Seukaendeul - Joseon namnyeo sangyeoljisa

I absolutely adore the version directed by Stephen Frears (starring Malkovich and Glose) so i was very interested what Koreans had made out of it. Korean films that I have seen that far are very interesting, they have quite a different approach then Western movie makers.

I think it was a good and intense film and the historical Korean scenery added a lot. Still, I think that Frears'is film is way stronger. The only acting work that stood out stronger then Frears'is characters, was the lady who played the virtous Madam Sook (Michelle Pfeiffer's character in Frears'is version). This was an incredibly strong performance and I liked it more then Pfeffer's approach.

As to the others they slightly lacked detail and depth. Overall, the Korean protagonists were no match to John Malkovich and Glenn Close. And the whole lot of other characters, both men and women, looked and acted in such a similar way that it took me some time to distinct them from each other.

However, the film was still very interesting to watch and all this historical Korean world was beautifully shot. The film got better at the end and when the bad guy changed it was really moving and believable. Specially the last scene with him on the beach. I also very much liked the scene between him and Madam Sook in the library.

I believe this is the best version of 'Dangerous Liaisons' yet filmed.

Going in, I expected nothing from this movie, as it had to compare with the other three versions of the story I have seen: The classic Dangerous Liaisons (Close/Malkovich/Pfeiffer), the more entertaining but less memorable Valmont (Bening/Firth/Tilly) and the worthy but inferior Cruel Intentions.

However, this Korean version was so stunningly well-produced in every way that it has to be pronounced the superior version of all. The cast was attractive and skillful, the sets and production values were so slick and artful that "perfection" is the only word that comes to mind. The story was thoroughly captivating from beginning to end, and I was moved to tears on several occasions, esp. of course towards the end.

I find that the story is becoming a classic and a favorite of mine (and I intend to move on to the original book very soon). It is about the wages of cynicism; a tragedy where the wicked are justly punished by experiencing on their own bodies and souls the effects of their ruthless actions. It shows how people's actions have consequences, and how those consequences will eventually come full circle, to slap the perpetrators in the face. It is a movie about human nature, saying that cynicism goes against our nature and can destroy us all if running unchecked. A morality tale. A good and true one. A Classic.

My rating: 9 out of 10.

(P.S. Yes, of course Jo-Won *let* that guy stab him in the back. He was killed by his own conscience.)

I'm no expert on movies, I just like I like, but do watch a wide variety of films (especially since getting my Roku box!)

I was quite moved by the universal humanity expressed in this tale, the exquisite attention to detail in the scenes and settings, and the quality of the performances of all actors and actresses involved.

I had no idea of the refinement of Korean culture in this period, but it strikes me as every bit as refined as the Japanese, and makes me want to learn more about this period in history.

I highly recommend the film too for its unabashed revelations of how the aristocratic nobility behaved, and profusely used sexual liaisons outside of marriages to advance, or counteract, political battles behind the public scene -- an all too familiar experience the world over, beyond 18th century Korea.

--Rick in Boulder

This film is an interesting one. The story is adapted from the French novel Les Liaisons Dangereuses (Dangerous Liasans). It's an 18th (maybe 17th?)century French novel of intrigue and scandal and the movie is set in... 18th century Korea, during the Chosun period. If you've seen Dangerous Liasans or a modern-day adaptation, Cruel Intentions, you've basically got the plot down. Male womanizer and scheming female near relative make a bet that womanizer can't seduce a pure woman. And stuff goes crazy from there.

So I decided to watch this film because it was a massive box-office opener in Korea, beating out all of its competition at the time. A few things that I noticed: 1) I like watching Korean period films, especially those of older Korea because the costumes and set design tend to be very aesthetically pleasing. The art direction is beautiful.

2) The acting was actually quite impressive--certainly better than Cruel Intentions, which is the only other version of this film that I've seen.

3) There are a few graphic sex scenes (and many suggested ones), so if you can't handle that, don't watch the film.

4) The tragedy is tragic and the love story is surprising. The ending was quite moving and was tragic because the flaws of the characters led to their own demise and loss of the things that they love.

5) Cinematography and direction are very strong and the primary actresses are particularly strong.

In the end, this was a well rendered adaptation, so much that I'm curious as to what the original source material is like. I really like the plot lines and the story because it converges so many different themes into a tragic tale of human weakness and yet manages to paint the weak, fallible and sometimes wicked characters in such a way that you still have some sympathy for them, showing that there is something in everyone that was or is beautiful, but it can get buried under the vices of this world.

All the actors are not strong and the film suffers a little from slow pacing, but in the end, it's a very watchable film that has a lot of strengths, even if the film isn't one of the great films of all time. If you can handle the content, I recommend this film. 8/10.

Moving this story from the French aristocracy to the Korean during Chosen dynasty when everyone held up a mask of decency in daytime and let it fall together with the hanbok at night was quite the trick to re-liven this story. Everything is done so well from the flow to the brilliant actresses/actors. Most notably is Lee Mi-suk as the sly older cousin/fox. The backdrop of Korean castles is quite fitting, and as they sneak around at night like teenagers we sit on the edge of the seat hoping they wouldn't get caught.

The charm of "Jeon-sama" is lost on me, but I know it wouldn't be for hordes of "women in their best age". So if you're one of those, catch it!! Must be a big hit in all of East-Asia now.