Films | Movies

Untold Scandal (2003)

Korean title: 스캔들 – 조선남녀상열지사 (Seu-kaen-deul – Jo-seon-nam-nyeo-sang-yeol-ji-sa)

Directed by: Lee Jae-yong

What’s popping:

Based on the French novel Les Liaisons dangereuses this is the Korean take on Dangerous Liasons.

The movie is set in 18-century Korea (Chosun dynasty). The story of deceit, sex and scheme is told admist beautiful scenery and lavish costumes in the form of exquisite silk hanboks and gwanboks. The high budget movie captures all the hypocrisy, double standards and fake morality of a degenerate society.

Top hallyu star Bae Yong-joon assumes the role of casanova and seducer extrodinaire, Lord Cho Won. I must say that i was surprised that Bae Yong-joon was convincing as the seducer Cho Won. Bae sans his trademark spectacles charmed the women with his expressive bedroom eyes, smooth speech and carefully crafted schemes. Lord Cho Won spends his time reading poetry and bedding women for his pleasure and after that, he paints erotic paintings of his sexual conquests.

 

”There is only room for one person in my heart”.
Lord Cho Won is in love…with himself.


Jeon Do-yeon
as always, is a pleasure to watch and plays the prim, repressed and very proper Lady Chung whom husband dies before their marriage night. Thus she remains the virgin widow who involves herself in helping the community and is secretly a practicing Catholic, which was illegal at that time.

Unlike the Hollywood version, this movie has less of the dark undertones, but is more sexually explicit.

 

“Shall I show you one of the many books I’ve illustrated?”
Lord Cho Won courts the very prim and
proper Lady Chung in the library.


The Plot:

The beautiful socialite and evil Lady Cho (Lee Mi-sook) challenges her cousin Lord Cho Won (Bae Yong-joon) to seduce and impregnate 16-year old So-oak (Lee Soh-yeon). Her plan? To take the pleasure away from her old husband, who has decided to take young virginal So-oak as his official concubine.

Lady Cho’s licentious cousin is more than happy to take up the offer but exclaims that such a simple task is hardly challenging for him. He feels, the virgin widow Lady Chung (Jeon Do-yeon) is a more suitable conquest. If Lord Cho Won fails, he will become a monk and practice celibacy for the rest of his life. But if he succeeds, the untimate prize will be bedding priviledges with his cousin, Lady Cho (errr yucks).

 

Nyeh..heh heh…hamsap Cho Won woo-ing the innocent So-oak


I don’t think we need to tell you that the devious Lord Cho Won manages to get his way with young So-oak almost too easily. But getting past the Gate of Chastity (Lady Chung) is another matter altogether. It is quite amusing to watch Lady Chung rejecting Cho Won’s arduous advances and their antics.

Watch it:

There are generous displays of nudity in this film and i think it is rated 18SX. After watching this flick, i won’t be able to look at the ajummafied Bae Young-joon the same again. 😉 Also, i don’t think the man would be too offended by the sex doll his fans sent him.

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Special thanks to one of our friends who loaned us the DVD.

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3 thoughts on “Untold Scandal (2003)

  • no problem!
    yeah, even though i haven’t seen Time myself i think it would be a good movie to watch. the storyline seems interesting.

    Green Chair…not so much. i thought it would be good but it turned out to be pure sex and kind of strayed away from the storyline i’d say. it’s based on a true story about an older divorcee who falls in love with someone much younger than her and gets in trouble with the law for it. something like that. but thanks for replying to my comment! i appreciate it and looking forward to read about your other movie reviews!

  • @valerie, nope we have not seen Green Chair or Time. Will keep an eye for those movies. Thanks for the recommendation!

  • how cool! this movie is like Cruel Intentions because it was based on that novel as well. Thanks for recommending it! To see BYJ in a different style of acting will be interesting.

    Has the K-popped trio or any of the readers seen “Green Chair?” Uhh…that movie was interesting…weird at the end. How about “Time” by Kim Ki Duk?

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