Critics Consensus Winters Tale tries to retain the grandiose sweep of its source novel, but fails to fill it in with characters worth rooting for or a sensible plot. HBOs website includes program descriptions, schedules, and contests. Joseph Fiennes plays a rapist during The Handmaids Tale. WARNING Graphic disturbing images He won thousands of swooning admirers with his dashing looks on hit show Shakespeare In Love. But with his latest role Joseph Fiennes has embarked on far grittier territory, playing a brutal rapist in a controversial scene in US dysopian drama The Handmaids Tale. Episode five of the show, which appeared on Hulu in the US on Wednesday, shows his character Commander Waterford, repeatedly raping concubine Offred, played by Elisabeth Moss and has been met with criticism from viewers for being so graphic. Scroll down for video Controversial Heartthrob Joseph Fiennes played a brutal rapist during shocking scene in dysopian drama The Handmaids Tale that screened online on Wednesday. Based on the book by Margaret Atwood, The Handmaids Tale is set in a dystopian future, where the United States is under rule by a theocratic military dictatorship. In this society most women have become infertile due to warfare induced contamination so the remaining fertile females, known as handmaids, are kept captive. They are made to subject themselves to ritual sex, the sole purpose of which is reproduction rather than pleasure. Victim Episode five of the show, which appeared on streaming site Hulu on Wednesday, shows his character, Commander Waterford, repeatedly raping a concubine, Offred, played by Elisabeth Moss picturedElisabeths Offred is one such handmaid, and she is raped by Commander Waterford while his wife, Serena Joy, played by Yvonne Strahovski, holds her hands behind her back. The episode aired on Hulu in the States, but it remains unknown when it will be screened in the UK. A spokesperson for MGM Television said on Monday The series will be available in the UK, and we hope to make an announcement soon. State of terror Based on the book by Margaret Atwood, The Handmaids Tale is set in a dystopian future, where the United States is under rule by a theocratic military dictatorship. Broadcast then reported that it will be shown on Amazon Prime Video but the streaming service declined to comment when approached for comment by Radio Times. However, the somewhat controversial scene has received backlash from viewers on Twitter who claim the event was too long and too graphic. Taking to the social media site, one disgruntled viewer wrote God the rape scenes in the handmaids tale are so hard to watch. Plus theyre so long Not happy However, the somewhat controversial scene has received backlash from viewers on Twitter who claim the event was too long and too graphic. While another added Are we going to have to watch The Ceremony in every episode of The Handmaids TaleIts getting. Another then said of Fiennes cruel character I never thought I could love Elisabeth Moss and I never thought I could find Joseph Fiennes repulsive. In a recent interview with Vulture, the actor had talked about what it was like to play someone who commits state ordered sexual violence. Hes a man with a moral dilemma and he says he only wants to make the world a better place, as a lot of people in powerful places want to do, but they slowly become corrupted, he explained. And certainly that corruption becomes abhorrent. So doing those scenes is I find them actually very difficult. Theyre very brutal. Subjugation In this society most women have become infertile infertile due to warfare induced contamination so the remaining fertile females, known as handmaids, are kept captive. When asked about the Ceremony, in which Offred is impregnated, Fiennes questioned if the man gives consent either, as hes following orders from his government. Hes using a piece of scripture to bring about an arcane ritual, which is really nothing short of abuse and rape, in order to procreate because the birth rate is so low, he said. So he understands, from a political POV, why hes there, but I dont think he particularly enjoys it. No one enjoys it, or wants it, but they do it because its demanded. Watch Britney: For The Record Online Fandango on this page. And thats the starting point there Its difficult for a husband and a wife to have this third party, but theres a belief system and a reason behind it the birth rate and they desperately want to have a child. Vile Elisabeths Offred is one such handmaid, and she is raped by Commander Waterford while his wife, Serena Joy, played by Yvonne Strahovski, holds her hands behind her back. Filming for the third Avengers film wrapped in July, but not everyone involved got the same amount of access to the inprogress film. Some actors, like Sebastian Stan. Moss meanwhile recently caused shockwaves when she insisted The Handmaids Tale is not a feminist story. She said Its not a feminist story its a human story, because womens rights are human rights. I never intended to play Peggy her character in Mad Men as a feminist and I never expected to play Offred as a feminist. Author Margaret later added They needed an only, an also, and a human rights definition of the F word, in my opinion. Elisabeth echoed I think what happened was that I left out a very, very important four letter word, which is also. Its a humanist tale. Thats all. Womens rights are human rights. Forbidden love A previous episode showed Elisabeths character initiating a steamy sex scene with opposite co star Max Minghella, who plays chauffeur Nick. A previous episode showed Elisabeths character initiating a steamy sex scene opposite co star Max Minghella, who plays chauffeur Nick. It is not the first TV series to cause a stir among viewers with overly sexual scenes featuring in a number of episodes. HBO series Game Of Thrones cause outrage among its beloved viewers last year, after airing the graphic rape of fifteen year old Sansa Stark, by husband Ramsay Bolton. The scene was criticised by fans at the time for being gratuitous, serving no narrative purpose, and being played for shock value. Watch Winter`S Tale Online Full Movie' title='Watch Winter`S Tale Online Full Movie' />It Comes at Night It Comes at Night DP Drew Daniels on New Lenses, Old Dogs and Using Actors as Bounce Cards. Sep 29, 2017. Thirst Street The Movie Industry Doesn. The book was written more than three decades ago. But it appears the screen version of The Handmaids Tale couldnt be any more topical. The unsettling first full. The Hollywood Reporter is your source for breaking news about Hollywood and entertainment, including movies, TV, reviews and industry blogs. However after receiving a barrage of complains, show director Jeremy Podeswa went on to admit at an event at Fox Studios Australia that a couple of things had changed in the shows graphic style. According to the Telegraph, Podeswa said show creators David Benioff and D. B. Weiss had been influenced by the complaints, and has been responsive to the discussion resulting in them toning down such scenes. Controversial HBO series Game Of Thrones cause outrage among its beloved viewers last year, after airing the graphic rape of fifteen year old Sansa Stark, by husband Ramsay Bolton. He said  They did not want to be too overly influenced by that criticism but they did absorb and take it in and it did influence them in a way. He added that he was handled as sensitively as it could possibly be and that the team knew it was going to be challenging for the audience. Winters-Tale-2014-Full-Movie-Watch-Online-720p-Download-image2-.jpg' alt='Watch Winter`S Tale Online Full Movie' title='Watch Winter`S Tale Online Full Movie' />Despite leaving viewers disgruntled, the so called distasteful scene had actually prompted positive action from its leading lady Sophie Turner, who plays victim Sansa on the show. Writing for Huffington Post for International Womens Day last month, the 2. To be completely honest, my initial reaction was satisfaction, she said of the divisive scene. That rape, domestic violence and systemic sexual inequality is something we are capable of talking about that we are capable of creating and sustaining a visible public dialogue. She continued I dont think its easy to overstate the importance of that dialogue if, by seeing us tell that part of Sansas story, 1. Ill happily put up with the Twitter storm in a teacup. Graphic BBC series Poldark also caused controversy back in October when Captain Ross, played by Adrian Turner, raped his former lover Elizabeth in a fiery rage. The episode followed a number of other controversial scenes including one in which saw Cersei Lannister raped by her brother Jaime at the foot of their dead sons funeral altar, while Daenerys Targaryen was raped by her new husband, Khal Drogho, with whom she subsequently fell in love. The scenes caused uproar among fans, as they did not appear in the novels which inspired the series, by George R. IMDb went to New York Comic Con 2017 to learn crucial tidbits about Marvels anticipated new series, Runaways. Watch to find out what we discovered.