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Untold Scandal
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Wikipedia article
{{Infobox film
| name = Untold Scandal
| image = Untold Scandal.jpg
| alt =
| caption = Theatrical poster
| native_name =
| director = E J-yong
| producer = Lee Yoo-jin
Oh Jeong-wan
| screenplay = Kim Dae-woo
Kim Hyeon-jeong
E J-yong
| based_on =
| starring = Bae Yong-joon
Jeon Do-yeon
Lee Mi-sook
| music = Lee Byung-woo
| cinematography = Kim Byeong-il
| editing = Kim Yang-il
Han Seung-ryong
| studio = Bom Films
| distributor = CJ Entertainment
| released =
| runtime = 123 minutes
| country = South Korea
| language = Korean
| budget = $5,000,000
| gross = $5,762,801[https://boxofficemojo.com/movies/default.htm?id=untoldscandal.htm "Box office by Country: 'Untold Scandal'"] 'Box Office Mojo'. Retrieved 2012-06-04.
}}
'Untold Scandal' (; 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 Korea the film was given an R-18 rating by the Korean Film Ethics Commission.[http://english.chosun.com/site/data/html_dir/2004/05/04/2004050461032.html "Bae Yong-jun's 'Scandal' Causing Scandal in Japan"]. 'The Chosun Ilbo'. 5 April 2004. Retrieved 2011-10-22. The film was a major commercial success, and became the fourth highest grossing domestic film of 2003 with 3,522,747 tickets sold nationwide.[http://www.koreanfilm.org/kfilm03.html "The Best Selling Films of 2003"]. 'Koreanfilm.org'. Retrieved 2012-06-04.
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 Sbastien 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 (Ccile de Volanges)
* Jo Hyun-jae Kwon In-ho (Ccile's music tutor Chevalier Raphael Danceny)
* Lee Mi-ji So-ok's mother (Ccile'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 Sbastien 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 Ccile'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 (Ccile 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 Ccile'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
* NETPAC Award
2003 Blue Dragon Film Awards[http://www.cinemasie.com/en/fiche/oeuvre/untoldscandal/recompenses.html "Untold Scandal - Awards"]. 'Cinemasie'. Retrieved 2012-06-04.
* Best New Actor Bae Yong-joon
* Nomination Best Actress Jeon Do-yeon
* Nomination Best Actress Lee Mi-sook
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 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
* Best Director E J-yong
* Best Music Lee Byung-woo
* Best Visual Effects Lee Jeon-hyeong
* Best Sound Effects Lee Seung-chul
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
References
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