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The Scarlet Letter (2004 film)
Encyclopedia
The Scarlet Letter is a 2004
South Korea
n film about a police detective who investigates a murder case while struggling to hang onto his relationships with his wife and mistress. The film debuted as the closing film of the Pusan International Film Festival
in 2004. It is the second film by La Femis
-graduate and academic Byun Hyuk (Daniel Byun), and starred Han Suk-kyu
, Lee Eun-ju
, Sung Hyun-ah
and Uhm Ji-won.
Despite Lee Eun-ju
's prior experience with depicting sex and nudity in Virgin Stripped Bare by Her Bachelors
(2000), she came under the scrutiny of Korean press and netizen
s, for the (highly emotional) sex scenes and the notorious "trunk
scene" in The Scarlet Letter. It is speculated her demanding role and its public scrutiny, had compounded and overlapped with an existing variety of family, financial, career, and insomnia issues. Her severe depression
ended in suicide in February 2005, and the tragic conclusion has since become the central focus in popular perception
and interpretation
of the film, this particular one being her last.
Director Kim Ki-duk
, no stranger to controversy over his own films, is quoted by Chinese film magazine "Movie Watch" (看電影) in singling out The Scarlet Letter as among the key Korean dramas from recent years. He subsequently cast Sung Hyun-ah
, who rose to prominence with her role in The Scarlet Letter, as the heroine in his Time.
At the film's premiere in Japan, veteran actress Kumiko Akiyoshi
praised the lead performances and likened the film to a landmark in erotic thrillers after Basic Instinct
and Fatal Attraction
.
2004 in film
The year 2004 in film involved some significant events. Major releases of sequels took place. It included blockbuster films like Shrek 2, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, The Passion of the Christ, Meet the Fockers, Blade: Trinity, Spider-Man 2, Alien vs. Predator, Kill Bill Vol...
South Korea
South Korea
The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...
n film about a police detective who investigates a murder case while struggling to hang onto his relationships with his wife and mistress. The film debuted as the closing film of the Pusan International Film Festival
Pusan International Film Festival
Busan International Film Festival , held annually in Haeundae-gu, Busan , South Korea, is one of the most significant film festivals in Asia...
in 2004. It is the second film by La Femis
La Femis
La Fémis , is the French state film school. FEMIS is an acronym for Fondation Européenne pour les Métiers de l’Image et du Son. Based in Paris, it offers courses balanced between artistic research, professional development and technical training...
-graduate and academic Byun Hyuk (Daniel Byun), and starred Han Suk-kyu
Han Suk-kyu
Han Suk-kyu is a South Korean actor.-Biography:Han is known as a family man, avid golfer, fisherman and voracious reader. He collects animation by Studio Ghibli and hopes to join Ghibli voice cast one day as a Korean-speaking character. While a student at the Film and Theater department of...
, Lee Eun-ju
Lee Eun-ju
Lee Eun-ju was a South Korean actress. She died by suicide at the age of 24.-Life and career:Born in Gunsan, Jeollabuk-do, South Korea, Lee moved to Seoul after graduating high school to study acting. She was first noticed in the mid-1990s as a model for school uniforms, and after a number of...
, Sung Hyun-ah
Sung Hyun-ah
- Film :* Time * The Customer is Always Right * Lover * Cello * The Scarlet Letter * Woman is the Future of Man * Live or Die * Boss X-File * Hallelujah - Television :...
and Uhm Ji-won.
Despite Lee Eun-ju
Lee Eun-ju
Lee Eun-ju was a South Korean actress. She died by suicide at the age of 24.-Life and career:Born in Gunsan, Jeollabuk-do, South Korea, Lee moved to Seoul after graduating high school to study acting. She was first noticed in the mid-1990s as a model for school uniforms, and after a number of...
's prior experience with depicting sex and nudity in Virgin Stripped Bare by Her Bachelors
Virgin Stripped Bare by Her Bachelors
Virgin Stripped Bare by Her Bachelors is a 2000 South Korean comedy-drama film, directed by Hong Sang-soo. It was screened in the Un Certain Regard section at the 2000 Cannes Film Festival....
(2000), she came under the scrutiny of Korean press and netizen
Netizen
The term Netizen is a portmanteau of the English words internet and citizen. It is defined as an entity or person actively involved in online communities and a user of the internet, especially an avid one. The term can also imply an interest in improving the internet, especially in regard to open...
s, for the (highly emotional) sex scenes and the notorious "trunk
Trunk (automobile)
The trunk or boot of an automobile or car is the vehicle's main storage, luggage, or cargo compartment. Trunk is used in North American English and Jamaican English; boot is used elsewhere in the English speaking world. Trunk is also primarily used in many non-English speaking regions, such as...
scene" in The Scarlet Letter. It is speculated her demanding role and its public scrutiny, had compounded and overlapped with an existing variety of family, financial, career, and insomnia issues. Her severe depression
Clinical depression
Major depressive disorder is a mental disorder characterized by an all-encompassing low mood accompanied by low self-esteem, and by loss of interest or pleasure in normally enjoyable activities...
ended in suicide in February 2005, and the tragic conclusion has since become the central focus in popular perception
Perception
Perception is the process of attaining awareness or understanding of the environment by organizing and interpreting sensory information. All perception involves signals in the nervous system, which in turn result from physical stimulation of the sense organs...
and interpretation
Interpretation (aesthetics)
An interpretation in philosophy of art, is an explanation of the meaning of some work of art. An interpretation expresses an understanding of a work of art, a poem, performance, or piece of literature.- One or many :...
of the film, this particular one being her last.
Director Kim Ki-duk
Kim Ki-duk
Kim Ki-duk is a South Korean filmmaker noted for his idiosyncratic "art-house" cinematic works. His films have received many distinctions in the festival circuit. He is not related to the Kim Ki-duk who directed Yonggary in the 1960s...
, no stranger to controversy over his own films, is quoted by Chinese film magazine "Movie Watch" (看電影) in singling out The Scarlet Letter as among the key Korean dramas from recent years. He subsequently cast Sung Hyun-ah
Sung Hyun-ah
- Film :* Time * The Customer is Always Right * Lover * Cello * The Scarlet Letter * Woman is the Future of Man * Live or Die * Boss X-File * Hallelujah - Television :...
, who rose to prominence with her role in The Scarlet Letter, as the heroine in his Time.
At the film's premiere in Japan, veteran actress Kumiko Akiyoshi
Kumiko Akiyoshi
, better known as , is a Japanese actress. She won the award for best actress at the 1st Hochi Film Award for Banka, Saraba natsuno hikariyo and Brother and Sister.-Filmography:...
praised the lead performances and likened the film to a landmark in erotic thrillers after Basic Instinct
Basic Instinct
Basic Instinct is a 1992 erotic thriller directed by Paul Verhoeven and written by Joe Eszterhas, and starring Michael Douglas and Sharon Stone....
and Fatal Attraction
Fatal Attraction
Fatal Attraction is a 1987 American thriller blended with horror, directed by Adrian Lyne and stars Michael Douglas, Glenn Close and Anne Archer. The film centers around a married man who has a weekend affair with a woman who refuses to allow it to end, resulting in emotional blackmail, stalking...
.
External links
- Production company LJ Film's profile of Director Daniel Byun
- "Actress Lee Eun-ju Commits Suicide", The Korea Times, February 22, 2005.
- Cineseoul profile