The Handmaid's Tale 1990

The Handmaid's Tale is a 1990 dystopian drama film directed by Volker Schlöndorff, adapted by Harold Pinter from Margaret Atwood's 1985 novel. It stars Natasha Richardson (Offred), Faye Dunaway (Serena Joy), Robert Duvall (The Commander), Aidan Quinn (Nick), and Elizabeth McGovern (Moira). The original music score was composed by Ryuichi Sakamoto. It is the first filmed adaptation of the novel, succeeded by the Hulu television series which began streaming in 2017. The film adaptation of The Handmaid's Tale faced numerous challenges in its development, with screenwriter Harold Pinter expressing dissatisfaction with the final product due to significant alterations from his original script. Pinter had contributed only part of the screenplay and ultimately gave the director and author carte blanche to make changes. He tried to have his name removed from the credits but was unsuccessful. The film was entered into the 40th Berlin International Film Festival. Its reception was lukewarm, with critics expressing uncertainty about the movie's message and themes.