The Handmaiden
EST V ACT domestic box office revenue
$230 – 256MM V NA
Mythosis universal quests used
4
Audience appeal
8.4 – 9.3%
Script Score
0.29
The Handmaiden is a 2016 South Korean movie directed by Park Chan-wook. It’s based on the novel Fingersmith by Sarah Waters with a change in setting. The story is about the escape of a heiress with the help of her maid and another con man from her vindictive uncle.
1. The invisible plot structure of The Handmaiden
1A. The script of The Handmaiden borrows 93% of its events from 4 mythological tales
Sookee’s quest is driven by the desire of fairness and justice. The quest borrows events from the tale of Prometheus from Greek mythology. Both Prometheus and Sookee rebel to prevent exploitation by unscrupulous forces.
Hideko’s quest is driven by the desire to be in a safe environment. The quest borrows events from the tale of Odysseus in Greek mythology. Odysseus and Hideko navigate their way through hostile territory.
Count’s quest is driven by selfishness. The quest borrows events from the tale of Valmiki in Hindu mythology. Both Valmiki & Count are self-centred but eventually have a change of heart and sacrifice their interest.
Uncle is driven by the desire to dominate others. The quest borrows events from the tale of Circe in Greek mythology. Similar to Circe, Uncle uses deceit to achieve his objectives.
NOTE: Detailed mirroring of each character’s primary quest to their respective mythological tales is in section “3A. Quests of characters and their mythological counterparts”
Mythosis plot structure
# 519,619
Tales interweaved
Circe, Valmiki, Odysseus & Prometheus
I. How does interweaving mythological tales lead to infinite story plots?
II. Can the pursuit of a Desire have more than one quest?
2. The potential of The Handmaiden's plot structure: $230 – 256MM
The interweaving of 32 mythological tales can generate a billion unique stories. By using these 32 tales, we can extract the plot structure of any story across various genres. Our study of blockbuster, hit, and flop plot structures led to the discovery of the Mythosis Code, a set of principles for creating compelling stories. The plot structure of a story is analyzed to see how well it adheres to these storytelling principles.
2A. Plot structure evaluation of The Handmaiden
- All Blockbusters have at least 3 universal quests. The Handmaiden has 4 universal quests of Tranquillity, Accumulation, Power & Idealism.
- In Blockbusters, each universal quest is mirrored by ONLY ONE character. Sookee mirrors the universal quest of Idealism. Hideko mirrors the quest of Tranquillity. Count mirrors the quest of Accumulation & Uncle mirrors the quest of Power.
- Every Blockbuster character borrows at least 35% of the universal quest. Sookee borrows 38% events from the quest for Idealism. Hideko borrows 36% events from the quest for Idealism. Count borrows 21% events from the quest for Accumulation. Uncle borrows 13% events from the quest for Power.
- Blockbusters have a quest interweaving threshold of 0.5. Interweaving occurs when events of 2 quests occur simultaneously in the story. The Handmaiden’s quest interweaving score is 0.5 and at par.
An example of interweaving the quests of Hideko & Uncle:
2B. Box office revenue estimation of The Handmaiden
The plot structure reveals 2 extremely well-developed quests and 2 quests that are shallow.
The Script Score measures a plot structure’s adherence to the four principles of Mythosis Code. We use the Script Score to estimate a movie’s audience appeal & revenues. Blockbuster plot structures have a score of at least 0.64 and appeal to 20% of the audiences.
Script Score
0.29
Audience appeal
8.4 – 9.3%
I. How is Mythosis Code used to estimate revenues?
II. Aren’t box-office revenues influenced by several factors beyond just the story plot?
3. The ideal plot structure of The Handmaiden
We have identified 32 mythological tales, the superset of all tales across cultures. The quests of these tales have also recurred over time periods. They represent human behaviours that are deeply embedded in our shared memories. Each tale is the richest expression of the pursuit of a human desire. The tales have a unique pattern of events spread over 5 major arcs.
Mapping a character’s quest to the relevant mythological tale reveals the gaps in their quest, if any. Plugging these gaps with the missing events deepens the character quest. The missing events also provide an opportunity for interweaving the various quests. These events strengthen the story and unlock its hidden potential.
3A.Quest of characters and their mythological counterparts
Quest 1: Sookee mirrors the universal quest for Idealism
Sookee’s desire for Idealism stems from the need for fairness & justice. The tale of Prometheus from Greek mythology is the universal quest for Idealism.
Quest 2: Hideko mirrors the universal quest for Tranquillity
Hideko’s desire for Idealism stems from the need to be in secure surroundings. The tale of Odysseus from Greek mythology is the universal quest for Tranquillity.
Quest 3: Count mirrors the universal quest for Accumulation
Count’s desire for Accumulation stems from the need to collect & own. The tale of Valmiki from Hindu mythology has a robust expression in Dicken’s character of Scrooge which is the universal quest for Accumulation.
Quest 4: Uncle mirrors the universal quest for Power
Uncle’s desire for Power stems from the need to dominate others. The tale of Circe from Greek mythology is the universal quest for Power.
3B.Gaps in the current plot structure
The quests of Sookee & Hideko are quite robust. Enhancing the depth of Count’s & Uncle’s quest would unlock the script’s hidden potential.
3C.Unlocking the hidden potential
Plot structure of The Handmaiden is a sub set of Mythosis Plot Structure # 519,619. It interweaves the tales of Circe, Valmiki, Odysseus & Prometheus.
Unlock the potential with Mythosis Plot Structure # 519,619!
Tags: Prometheus, Odysseus, Valmiki, Circe, Idealism, Tranquillity, Power, Accumulation, Park Chan-wook, Moho Film, Yong Film, CJ Entertainment, Amazon Prime 2016