Seukaendeul - Joseon namnyeo sangyeoljisa

"Revenge is sweetest when done secretly."

"Untold Scandal" is a lush adaptation of the novel "Les Liaisons Dangereuses" set in Chosun Dynasty Korea. I have not read the novel nor seen any of the other film adaptations (e.g., "Dangerous Liaisons"; "Cruel Intentions"), so my review is on the merits of the film itself rather than a comparison to other works.

Lady Cho is none too happy when her husband brings in 16-year-old So-OK to be his concubine. She is cute and virginal and of course Lady Cho can't stand it. So she turns to her cousin, Sir Cho Won, and makes a devious proposition--seduce this "innocent flower" and impregnate her. The thought of presenting her husband with a pregnant concubine makes Lady Cho's eyes sparkle. What would Cho Won get in return? What he has always wanted—to enjoy the carnal pleasures of Lady Cho.

But the idle rich are easily bored and this is hardly the test Cho Won was looking for. Seducing a naïve teenager is no challenge. A few flattering words and, well, what girl would *not* fall into bed with the dashing and charming Cho Won? He offers a counter-proposal. If he can bed the virginal Lady Chung, who belongs to a Catholic group and has made a vow of chastity, that would be a true accomplishment worthy of the reward Lady Cho offers. (Of course, being the Lothario that he is, he can't help making eyes at So-OK as well. Just a little something on the side to keep in practice.) Now the games begin. Cho Won finds it rough going, as Lady Chung wants nothing to do with him. She has heard of his reputation and she has no interest in anything but her Catholic service and charity work. She's rather a plain Jane and can't even conceive of why Cho Won would want to have anything to do with her anyway. In fact, she tells him straight out that she would rather live with the plague victims than even carry on a conversation with him. He's certainly got his work cut out for him.

Lady Cho gets a perverse pleasure out of this game of seduction and manipulation. And she's got her own devious games to play with the clueless So-OK.

The scheming escalates in intensity and nefariousness. Will Lady Chung crack? Will Lady Cho have to pay up on the bet? Will So-OK end up a pregnant bride? Will the Law of Unintended Consequences come back to bite Cho Won? The challenge for the actors is to make such characters engaging enough so that the viewer isn't completely turned off by them. Let's face it. Cho Won is a cad of the first degree, and Lady Cho is no better. Even when it appears that Cho Won is succumbing to actual feelings of affection and love, we are not sure if it is genuine or just a part of his merciless game.

Many films can offer up good villains, but they are usually played off against protagonists who have the audience's sympathy and interest. It is more of a task when the villains have to carry the film. I think "Untold Scandal" rises to the challenge admirably. The scheming cousins set about their plans with such style and panache that viewers may find themselves actually rooting for them. These are interesting characters who are surprisingly multi-dimensional (especially in the case of Cho Won).

My major issue with the film was that the ending seemed sort of slapped together. Up until then we've been treated to a very tight and contained piece, but then things start spinning all over the place. I'm not sure if this is true to the original story or if the director felt that after 2 hours he'd better just wrap things up.

If you like costume and period pieces, this is the movie for you. The look of the film is colorful and vibrant. The Hong Kong DVD version carries a Category III rating for some nudity, eroticism, and sensuality, but it is not some silly sex romp. The characters develop, and there are some surprises along the way.

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've seen the previous films based on Les Liaisons Dangereuses, and I have to say that this one is surely the most subtle of the bunch, with wonderfully nuanced performances from all concerned. The story is familiar, of course, to anyone acquainted with the material, but it's the way it's told here, with such profound restraint, that separates it from being merely derivative. I haven't seen that many films from Korea, but based on this one, I would definitely like to see more, particularly from director Je-yong Lee.

Can't imagine why Elvis Mitchell (in his Times review) called this a comedy (and it's even listed here at IMDb as a drama/comedy) - perhaps if you're a first-class sadist, it would come across as amusing, this tragic story of disillusionment, heartbreak and ultimate death. I wasn't laughing.

(7 - the equivalent of a high *** - see my review of AI for my IMDb number/star equivalents, unique to this site)

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

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.