IMDb RATING
6.3/10
1.3K
YOUR RATING
A detective, his 3 girls & a murder case. Complex emotional relationships and human nature's darker sides are explored in this captivating suspense drama about a cop whose lust for love thre... Read allA detective, his 3 girls & a murder case. Complex emotional relationships and human nature's darker sides are explored in this captivating suspense drama about a cop whose lust for love threatens to get in the way of his professional life.A detective, his 3 girls & a murder case. Complex emotional relationships and human nature's darker sides are explored in this captivating suspense drama about a cop whose lust for love threatens to get in the way of his professional life.
- Awards
- 5 nominations total
Lee Eun-ju
- Ga-hee
- (as Eun-ju Lee)
Sung Hyun-ah
- Kyeong-hie
- (as Hyun-Ah Sung)
Kim Jin-geun
- Myeong-shik
- (as Jin-geun Kim)
Jeong In-gi
- Detective Ahn
- (as In-gi Jeong)
Seol Ji-yun
- Madam
- (as Mi-ae Jung)
Joon Hyeon-sook
- Owner of Mesa Store
- (as Hyun-Sook Jun)
Featured reviews
At first I wasn't sure whether I should watch the movie because of some negative comments, but I decided to give it a try. Bearing in mind that I could always turn it off if I didn't liked it. But I was pleasantly surprised. The story was something I never saw before. Very original. The movie has quite a few twists and surprises that makes sure you are never bored and after every new discovery you want to see how it all turns out.
I would definitely recommend it to anyone I know. And if you are lucky enough to obtain a copy or can buy the DVD, don't hesitate.
8 out of 10.
I would definitely recommend it to anyone I know. And if you are lucky enough to obtain a copy or can buy the DVD, don't hesitate.
8 out of 10.
"The Scarlet Letter" hits you hard, and it's all you need to know. Excellent acting and perfect fit into the genre conventions (erotic thriller/drama) carry this movie, and everything else goes on as smoothly as possible.
Nudity ain't there to turn you on and without a reason (which is quite rare, in today's films), but actually fits perfectly into the story beats.
The best part of the movie is of course Lee Eun-ju: what a brilliant actress she was! Her acting in this film is for sure one of the best performances I have ever seen on the screen.
I honestly don't understand the bad reviews: to get a 10 out of 10 is it mandatory to have extremely complicated plots, to have been produced by the best directors of the world, and to have been nominated for a thousand international awards? And also, since a few people complained about the pace, they should probably specify that it doesn't fit their personal taste, because this movie does everything right and more. If you want to watch an erotic thriller/drama, or simply something incredibly good, this is THE movie.
Kudos to one of the best films and one of the best performances (Lee Eun-ju's) ever.
Nudity ain't there to turn you on and without a reason (which is quite rare, in today's films), but actually fits perfectly into the story beats.
The best part of the movie is of course Lee Eun-ju: what a brilliant actress she was! Her acting in this film is for sure one of the best performances I have ever seen on the screen.
I honestly don't understand the bad reviews: to get a 10 out of 10 is it mandatory to have extremely complicated plots, to have been produced by the best directors of the world, and to have been nominated for a thousand international awards? And also, since a few people complained about the pace, they should probably specify that it doesn't fit their personal taste, because this movie does everything right and more. If you want to watch an erotic thriller/drama, or simply something incredibly good, this is THE movie.
Kudos to one of the best films and one of the best performances (Lee Eun-ju's) ever.
10sain11
The Scarlet Letter is an excellent film for fans of unique cinema. Part erotic thriller, part murder mystery, part police procedure, part extreme cinema, but somehow masterfully pieced together into a single cohesive, disturbing, tragic, emotional and intellectually stimulating film experience.
The cinematography, sound, music, acting, direction and script are all first rate. Although special mention must go to Lee Eun-ju, who steals every scene in a breathtaking performance, which was tragically her last as she committed suicide shortly after completing this project. Obviously she was in some serious emotional pain in her personal life at the time of filming, which she has used to add a raw and real emotional depth to her character.
The storyline is deceptively simple, at first appearing to be a routine murder investigation plot, based on a fairly mundane murder, however as we get deeper into the film this plot takes a back seat to the real story which is a dissection of the investigating officer's (Han Suk-kyu)complicated personal life and his relationships with his wife and his girlfriend (Lee Eun-ju).
It is in the complexities of this love triangle that the films true power and force really take place as the characters try to manage their lives as they slowly unravel. This leads to a climax that is emotionally overpowering and disturbing, and totally unique.
This is very intelligent, artistic, mature, dark, thriller.
The cinematography, sound, music, acting, direction and script are all first rate. Although special mention must go to Lee Eun-ju, who steals every scene in a breathtaking performance, which was tragically her last as she committed suicide shortly after completing this project. Obviously she was in some serious emotional pain in her personal life at the time of filming, which she has used to add a raw and real emotional depth to her character.
The storyline is deceptively simple, at first appearing to be a routine murder investigation plot, based on a fairly mundane murder, however as we get deeper into the film this plot takes a back seat to the real story which is a dissection of the investigating officer's (Han Suk-kyu)complicated personal life and his relationships with his wife and his girlfriend (Lee Eun-ju).
It is in the complexities of this love triangle that the films true power and force really take place as the characters try to manage their lives as they slowly unravel. This leads to a climax that is emotionally overpowering and disturbing, and totally unique.
This is very intelligent, artistic, mature, dark, thriller.
This is one of those films where you can't help but improvise. It has those scenes where you shout out brilliant, but then proceed to make a few alterations to the already produced script to make the thing workable, if not believable.
There are many awful south Korean films out there (for whatever reason, most of them seem to be romantic comedies)-- this is not one of them. Unfortunately this is no "Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance" or "Sorum" either. There are a handful of brilliant scenes in this film, including one particularly claustrophobic segment that reminded me of a permutation of Tarantino's Kill Bill Volume 2. Unfortunately, these moments are mired in irrelevance, overacting, and implausibility.
By all means, have a drink, take the film in -- but be prepared to throw a huge amount of constructive criticism at your TV. Be prepared to start writing a screen play, maybe take up non-linear editing as a hobby.
There are many awful south Korean films out there (for whatever reason, most of them seem to be romantic comedies)-- this is not one of them. Unfortunately this is no "Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance" or "Sorum" either. There are a handful of brilliant scenes in this film, including one particularly claustrophobic segment that reminded me of a permutation of Tarantino's Kill Bill Volume 2. Unfortunately, these moments are mired in irrelevance, overacting, and implausibility.
By all means, have a drink, take the film in -- but be prepared to throw a huge amount of constructive criticism at your TV. Be prepared to start writing a screen play, maybe take up non-linear editing as a hobby.
i've seen many love stories, this story also resembles in many ways to rest of them especially in dealing with the theme"Ex-marital affair". It's a story of a police officer who has complicated relation with two women in his life. But the difference in this movie is along with this, the story unfolds the tragic death of a studio owner. Two parallel stories, but connected in some ways- the presence of a third person in married life.
I suggest this movie to those who are tangled in two love relations at a time. The scene in trunk of the car is unexpected and gruesome evidence human frailties. Feelings such as despair,struggle for survival, shame, repentance and all the frustrating feelings crossing through the minds of both actors is a wonderful drawing of human life. That scenes are outstanding and unique from rest of the movie.
I suggest this movie to those who are tangled in two love relations at a time. The scene in trunk of the car is unexpected and gruesome evidence human frailties. Feelings such as despair,struggle for survival, shame, repentance and all the frustrating feelings crossing through the minds of both actors is a wonderful drawing of human life. That scenes are outstanding and unique from rest of the movie.
Did you know
- TriviaSelected as the closing film for the 9th Pusan International Film Festival
- SoundtracksOnly when I sleep
Performed by Lee Eun-ju
- How long is The Scarlet Letter?Powered by Alexa
Details
- Release date
- Country of origin
- Official site
- Language
- Also known as
- The Scarlet Letter
- Production company
- See more company credits at IMDbPro
- Runtime1 hour 55 minutes
- Color
- Sound mix
- Aspect ratio
- 1.85 : 1
Contribute to this page
Suggest an edit or add missing content