Jo Hyun Jae

Jo Hyun-Jae went to Japan in 2004 to promote the release of the “Untold Scandal” DVD, along with his co-star Lee So-Yeon and the director Lee Jae-Yong (E J-Yong.)

Among the Extras in this Japanese DVD is an interview with JHJ.  You see here a very young JHJ discoursing on a number of issues relating to the movie.  Is it just us, or do you also have the impression that the older JHJ gets, the more inclined he is to “hide” himself? 

Four months before filming of “Untold Scandal”, I saw the American version “Dangerous Liaisons” and became fascinated, so I studied my role intensely.

I play an 18-year-old young man who has never been in intimate contact with a woman before.  Kwon In-Ho is a good, upright person who only concentrates on his studies.  So-Oak is the first female that he has met and it is love at first sight for him — his first encounter with the opposite sex.

I reviewed the movie afterwards and felt some regret that there were scenes in which I did not appear too mature and I felt I might have performed better.  But on the whole everything went very smoothly, and with the help of Lee Mi-Sook, I even received fewer NGs towards the latter part.

Now the DVD is released.  Hope you like it.  Thank you all very much!

(Credit: Video originally posted by ojik on http://johyunjae.com; edited by Bigcat of www.johyunjae.hk. Thanks!  English translation by wulijohyunjae.)

Jo Hyun-Jae’s movie career was launched on October 2, 2003 with the release of ”Untold Scandal” in which he had a supporting role.  (Please see our posts under Category: JHJ movie “Untold Scandal”.)

Seven years on, JHJ is no longer the very young and naive scholar that he plays in “Untold Scandal” but a real man who has served his country and is now poised on the eve of the renaissance of his acting career.

 (Credit: ahiru and param of CarpeDiemJAPAN.  Thanks!)

prissymom says she is shocked but not scandalized by “Untold Scandal”.

I finally got the chance to watch “Untold Scandal”.  I was not really scandalized, but I admit I was a bit shocked.  I have this notion that Koreans are a conservative people (based on the Korean dramas I have watched),  but “Untold Scandal” disabused me of that thought!  Nude and sex scenes are aplenty, thankfully Jo Hyun-Jae as Kwon In Ho (KIH) is not required to be in any of those scenes.  Oh yes, JHJ did show some flesh, but I would describe it as chaste compared to the baring that his co-stars did in the movie!

JHJ is perfect for the role of Kwon In Ho — naive, gullible, such an innocent!  A less efficient actor could have turned Kwon In Ho into a pathetic/pitiful character; but JHJ’s great acting had me smiling/laughing at the situations he gets into.  I have three favorite scenes:

1. The scene inside the carriage with Madam Cho.  I love JHJ’s acting towards the end of this scene — apologetic, embarrassed, flustered, aro—d, and yet still keeping that air of innocence and naivete!

2. The scene inside Madam Cho’s bedroom.  This particular scene requires no dialogue from JHJ’s character (actually all 3 characters – Kwon In Ho, Madam Cho and Cho Won – involved in this scene do not have any dialogue), and yet I was able to understand what he is trying to convey in this scene.  The satisfied smile on his face, the confident but almost lazy way he is lounging on the floor, the slight lift of his eyebrows, even the way he holds his head all convey that he believes, truly believes that it is his charms that capture the attention of the much older woman Madam Cho!  While I was watching this scene I couldn’t decide if I should laugh at KIH or pity him for his ignorance.  In the end, I laughed because KIH really looks supremely confident of his manly charms!

3. The crying scene after reading the letter from So Ok (but was actually written by Madam Cho).  JHJ really looks like a heart-broken young man, a young man whose dreams of love have been shattered.

In two of my favorite scenes (1 and 2) JHJ is acting opposite Lee Mi Sook (LMS, Madam Cho).  I wouldn’t categorize their onscreen chemistry as romantic because even if their scenes have sexual/sensual overtones, their onscreen relationship is hardly romantic.  And yet the two (JHJ and LMS) have great chemistry, much more than JHJ has with Lee So Yeon (LSY), or LMS with Bae Yong Jun (BYJ).

Could the chemistry be because of the help extended by the much older LMS to the newbie actor that JHJ was at the time?  (Editor: mentioned by JHJ in an interview.  Please see our 10/16/09 post “60 NGs in ‘Untold Scandal’”.) Whatever the reason for their on-screen rapport, I hope that JHJ and LMS will get the chance to act opposite each other again in the future.

Anyway, JHJ’s role in the film may be short, and he may just be a relative newbie acting alongside big stars, but he didn’t allow these things to get in the way of turning in a superb performance.  JHJ as Kwon In Ho in “Untold Scandal” – perfect role and perfect acting from a perfect actor!!!

Below is a Korean newspaper article on JHJ’s salary in “Untold Scandal”:

Jo Hyun-Jae: “Reasonable Man”  (2003.3.19)

Jo Hyun-Jae, who shot to fame in the MBC TV Monday and Tuesday drama “Love Letter”, has signed a contract to act in the movie “Untold Scandal” for 8 million Korean won.  [Exchange rate: 1 million KW = US$1,000 approximately]

Jo Hyun-Jae is in the spotlight because he has joined the cast of the movie “Untold Scandal”, to be directed by Lee Jae-Yong and starring Bae Yong-Jun and Lee Mi-Sook.

According to market rate, a supporting actor is usually paid between 20 – 30 million KW for a movie.  With his rising popularity, Jo Hyun-Jae is only paid 8 million KW which is obviously low by any standard.

Our post title is of course tongue-in-cheek.  JHJ (as Kwon In-Ho) is crying in the above photo for his lost love in “Untold Scandal”, not because of his low salary.

What do we mean by calling Jo Hyun-Jae ”reasonable”?   Last autumn when JHJ was auditioning for “Untold Scandal”, he tried wearing the traditional Korean robe for the first time.  His appearance did not seem to be suitable for playing a historical role, and he looked rather incongruous in the traditional costume.  But, as it turned out, actually he looked really good wearing the traditional costume.  Later he auditioned for “Great Ambition” (Dae Mang) and won the role of the Crown Prince.

This means that if he had not auditioned for “Untold Scandal”, he would not have had the opportunity to act in “Great Ambition”.

JHJ is absolutely stunning in traditional costume.  Who says he looks incongruous?!

So JHJ signed up for “Untold Scandal” according to his rate (price) at the time of the audition and not at the later rate after he became popular.   He even laughingly said: “When I first started, I was only paid 5 million KW.  This is 3 million KW more.”

In “Untold Scandal” JHJ plays a young man from a rich family who falls in love with an aristocrat’s concubine.  The movie is adapted from the French writer Cholderlos de Laclos’ novel “Les Liaisons Dangereuses” which has been made into a Hollywood movie “Dangerous Liaisons”, with Keanu Reeves playing the JHJ part.

(Credit for article: http://gall.dcinside.com;www.johyunjae.hk.  Translated from the Chinese by Scarecrow.  Photos from CarpeDiemJAPAN.  Thanks!)

This concludes our series on “Untold Scandal”.

Jo Hyun-Jae was in Japan in 2004 to promote the release of the Japanese version of the “Untold Scandal” DVD, together with his co-star Lee So-Yeon and the director Lee Jae-Yong (E J-Yong.) 

On stage he speaks first in Japanese and then in Korean.  We can only understand the “Hello”, ”Thank you”, and “Very happy to be here”.  As for the rest, please use your imagination.

(Credit: Nannaya of EVERjohyunjae.  Thanks!)

This is a comparison of all 5 versions of “Les Liaisons Dangereuses” ever made.  Jo Hyun-Jae comes second among the five actors who play Danceny (not bad for someone in his first acting role in a movie.)

I’ve just read a review and comparison of all movie versions of the novel “Dangerous Liaisons”, in which one of them is “Untold Scandal”. The review focused on almost all aspects of the movie and it compared 5 versions produced in different countries.

You may read the whole review on this address: http://filmwalrus.blogspot.com/2007/03/iceberg-arena-oft-told-scandal.html, but the part where it compared all actors portraying the role of Danceny in the original novel is this:

“Finally we have Danceny, a role necessary for the plot but certainly the most minor. Essentially the part is a male version of Cecile with less lines and more hurt pride, not really a juicy performance to dig into. Vadim manages to turn it into a fairly brilliant bit-part for the superb Jean-Louis Trintignant (in a young, pre-famous cameo) as a student torn between study and puppy love. “Untold Scandal” casts the handsome Jo Hyun-Jae who gives the part a little of the youthful swagger and recklessness reminiscent of Toshiro Mifune’s samurais. Sean Patrick Thomas gets the job done, and adds some needed racial diversity to “Cruel Intentions.” Meanwhile Keanu Reeves and the kid from E.T. (in the 1988 and 1989 versions respectively) compete to see who can make the most insanely awful catastrophe out of their brief appearances.”

(Posted by rynne_ph on EVERjohyunjae on 2008.2.22.  Many thanks to Bigcat of johyunjae.hk who drew our attention to this article.)

We have posted the entire review here, so those of you who are interested can read it in context.  If you are a film buff (as we are), you will find it fascinating reading, wickedly funny in parts.  We are very gratified that Jo Hyun-Jae’s performance is so well-received, especially since this critic appears to have “cruel intentions”.

If there’s one thing that sells movies consistently it would have to be sex. Runners-up include intrigue, murder, celebrities and explosions (writing comes in at #39 and originality at #81). These completely made-up statistics go a long way to explaining the popularity of Pierre Choderlos de Laclos’s 1782 novel “Dangerous Liaisons” (although it has no explosions). Given that there have been five major theatrical adaptations released so far it is time someone wrote a definitive comparison. The Film Walrus therefore presents a special Iceberg Arena Battle Royal. A chart at the end of this post keeps track of the rankings for each point of comparison.  (Editor: Chart at beginning of this post.)

The following contest will spoil the plot, but the story isn’t terribly important and besides, if you don’t know it already you’re unlikely to read/see it soon anyway. Set amongst the French aristocracy just before the revolution, Vicomte de Valmont and Marquise de Merteuil are two scheming high-society members who take their pleasure and power from countless cynical sexual escapades. Merteuil discovers that one of her former lovers is engaged to a virginal ingénue, Cecile, and decides to take revenge by asking Valmont to seduce her and make the future husband a laughingstock.

Valmont is reluctant since he has recently set his sights on the married, morally-upstanding Madame de Tourvel, a target more worthy of his skills. Valmont does eventually agree, however, after discovering that Cecile’s mother has warned de Tourvel of his insincerity. While tricking Cecile into sex, he learns that she already has her eyes on a young music teacher, Danceny, and Valmont encourages them to begin an affair.

While Valmont does succeed in seducing de Tourvel, he doesn’t realize in time that he’s found true love and is tricked by the jealous Merteuil into spoiling the relationship. In response, Valmont ruins Merteuil’s recent affair with Danceny, but has the tables turned when Merteuil reveals Valmont’s seduction of Cecile to the hot-tempered Danceny. Danceny challenges Valmont to a duel, fatally wounding the reformed philanderer, but not before providing Danceny with letters that permanently disgrace Merteuil.

If it sounds complicated, it is, but the constant intrigue, power changes and double-crosses are what make the script so much fun. Each of the film adaptations have borrowed the basic skeleton but put their own spin on the story, often with dramatic differences.

The first film adaptation was Roger Vadim’s 1959 French language “Les Liaisons Dangereuses,” which updates the story into the 1950’s and sets much of it in the Swiss Alps. British director Stephen Frears followed in 1988 with “Dangerous Liaisons,” a straight-forward adaptation with few changes and an all-star cast. Frears’s version released to critical acclaim, much to the chagrin of former Czech New Wave director Milos Forman, who was already into production on his own American version. His “Valmont” soon appeared in 1989 and is set several decades before the novel’s time period. In 1999, the largely untalented Roger Kumble made a trashy modern teen exploitation version called “Cruel Intentions” which became a guilty-pleasure sleeper hit. The most recent version, “Untold Scandal” (2003) came from the relatively unknown Korean New Wave director Lee Je Yong, who places the story in his own home country whose aristocratic period took place a few decades after the novel’s.

Frears’s version is the most true to the book, keeping the original ending, leaving much of the dialogue intact and making the setting historically accurate.

“Valmont” comes fairly close in terms of accuracy but “Americanizes” (read: dumbs down) some of the dialogue, romance and plot events. Forman inexplicably chooses to excise Valmont’s deathbed revenge in favor of making Valmont’s death into a suspenseful surprise, a dubious choice that deprives Merteuil of her fated comeuppance.

“Untold Scandal” remains surprisingly similar despite the culture shift, perhaps due to the shared period of puritanical trappings that hide a darker underworld. Lee Je Yong’s ending humorously maximizes film’s visual potential by replacing the final letters with explicit artistic rendering, but offers Merteuil a surprisingly redemptive coda that is unique, though cheesy.

“Cruel Intentions” warps surprisingly little of the basic set-up and seems at home amongst its bevy of modern promiscuous teens. The major change is the atmosphere, now dressed up in a hip, trendy veneer rather then a prim and stuffy one. It also puts a timely twist on one subplot to add a fitting homosexual angle. The reputation-wrecking letters being entirely inadequate for a modern adaptation, Kumble has the de Tourvel character hand out Xeroxes of Merteuil’s diary (which includes a diagram of the cocaine-filled crucifix she always wears) during Merteuil’s insincere funeral speech over Valmont’s grave.

Finally, “Les Liaisons Dangereuses” takes the most liberties with the script, but does so in a wholly appropriate manner. To make Valmont and Merteuil’s friendship/rivalry all the more bitter and intense, Vadim makes them a long-married couple with an “honest, open relationship” that thinly disguises their secret hatred for each other’s infidelities. Also deeming the original ending too weak for a modern movie, Vadim transfuses the irony factor into de Tourvel’s grief-induced madness. Merteuil gets her comeuppance by somewhat arbitrarily catching on fire, becoming permanently disfigured.

One of the main ways these films distinguish themselves is through their ensemble casts, since the performances are key to the complicated, deceit-filled and emotionally diverse script. The Film Walrus will exam the five lead parts: Valmont (reformed scoundrel), Tourvel (virtuous love interest), Merteuil (villain), Cecile (naïve virgin) and Danceny (Cecile’s boyfriend).

Chief amongst the Valmonts is actually “Untold Scandal”’s neophyte Bae Yong-Jun, in his first cross-over role after a successful career on Korean television. Bae is clever, persuasive and subtle, pulling off the charm and seductiveness of the character at every level. He is so full of his own lies that even he finds it difficult to tell when his feigned love becomes sincere. Vadim’s Gerard Philippe comes close with the right balance and seems believable as the irresistibly confident rogue. “Valmont” displays a young Colin Firth doing a passable job that falters only occasionally on the delivery but isn’t particularly memorable. The much-lauded John Malkovich is truly over-rated in the role, tipping his hand too far toward the smarmy, evil and conceited side, making him unconvincing as a successful seducer or as a romantic reformer. Ryan Philippe in “Cruel Intentions” needs no discussion.

The role of Tourvel is a relatively difficult and thankless part; especially considering how one-dimensional and prudish the character is (everyone else gets to have much more fun). Michelle Pfeiffer (in 1988’s “Dangerous Liaisons”) handily takes first place in terms of performance, but “Cruel Intention”‘s Reese Witherspoon looks the part and feels the most at home channeling the essence of purity and sweetness in a way that makes the one-dimensionality an advantage. Vadim casts his then-wife (unsurprising for the womanizing oft-married director) Annette Vadim in the role and gets from her a workable performance. Both “Untold Scandal” and “Valmont” (with Meg Tilly) are flat and uninspired beyond redemption.

The villainous Merteuil is the part generally played with the most relish and has given many actresses a chance to show their fangs and develop a darker image. Jeanne Moreau easily steals the show in the French original with a keen, jaded performance that is downright chilling. Annette Bening gives the best performance of the “Valmont” cast and manages to the fullest arc from an initially pitiable and sympathetic position to one of malicious spite (sadly, she has a terrible evil laugh). Sarah Michelle Gellar successfully dirtied her role-model/girl-power reputation from TV’s “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” and comes across convincingly vampy in a rare brunette performance. Frears’s version features Glenn Close who hogs a lot of screen time but totally overplays her part and looks too old and too unpleasant to fit the part, but does convey an intimidating viciousness. “Untold Scandal” comes in as the least memorable, but Lee Mi-Suk does get to have some of the most outrageous hair in screen history.

Cecile, like Tourvel, is a difficult part due to its relative simplicity and limited range. None of the five movies pull it off with any great flourish and Uma Thurman (in the 1988 version) is probably the best simply by virtue of being unobtrusive. “Valmont” puts a young Fairuza Balk to good use, especially her expressions for confusion, nervousness and shock, but she lacks depth. The Cecile in “Untold Scandal” is pretty ridiculous in her doe-eyed naivety but amply sells the fragility and giddiness of the part. Selma Blair in “Cruel Intentions” and the forgettable girl from “Les Liaisons Dangereuses” are both too whiny and petulant, ultimately distracting rather than complimenting the other performances.

Jo Hyun-Jae and Lee So-Yeon – (Left) lovers in “Untold Scandal”, and (Right) colleagues in real life.  (But why does he have to put his arm around her shoulder?)  

Finally we have Danceny, a role necessary for the plot but certainly the most minor. Essentially the part is a male version of Cecile with less lines and more hurt pride, not really a juicy performance to dig into. Vadim manages to turn it into a fairly brilliant bit-part for the superb Jean-Louis Trintignant (in a young, pre-famous cameo) as a student torn between study and puppy love. “Untold Scandal” casts the handsome Jo Hyun-Jae who gives the part a little of the youthful swagger and recklessness reminiscent of Toshiro Mifune’s samurais. Sean Patrick Thomas gets the job done, and adds some needed racial diversity to “Cruel Intentions.” Meanwhile Keanu Reeves and the kid from E.T. (in the 1988 and 1989 versions respectively) compete to see who can make the most insanely awful catastrophe out of their brief appearances.

In terms of the films’ looks, Frear’s and Lee Je Yong both get the most glitter and glam by pouring money into the lavish costumes and decoration, vividly rendering the period detail. “Valmont” trails a little behind, clearly harder-up for cash and sticking to a Czech aesthetic that seems a little dull, particularly in regards to the soft-focus cinematography. “Cruel Intentions” is crisp and clean, but uncaring about its mise-en-scene and without any period splendor to exult in. While Vadim’s French version probably had the smallest budget, it wins hands-down in terms of style, technique and craft. Vadim’s wildly inspired camera angles, mature sense of framing and motion, and formal black and white photography helped to usher in the French New Wave while belying the poor film work on his “And God Created Women” and “Barbarella.” Frears, Foreman and Yong have the talent but not the ambition or creativity to match Vadim. Kumble just phones in his direction.

Perhaps there is some generational bias, but I have to award “Cruel Intentions” with the best and most thematically relevant music, featuring some of the best of the late 90’s indie circuit like Placebo, Blur, The Verve and Fatboy Slim. Vadim also finds somewhat unusual, but well-suited inspiration in a jazz/bebop score by Thelonius Monk. Frears opts for somewhat obvious period orchestrations, a decision matched by “Untold Scandal” with less successful results given the cultural displacement and emotion accenting. “Valmont” comes in last with some classical pieces of its own diluted by several execrable unharmonious choir numbers.

Overall, the original “Les Liaisons Dangereuses” wins in my book, with a solid overall cast and stellar camerawork. Following that, “Untold Scandal” beats out “Dangerous Liaisons” by a hair due to its less overworked cultural setting and strong lead. Frears’s version deserves much credit and is probably the best bet for someone looking for a straight-forward adaptation with no surprises and high credibility. Despite being almost completely artistically bankrupt, “Cruel Intentions” may be the most accurate to the spirit of the novel, delivering attractive faces and shameless fun in a fast, energetic and fully modern package. Its excellent soundtrack and appealing cast have earned it a reputation as one of the best slices of 90’s teen trash. “Valmont” is probably the most disappointing, far too long and too compromising; destined to be viewed as a poor-man’s shadow of Frears’s film.

Winner: Roger Vadim’s 1959 “Les Liaisons Dangereuses”

(Credit: First two photos from CarpeDiemJAPAN.  Thanks!)

How hard is it to climb a low wall?  Apparently, very hard, if you are Jo Hyun-Jae and you are supposed to climb the wall in sync with Bae Yong-Jun.

In that scene in “Untold Scandal” (2003), the first movie that JHJ ever acted in, his character Kwon In-Ho climbs the wall into the garden of Lady Cho to rendezvous with So-Oak whom he has fallen in love with, all secretly arranged by Lady Cho for her own devious ends.  At the same time, Cho Won (played by Bae Yong-Jun) scales the wall to leave Lady Cho’s home where he is engaged in all sorts of sexual escapades.  The two of them meet at the top of the wall and exchange a few words.

Simple, right?  No!  Poor JHJ had to go through over 60 NGs!  For 45 seconds of screen time.  (And you think being an actor is so glamourous!)  He even hurt his shoulder which was all swollen the next day.  He said it felt terrible which was why this scene left such a deep impression on him.

In the Extras on the “Untold Scandal” DVD released in Japan, JHJ said four months before filming of “Untold Scandal”, he saw the American version “Dangerous Liaisons” and became fascinated, so he studied his role intensely.

He plays an 18-year-old young man who has never been in intimate contact with a woman before.  Kwon In-Ho is a good, upright person who only concentrates on his studies.  So-Oak is the first female that he has met and it is love at first sight for him — his first encounter with the opposite sex.

JHJ said he reviewed the movie afterwards and felt some regret that there were scenes in which he did not appear too mature and he felt he might have performed better.  But on the whole everything went very smoothly, and with the help of Lee Mi-Sook, he even received fewer NGs towards the latter part.

(Left) JHJ discussing his role in the Extras of the “Untold Scandal” Japanese DVD.                  (Right) a scene included in the Extras that is cut in the final version of the movie.

In an interview for “Star’s Echo” in early 2004, JHJ was asked about his impression of Bae Yong-Jun with whom he starred in “Untold Scandal” and this was his answer:

“Bae Yong-Jun is an actor who has very unique acting skills.  As a senior, he takes care of us juniors.  He is someone who is very gracious and good-natured and deserves our respect.”

JHJ has great respect for actors who are his seniors, like Lee Mi-Sook and Bae Yong-Jun.  To be able to work with such big stars on his first movie must have meant great pressure as well as great pleasure.  Even then JHJ managed to hold his own, and his portrayal of the young scholar Kwon In-Ho was well received.

(Credit: Video courtesy of EVERjohyunjae .  They set it to music from “Seo Dong Yo”.  Photos from CarpeDiemJAPAN.  Thanks!)

Here you have practically all the Jo Hyun-Jae scenes in “Untold Scandal”.  He plays the young scholar Kwon In-Ho, the youngest son of the Vice-Premier.  Their neighbour is Lady Cho, and it is at her house that he first meets So-Oak (Lee So-Yeon).  She is the most beautiful girl he has ever seen and it is love at first sight for In-Ho.  He has no idea that So-Oak is soon to become the concubine of Lord Yu, Lady Cho’s husband.

The young lovers are manipulated by Lady Cho and her cousin Cho Won for their own devious ends.  First of all, Lady Cho tells In-Ho’s mother: “Why don’t you send your son to my house sometimes?  I have a few books to help him study for the state civil exam.”  When he does come for the books, Lady Cho sends So-Oak to make the delivery, setting them up.  When In-Ho goes to ask Lady Cho who that beautiful girl is, she tells him: “If you fancy a woman, you should talk to her and not come ask me about her.  The bee and the butterfly look for their flowers by nature.  A vigorous young man like you shouldn’t talk about propriety.  You could at least wait by the wall and give her a letter once she comes near it.”

This is the prelude to that famous wall-climbing scene which we will discuss in greater detail next time.  Suffice to say here that the young lovers are like puppets on strings, pulled by the two scheming aristocrats, Lady Cho and Cho Won.  First the 16-year-old So-Oak is deflowered and impregnated by Cho Won — his wedding present for Lord Yu (Lady Cho’s husband) who is to take her as his concubine.  Then the innocent In-Ho is seduced by Lady Cho in revenge against Cho Won whom she secretly loves and who has fallen in love with the virtuous Lady Jung whom he has finally conquered.  Very complicated — everybody goes to bed with everybody, including the servants.

Lady Cho best sums up the irony of the situation when she says to So-Oak: “This is a catastrophe.  Your heart is with Master Kwon, your body with Cho Won, but you’ll be marrying Lord Yu.”  And this: “Since you are to be a concubine anyway, and you already have a man to love, then why not another man to sleep with?”  Sounds logical?

This is JHJ’s first collaboration with Lee So-Yeon, with whom he is to play lovers again in the internet short film “Joy of Love” in 2004.  The following photos show the two of them in Japan in 2004 to promote “Untold Scandal”.  Fans have speculated whether the 167cm/49kg girlfriend that JHJ mentions in the “Only You” TV Special is Lee So-Yeon (statistics fit.)  We hope not, but even if it is, it is now a thing of the past.

(Video by Doran. Thanks!)

 WARNING!

The first video (in English) is for viewers over 18 years of age.  If you are too young, sorry, please see the second video (in Chinese).

This “Untold Scandal” trailer gives you a good idea of the graphic nature of this movie which doesn’t leave much to the imagination.  JHJ appears briefly towards the end.

Chinese version (rather blurry, sorry!)

The first trailer especially suggests “Untold Scandal” is about sex and nothing else.  Even though this Korean version of “Dangerous Liaisons” is franker in its sexual content than its western counterparts, it is actually a rather complex drama and it has a subtle sense of humour.

This is how the film opens — Narrator on the book “Cho Family Scandals”:

Most of the characters in these illustrations are promiscuous and immoral, so much so that one is led to doubt whether they had indeed existed.  It is widely known that Chosun was founded on Confucianism, whereby men must be virtuous gentlemen and women to be modest ladies, so these characters are unlikely to be found in Chosun.  Even though the contents have been proven to be based on a true story, the names of the characters may be pseudonyms.  So be advised not to raise issue with anyone, or within the family.  If you have weak self-control, or feel nervous about this, close this book and erase it from your mind right now.  Written in the year 1792 and published in 1803.

Here is a witty exchange between Lady Cho (Lee Mi-Sook) and Cho Won (Bae Yong-Jun), following a scene with Lord Yu (Lady Cho’s husband) who urges Cho Won to re-marry and have children, to whom Cho Won answers: “There is room for only one person in my heart.” (implying his dead wife.)

LC (Lady Cho)                     CW (Cho Won)

LC: Room for only one, you say.

CW : I don’t know about women, but for men there is only one room.

LC: It may be one room, but a dozen women go in and out of it each day, am I right?

CW: Well, one lady at a time.

And here is another revealing conversation between Lady Cho and So-Oak (Lee So-Yeon) who is to become her husband’s concubine:

LC: Common people don’t know this, but all the ladies of nobility have a secret lover or two of their own.

SO: Is that true?  Then what about the women’s duties taught in books?

LC: Books are books, but reality is different.  Just as a woman’s reality is to wed a man she doesn’t love, everyone does it, and everyone knows it, but no one speaks of it.

SO: Oh my!

This is how Cho Won characterizes Lady Cho at the end: “A woman ruled by only two things — the will to possess and the will to destroy.”  And he admits: “Seduction and revenge — two things that always give us great joy.”

So there you have it — all the background that you need to appreciate Jo Hyun-Jae’s performance which we will concentrate on next time.

Those fans who come to know Jo Hyun-Jae late may not have seen “Untold Scandal” which is a little difficult to find these days.  If you are/were a Bae Yong-Jun fan, then of course you’ll be familiar with this film.

“Untold Scandal” (first shown in Korea on 2003.10.2), directed by Lee Jae-Yong (E J-Yong — he prefers this translation of his name), is a new treatment of the 18th century French novel “Les Liaisons Dangereuses” by Pierre Choderlos de Laclos.  This classic French novel has previously been given the Hollywood makeover in the Oscar-winning “Dangerous Liaisons”  1988 (directed by Stephen Frears and starring John Malkovich, Glenn Close, and Michelle Pfieffer), and again in the 1989 version “Valmont” (directed by Milos Forman and starring Colin Firth, Annette Bening, and Meg Tilly.)

This 2003 Korean version by Lee Jae-Yong transposes the setting to 19th century Korea at the end of the Chosun dynasty.  As in the original text, the story revolves around the games of two immoral aristocrats, Lady Cho (played by Lee Mi-Sook) and her cousin Cho Won (Bae Yong-Jun).  Lady Cho wants Cho Won to deflower the innocent young girl So-Oak (Lee So-Yeon) who is to become her husband’s concubine, with herself as the reward.  Cho Won finds that too unchallenging (but obliges anyway); instead he sets out to seduce the most virtuous lady in the land, the widow Lady Jung, known as “The Gate of Chastity”.  This tale of seduction and sexual conquest revolves around Chosun’s most infamous Casanova (Cho Won), irresistible temptress (Lady Cho), and virtuous widow (Lady Jung) — all entangled in provocative and dangerous liaisons.

Where does Jo Hyun-Jae come in?  You don’t see him on the DVD jacket and he is not mentioned in the synopsis of the film.  But his role, though small, is quite significant.  JHJ plays Kwon In-Ho, the youngest son of the Vice-Premier who is the neighbour of Lady Cho, at whose house he meets So-Oak and falls instantly in love with her.  He has never had any experience with women and he has no idea who she is.  For him she is his one and only, first and last.  But she ends up as Cho Won’s prey and pawn and he as Lady Cho’s.  All these reflect on the decadence of the age and the degeneration of the characters.

This is JHJ’s first ever film, and to be able to act alongside such big stars as Bae Yong-Jun, Lee Mi-Suk, and Jeon Do-Yeon must have been both a big challenge and a dream come true.  Chronologically, “Untold Scandal” comes between “First Love” and “Star’s Echo”.  The shy and inexperienced In-Ho in “Untold Scandal” is very different from the pure and innocent Young-Woo of “First Love”.  He is as much acted on as acting, a victim of circumstances and the age of decadence.  This is JHJ’s first collaboration with Lee So-Yeon, with whom he is to play lovers again in the internet short film “Joy of Love” in 2004.

This is the first of a series of articles on “Untold Scandal”, so watch out for the next one.  We promise you something salacious!

(Credit: Photos from CarpeDiemJAPAN.  Thanks!)