholars and filmmakers in dismantling the entrenched phallocentric filmmaking strategies and narratives in the mainstream cinema. In Laura Mulvey’s essay, “Visual Pleasure and Narrative Cinema,” she introduces the concept of the male gaze, which denotes a gaze that objectifies and sexualizes its subject. As Mulvey states, “In their traditional exhibitionist role women are simultaneously looked at and displayed, with their appearance coded for strong visual and erotic impact so that they can be said to connote to-be-looked at-ness” (Mulvey, 837). In the mainstream cinema, female characters are often presented in a manner that invites voyeuristic observation and scopophilic fascination, thereby reinforcing their status as repressive objects. Mulvey underscores the necessity of destroying the pleasure derived from the male gaze and proposes a strategy of “transcending outworn or oppressive forms, or daring to break with normal pleasurable expectations in order to conceive a new language of desire” (Mulvey, 835). The South Korean film, The Handmaiden, directed by Park Chan-wook, has been widely regarded as a feminist work by diverse audiences, film scholars, and the filmmaker himself. The film portrays the lesbian romance between Hideko, the mistress, and Sook-hee, the handmaiden, as they escape from the sadistic control of Uncle Kouzuki and contend with the deceptive schemes of Count Fujiwara. From the overall narrative of The Handmaiden, the filmmaker breaks the traditional gender dynamics by setting an apparent dichotomy between vicious males and witty females and challenges the mainstream pleasurable expectations by portraying the relatively unfamiliar lesbian love. The narrative approach in The Handmaiden echoes with Mulvey’s proposed solution of destroying the male gaze, thus, is a perfect entry point for evaluating the efficacy and obstacles associated with this endeavor. The explicit lesbian sex scenes are one prominent trait of The Handmaiden. Many previous studies have discussed the narrative purpose and deeper meaning of the sex scenes which link the film’s storyline. Some scholars state that the sex scenes represent the __________________________________________________________ BOWDOIN JOURNAL OF CINEMA, 2024