Untold Scandal

Untold Scandal (Korean: 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. Loosely based on the 1782 French novel Les Liaisons dangereuses, this adaptation takes place in late 18th century Korea, during the Joseon dynasty.

Untold Scandal
Theatrical poster
Hangul스캔들 - 조선남녀상열지사
Hanja스캔들 - 朝鮮男女相悅之詞
Revised RomanizationSeukandeul - Joseon namnyeo sang'yeoljisa
McCune–ReischauerSŭk'aendŭl - Chosŏn namnyŏ sang'yŏlchisa
Directed byE J-yong
Produced byLee Yoo-jin
Oh Jeong-wan
Screenplay byKim Dae-woo
Kim Hyeon-jeong
E J-yong
Based onLes Liaisons dangereuses
by Pierre Choderlos de Laclos
StarringBae Yong-joon
Jeon Do-yeon
Lee Mi-sook
Music byLee Byung-woo
CinematographyKim Byeong-il
Edited byKim Yang-il
Han Seung-ryong
Production
company
Bom Films
Distributed byCJ Entertainment
Release date
  • October 2, 2003 (2003-10-02)
Running time
123 minutes
CountrySouth Korea
LanguageKorean
Budget$5,000,000
Box office$5,762,801[1]

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 and manipulative noblewoman makes a bet with her free-spirited womanizing 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 – Lady Cho (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

2003 Pusan International Film Festival

2003 Blue Dragon Film Awards[4]

2004 Baeksang Arts Awards

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 – Jung Ku-ho, Kim Hee-ju
  • Nomination – Best Film
  • Nomination – Best Director – E J-yong
  • Nomination – Best Actress – Jeon Do-yeon
  • Nomination – Best Actress – Lee Mi-sook
  • Nomination – Best New Actor – Bae Yong-joon
  • Nomination – Best Planning – Lee Yoo-jin
  • Nomination – Best Adapted Screenplay – Kim Dae-woo, E J-yong, Kim Hyeon-jeong
  • Nomination – Best Cinematography – Kim Byeong-il
  • Nomination – Best Art Direction – Jung Ku-ho
  • Nomination – Best Music – Lee Byung-woo

2004 Shanghai International Film Festival

2004 Korean Film Awards

  • Best Art Direction – Jung Ku-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
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References
  1. "Box office by Country: Untold Scandal" Box Office Mojo. Retrieved 2012-06-04.
  2. "Bae Yong-jun's 'Scandal' Causing Scandal in Japan". The Chosun Ilbo. 5 April 2004. Retrieved 2011-10-22.
  3. "The Best Selling Films of 2003". Koreanfilm.org. Retrieved 2012-06-04.
  4. "Untold Scandal - Awards". Cinemasie. Retrieved 2012-06-04.
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