Untold Scandal
| Untold Scandal | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical poster | |
| Hangul | 스캔들 - 조선남녀상열지사 |
| Hanja | 스캔들 - 朝鮮男女相悅之詞 |
| Revised Romanization | Seukandeul - Joseon namnyeo sang'yeoljisa |
| McCune–Reischauer | Sŭk'aendŭl - Chosŏn namnyŏ sang'yŏlchisa |
| Directed by | E J-yong |
| Produced by |
Lee Yoo-jin Oh Jeong-wan |
| Written by |
Kim Dae-woo Kim Hyeon-jeong E J-yong |
| Based on |
Les Liaisons dangereuses by Choderlos de Laclos |
| Starring |
Bae Yong-joon Jeon Do-yeon Lee Mi-sook |
| Music by | Lee Byung-woo |
| Cinematography | Kim Byeong-il |
| Editing by |
Kim Yang-il Han Seung-ryong |
| Studio | Bom Films |
| Distributed by | CJ Entertainment |
| Release dates |
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| Running time | 123 minutes |
| Country | South Korea |
| Language | Korean |
| Budget | $5,000,000 |
| Box office | $5,762,801[1] |
Untold Scandal (Hangul: 스캔들 - 조선 남녀 상열지사; RR: Seukandeul - Joseon namnyeo sang'yeoljisa; lit. "Scandal: The Love Story of Men and Women in Joseon") is a 2003 South Korean romantic drama film directed by E J-yong, and starring Bae Yong-joon, Jeon Do-yeon, and Lee Mi-sook. Based on the 18th century French novel Les Liaisons dangereuses, this adaptation takes place in late 18th century Korea, during the Joseon dynasty.
In Japan the film was given an R-18 rating by the Japanese Film Ethics Commission.[2] The film was a major commercial success, and became the fourth highest grossing domestic film of 2003 with 3,522,747 tickets sold nationwide.[3]
Plot
A beautiful but cynical noblewoman makes a bet with her free-spirited cousin that he can have sex with her if he is able to seduce a young woman of great virtue. He accepts the challenge with enthusiasm though not suspecting the nasty trap he is walking into.
Cast
- Bae Yong-joon - Jo-won (Vicomte Sébastien de Valmont)
- Jeon Do-yeon - Lady Jeong (Madame Marie de Tourvel)
- Lee Mi-sook - Madam Jo (Marquise Isabelle de Merteuil)
- Lee So-yeon - Lee So-ok (Cécile de Volanges)
- Jo Hyun-jae - Kwon In-ho (Cécile's music tutor Chevalier Raphael Danceny)
- Lee Mi-ji - So-ok's mother (Cécile's mother Madame de Volanges)
- - Madam Jo's husband (Merteuil's former love, the Comte de Gercourt)
- Choi Ban-ya - Chu Wol-yi
- Choi Sung-min - slave
- Jeon Yang-ja - Vice-Premier's wife
- Seo Yoon-ah - Jung-geum
- Han Yi-bin - Eun-sil
- Jung Jae-jin - elder 2
- Kong Ho-suk - elder 3
- Na Han-il - Nobleman Yoo
Differences from the original novel
Monsieur de Tourvel (Madame Marie de Tourvel/Lady Jeong's husband), who was away for a court case in the novel, was in the film deceased, making Lady Jeong a widow of nine years. Furthermore, Lady Jeong lived in Ganghwa Island, and in the film, she is living in Seoul as there was a plague at her hometown at that time.
Jo-won (Vicomte Sébastien de Valmont) and Madam Jo (Marquise Isabelle de Merteuil) were in the film cousins (Jo-won the younger cousin), and it is revealed that Jo-won's first love was Madam Jo, whereas in the novel, they were rivals, yet using the same tools for their revenge: sex.
Marquise Isabelle de Merteuil (Madam Jo)'s former lover is arranged to be Cécile's future husband in the novel, but in the film, his character is Madam Jo's husband. In So-ok's case, she is being made into a concubine of Madam Jo's husband for the continuity of the family lineage with the elders' consent.
Lee So-ok (Cécile de Volanges) was ushered in to Madam Jo's care to be the concubine of her husband, and is conspiring with Jo-won to make her pregnant for revenge (with Madam Jo telling her husband what really happened to So-ok at her husband's deathbed).
Chevalier Raphael Danceny was originally Cécile's music tutor in the novel, but in the film, Kwon In-ho (Raphael Danceny's counterpart) is the youngest son of Madam Jo's next-door neighbor and also Lady Jeong's cousin.
Awards and nominations
- Best New Actor - Bae Yong-joon
- 2003 Pusan International Film Festival
- 2004 Baeksang Arts Awards
- Best New Actor - Bae Yong-joon
- 2004 Verona Film Festival
- Stefano Reggiani Prize (from the Veneto's Order of Journalists)
- Best Artistic, Technical, or Creative Contribution
- 2004 Grand Bell Awards
- Best Costume Design
- Best Director - E J-yong
- Best Music - Lee Byung-woo
- Best Visual Effects
- Best Sound Effects
- 2004 Korean Film Awards
- Best Art Direction - Lee Gu-ho
- Nomination - Best Actress - Lee Mi-sook
- Nomination - Best Director - E J-yong
- Nomination - Best Cinematography - Kim Byeong-il
- Nomination - Best Music - Lee Byung-woo
References
- ↑ "Box office by Country: Untold Scandal" Box Office Mojo. Retrieved 2012-06-04.
- ↑ "Bae Yong-jun's 'Scandal' Causing Scandal in Japan". The Chosun Ilbo. 5 April 2004. Retrieved 2011-10-22.
- ↑ "The Best Selling Films of 2003". Koreanfilm.org. Retrieved 2012-06-04.
- ↑ "Untold Scandal - Awards". Cinemasie. Retrieved 2012-06-04.
External links
- Official website (Korean)
- Untold Scandal at Tiscali UK/TalkTalk Group (website created by UK actor and designer Adam Jennings)
- Untold Scandal at the Korean Movie Database
- Untold Scandal at the Internet Movie Database
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