Untold Scandal

Untold Scandal
Untold Scandal
	Theatrical poster
Hangul	스캔들 - 조선남녀상열지사
Hanja	스캔들 - 朝鮮男女相悅之詞
Revised Romanization	Seukaendeul - Joseon namnyeo sangyeoljisa
McCune–Reischauer	Sŭk'aendŭl - Chosŏn namnyŏ sangyŏlchisa
Directed by	E J-yong
Screenplay by	Kim Dae-woo; Kim Hyeon-jeong; E J-yong
Based on	Les Liaisons dangereuses; by Pierre Choderlos de Laclos
Produced by	Lee Yoo-jin; Oh Jeong-wan
Starring	Bae Yong-joon; Jeon Do-yeon; Lee Mi-sook
Cinematography	Kim Byeong-il
Edited by	Kim Yang-il; Han Seung-ryong
Music by	Lee Byung-woo
Production; company	Bom Films
Distributed by	CJ Entertainment
Release date	October 2, 2003;
Running time	123 minutes
Country	South Korea
Language	Korean
Budget	$5 million
Box office	$5,762,801

Untold Scandal (Korean: 스캔들 - 조선 남녀 상열지사; 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.

In South Korea the film was given an R-18 rating by the Korean Film Ethics Commission.^[3] The film was a major commercial success, and became the fourth highest grossing domestic film of 2003 with 3,522,747 tickets sold nationwide.^[4]

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 de Valmont)
Jeon Do-yeon – Lady Jeong (Présidente de Tourvel)
Lee Mi-sook – Lady Cho (Marquise de Merteuil)
Lee So-yeon – Lee So-ok (Cécile de Volanges)
Jo Hyun-jae – Kwon In-ho (Cécile's music tutor, Chevalier Danceny)
Lee Mi-ji – So-ok's mother (Madame de Volanges, Cécile's mother)
– Madam Jo's husband (Merteuil's former lover, 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 de Tourvel / Lady Jeong's husband), who was away for a court case in the novel, is deceased in the film, making Lady Jeong a widow of nine years. Furthermore, Lady Jeong lived in Ganghwa Island, but is sojourning in Seoul to avoid a plague in her hometown.

Jo-won (Vicomte de Valmont) and Lady Jo (Marquise de Merteuil) cousins are in the film (Jo-won being the younger cousin), and it is revealed that Jo-won's first love was Lady Jo, whereas in the novel, they were former lovers and new rivals, yet using the same tools for their revenge: sex.

Marquise de Merteuil (Lady Jo)'s former lover, the Comte de Gercourt, is arranged to be Cécile's future husband in the novel, while in the film, his character is attributed to Lady Jo's husband. In So-ok's case, she is being made into a concubine of Lady Jo's husband for the continuity of the family lineage, with the elders' consent.

Lee So-ok (Cécile de Volanges) was ushered into Lady Jo's care to be the concubine of her husband. Lady Jo is conspiring with Jo-won to make her pregnant for revenge, intending to reveal to truth to her husband on his deathbed.

Chevalier Danceny was originally Cécile's music tutor in the novel, but in the film, Kwon In-ho is the youngest son of Lady Jo's neighbour, and also Lady Jeong's cousin.