The Handmaid’s Tale

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The Handmaid’s Tale

film by Schlöndorff [1990]

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July 21, 2026

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The 1990 film The Handmaid's Tale, based on Margaret Atwood's novel, depicts a near-future New England under a Christian fundamentalist theocracy called Gilead. This regime arose due to a fertility crisis, leading to the subjugation of women.123

In Gilead, fertile women, known as Handmaids, are forced into sexual servitude to repopulate the society, with their children belonging to the ruling Commanders and their Wives. The story follows Offred, a Handmaid, as she navigates this oppressive society, recalling her past life and the events that led to Gilead's rise. The film explores themes of misogyny, loss of freedom, and resistance against a totalitarian regime.31

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Volker Schlöndorff
…1984) and Margaret Atwood (The Handmaid’s Tale, 1990).
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…1984) and Margaret Atwood (The Handmaid’s Tale, 1990).
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Margaret Atwood
Novels
The Handmaid’s Tale (film 1990; opera 2000) is constructed around the written record of a woman living in sexual slavery in a repressive Christian theocracy of the future that has seized power in the wake of an ecological upheaval; an acclaimed TV series based on the novel premiered…
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The Handmaid’s Tale (film 1990; opera 2000) is constructed around the written record of a woman living in sexual slavery in a repressive Christian theocracy of the future that has seized power in the wake of an ecological upheaval; an acclaimed TV series based on the novel premiered…
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Faye Dunaway
…memorable performances in Barfly (1987), The Handmaid’s Tale (1990), and Arizona Dream (1993). She later took on supporting roles in the biopic The Messenger: The Story of Joan of Arc (1999), the crime thriller The Yards (2000), the dark comedy The Rules of Attraction (2002), and the drama The Case…
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…memorable performances in Barfly (1987), The Handmaid’s Tale (1990), and Arizona Dream (1993). She later took on supporting roles in the biopic The Messenger: The Story of Joan of Arc (1999), the crime thriller The Yards (2000), the dark comedy The Rules of Attraction (2002), and the drama The Case…
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science fiction
Sex and gender
… in The Handmaid’s Tale (1985; film 1990). Drawn from dark contemporary trends, the bitter world of The Handmaid’s Tale is ruled by a repressive American religious regime. This dystopia finally collapses from its own hostility to women—to be succeeded by yet another historical epoch. In this sense, The Handmaid’s Tale…
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… in The Handmaid’s Tale (1985; film 1990). Drawn from dark contemporary trends, the bitter world of The Handmaid’s Tale is ruled by a repressive American religious regime. This dystopia finally collapses from its own hostility to women—to be succeeded by yet another historical epoch. In this sense, The Handmaid’s Tale…
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Harold Pinter
…his own play Betrayal (1983), The Handmaid’s Tale (1990), and Sleuth (2007). Pinter was also a noted poet, and his verse—such as that collected in War (2003)—often reflected his political views and involvement in numerous causes. In 2007 Pinter was named a chevalier of the French Legion of Honour.
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…his own play Betrayal (1983), The Handmaid’s Tale (1990), and Sleuth (2007). Pinter was also a noted poet, and his verse—such as that collected in War (2003)—often reflected his political views and involvement in numerous causes. In 2007 Pinter was named a chevalier of the French Legion of Honour.
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