A world split between public decorum and private decadence, Chosun Dynasty Korea makes a fine setting for this sumptuous adaptation of Les Liaisons Dangereuses. Although this is the umpteenth time that Choderlos de Laclos' tale of sex, betrayal and tragedy has been brought to the movies, Untold Scandal manages to be fresh as well as faithful. And it's pretty frank too, with the lavish costumes unable to contain the passion that erupts when Jo-Won (Bae Yong-Jun) sets out to win a bed-hopping bet.
A variation on a part that's been played by everyone from John Malkovich (Dangerous Liaisons) to Ryan Phillippe (Cruel Intentions), Jo-Won makes a slyly irresistible anti-hero. No less wickedly compelling is his partner in crime Lady Cho (Lee Mi-Soo), who sends her cousin to deflower a 16-year-old virgin (Lee Soh-Yeon). But Jo-Won fancies a greater challenge: the seduction of Catholic widow Lady Sook (Jeon Do-Yeon), the most famously chaste woman in the land. Inevitably, lust turns to love, setting in motion a train of tragic consequences.
"STARTLINGLY SENSUAL AND PICTURE-PERFECT"
Though this is a talky, often stagey affair, its presence on the screen is more than justified by some startling sensuality and picture-perfect production values. The performances are also rich in colour, with Do-Yeon bringing an aching fragility to her character's stifling virtuousness.
What's more, the end scenes play out with real filmic flourish, ensuring that the fates of all concerned are branded on the brain. However familiar you are with the original story, this is one liaison you won't forget.
In Korean with English subtitles.
Untold Scandal (Joseon Namnyeo Sangyeoljisa) (2005)
