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"The Scarlet Letter": Brilliant Korean Filmaking, The Taking of a Briliant Actress

208.148.210.47

This film contains two distinctive plots: the love life of detective Ki-hun and the murder case of Kyong-hi's husband. The both stories share adultery as a common denominator of the two intertwined plots. Ki-hun becomes re-involved with his wife's best friend, Ga-hee, from high school and pushes the affair to the limits while the widow, Kyong-hi, reveals her story as the murder investigation deepens. There are several plot twists with a most grisly end to the detective's story. The cinematography, direction, and acting was first class. This is an Asian classic.
The actress, Lee Eun-joo, plays the pretty, sexy, blues singing "other woman" (Ga-hee). She has a strong presence and gives a love scene performance that made even me feel self-conscious without her exposing any naughty bits.
Eun-joo's performance begat a classic real-life tragedy. About a year after the film debuted she graduated from a Korean university. Several days later she was found dead in her apartment by her brother. It is generally accepted that Eun-joo (just turned 25) had been long depressed over her parent's reaction to her nude scenes. In a scene befitting Asian Horror, she slashed her wrists, wrote two suicide notes with her blood, then hung herself. (Details in Wikkipedia).
This is a worthwhile film, especially since it was the last for Lee Eun-Joo---a brilliant and promising talent.
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Complicit Constapo Talibangelical since MMIII

Edits: 08/20/07 08/20/07

Follow Ups:

It's a real shame - Jon L 20:04:22 08/21/07 (1)
about the actress. For those who recall another famous Korean movie "Tae Guk Gi: The Brotherhood of War" (2004), she played the girlfriend role in that. She was indeed one of my favorite Korean actresses before her suicide...
- This caught my interest and I visited a few sites and saw where there was a "rash" of..... - mr grits 20:40:52 08/21/07 (0)
  Asian actor suicides for '05-'06. Talk about cultural diffs, wow. Porn stars here wave at the camera and practically say, "I love ya ma!". Not so in Asia.
  
  The thing is her scenes were so extremely physically tame by our standards it's hard to conceive such a reaction from her family and her reaction to them.
  
  ..
  Complicit Constapo Talibangelical since MMIII
added to queue, thx ..nt - late 10:47:42 08/21/07 (0)
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That's so sad. - sjb 09:56:50 08/21/07 (1)
I looked her up and saw pictures of her... I don't know if I can watch that movie without feeling sad.

Maybe I'll throw it in my queue and forget about it for a while... let it take me by surprise.

"You can safely assume you have created God in your own image when he hates all the same people you do."
- RE: That's so sad. - mr grits 19:42:49 08/21/07 (0)
  Her "love" scene dripping with emotional anguish was just so real...I felt I shouldn't have been there.
  
  .
  Complicit Constapo Talibangelical since MMIII
Wow. Great review, grits. nt - tinear 04:41:56 08/21/07 (2)
a
- Now knowing what you do...... - mr grits 07:55:10 08/21/07 (1)
  It will be difficult not to be in love with her by the end.
  .
  Complicit Constapo Talibangelical since MMIII
  
  Edits: 08/21/07 08/21/07
  - 'tis on my netflix list, next. nt - tinear 08:54:26 08/21/07 (0)
    h

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