Untold Scandal

Infobox Korean Film | name = Untold Scandal

---

caption =
director = Lee Jae-Yong
producer =
writer = - novel -
Choderlos de Laclos
- screenplay -
Kim Dae Woo
Kim Hyun Jeong
starring = Lee Mi Suk
Bae Yong Joon
Jeon Do Yeon
distributor = CJ Entertainment
imdb_id = 0380689
hangul = 스캔들 - 조선 남녀 상열지사
hanja = 스캔들 - 朝鮮男女相悅之詞
rr = Seukandeul - Joseon namnyeo sang'yeoljisa
mr= Sŭk'aendŭl - Chosŏn namnyŏ sang'yŏlchisa

"Untold Scandal", originally titled "Joseon namnyeo sangyeoljisa", is an award-winning South Korean film released in 2003. Adapted from the novel "Les Liaisons dangereuses", which takes place in late 18th century France, the film is set in the late 18th century Korea, towards the late Joseon dynasty, which in itself distinguishes it notably from previous film adaptations.

Plot

A beautiful but cynical noble-woman makes a bet with her freespirited 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, not suspecting the nasty trap he is walking into.

Cast

* Lee Mi-Suk- Madam Jo
* Bae Yong-joon- Jo-won
* Jeon Do-yeon- Lady Jung
* Jo Hyun-jae- Kwon In-ho
* Lee So-yeon- Lee So-ok
* Kim Ha-kyung
* Choi Ban-ya- Chu-wol

Characters (novel versus film)

*Vicomte Sébastien de Valmont - Jo-won
*Madame Marie de Tourvel - Lady Jeong
*Valmont's aunt - ??
*Marquise Isabelle de Merteuil - Madam Jo
*Cécile de Volanges - Lee So-oak
*Madame de Volanges (Cécile's mother) - So-oak's mother
*former lover of Merteuil - Madam Jo's husband
*Chevalier Raphael Danceny (Cécile's music tutor) - Kwon In-ho

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 Kanghwa, 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 [http://www.tiscali.co.uk/events/2005/untoldscandal/cast.html Film Synopsis] ), and it is revealed that Jo-won's first love was Madam Jo, [http://www.tiscali.co.uk/events/2005/untoldscandal/cast.html Jo-won's Profile] 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 his husband, and is conspiring with Jo-won to have her pregnant for revenge (with Madam Jo telling his 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.

External links

* [http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0380689/ IMDb link]
* [http://www.thescandal.co.kr/ Official Website - Korean version]
* [http://www.tiscali.co.uk/untoldscandal Official website - UK version] This site was created UK actor and designer Adam Jennings
* [http://www.koreafilm.co.kr/movie/scandal/gallery.htm Picture gallery]
* [http://contents.innolife.net/cafe/list.php?ac_id=8&ai_id=379 Still Images of Cho Won]

References