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Originally posted by lwang at 2004-10-31 09:00 PM:
根据SPORTSTODAY的消息,<红字>的制作方31日在采访的时候说:"开封两天(29,30日),总共吸引了全韩70万名观众进电影院观看了此片, 汉城一地有17万人观看, 是继"太极旗飘扬"后的第二高的成绩&quo ...
20岁以下的年轻人喜欢速食面可口可乐,他们没有人生经验,也不会为了思考问题去看电影。
边赫的电影是思考型的,HK也不喜欢他,追访有情人被贬得一文不值。
ST刚找出来的:
Moody `Scarlet Letter' Turns Into a Hard Read
By Joon Soh
Staff Reporter
``Chuhung Kulsi (The Scarlet Letter)’’ is a moody thriller that marks the return of actor Han Suk-kyu to the screen. In truth, the actor, who is most famous for starring in the hit film ``Shiri,’’ made his return last year from his four-year hiatus, but ``Ijung Kanchop (Comrade)’’ seems to have slipped from everyone’s minds lately.
In his new film, Han plays the arrogant and sexist detective Ki-hun, an alpha male reminiscent of Michael Douglas in ``Basic Instinct.’’ And the film itself is a lot like that 1992 erotic thriller in mood and feel, with a similar but always-intriguing combination of sex and murder.
What the film doesn’t have is the classic femme fatale like Sharon Stone’s … Instead, ``Letter’s’’ director Byun Hyuk surrounds Ki-hun with a trio of beauties, each bringing a different dynamic to the detective’s life and to the film.
In Su-hyon (Um Ji-won), Ki-hun has the seemingly perfect and obedient wife. But at the same time, the detective is carrying on a steamy affair with Ka-hui, a sultry jazz singer at a nightclub who is in many ways the opposite of his wife, a classical musician.
Added to the mix is Kyong-hi (Sung Hyun-ah), the wife of a murder victim whose case Ki-hun is investigating. The murder seems to have a basis in adultery, a possible parallel to the detective’s own life.
For most of the film, each of the detective’s relationships seem to exist side by side but separately from one another. The stories do overlap at times, but not enough to become the focus of the narrative. The result is a collage effect, making the discrepancies all the more potent.
And it’s to the film’s credit that it’s able to sustain the mood without having a true central narrative. Instead, the film floats along in a smoky sensual haze that’s filled more with pathos than tension. Particularly potent is Ki-hun’s ongoing affair with his mistress.
But at some point, the movie has to come down to earth and come up with an ending and that’s where it gets into trouble. At the last third of the film, ``Letter’’ throws in a plot twist that’s comparable to the one in ``Old Boy’’ in its bizarreness. The film’s unexpected development is gut-wrenching and does work on a visceral level, but the viewer will have a difficult time getting over its seeming randomness in relation to the rest of the film.
Chuhung Kulsi (The Scarlet Letter)
Stars: Han Suk-kyu, Lee Eun-joo, Sung Hyun-ah and Um Ji-won
Director: Byun Hyuk
Length: 1 hour 58 minutes (早估到边赫的电影一定长,节奏不会太快)
Rating: 18 and over
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'The Scarlet Letter' trains microscope on sexual desire
What is love? It's an amusing question that often has no satisfying answer, at least not for a man who has to deal with three fatally attractive women at the same time.
In "The Scarlet Letter," Ki-hoon (Han Suk-gyu) is a ranking detective who seems to get everything he wants. He has a beautiful, kind-hearted wife, who is also a famous cellist. He has a secret lover who sings sultry songs at a jazz cafe and satisfies his sexual needs whenever and wherever possible. And he is pretty good at nabbing bad guys involved with the occasional homicide cases.
Ki-hoon's character, however, is more of a puzzle than he lets on. In a way, he represents uninhibited narcissism that defines success-oriented, affluent people. He enjoys grandiose operas in his luxury sedan on the way to a crime scene, showing off his rather "classic" taste. But then he eats a piece of candy, gnashing his teeth together, while looking at a smashed head of a murder victim.
The Scarlet Letter
Ki-hoon is also meeting his secret lover and then rushing home to cook for his pregnant wife to show his sweetness and loyal side. This dual life is certainly dangerous, but Ki-hoon believes his almost unlimited abilities and equally plentiful resourcefulness will see him through to the end of the day.
All the seemingly confidence-building facets of Ki-hoon's life, however, begin to crumble when he encounters a mysteriously attractive widow.
The woman named Kyung-hee (Sung Hyun-ah) is a prime suspect for a murder case: her husband, a photo studio owner, suffers a terrible death. She denies any wrongdoing, but Ki-hoon believes he smells something fishy about her.
He figures Kyung-hee was not on good terms with her husband, and plans to probe deeper into the suspect's real motive. It turns out that the dead husband wanted to have a child, but Kyung-hee secretly had an abortion, confirming his suspicion.
Ironically, Ki-hoon happens to know that his pure-hearted wife, Su-hyun (Um Ji-won) did the same, secret abortion during their "happy" marriage life. Even worse, his lover Ka-hee (Lee Eun-joo) notifies him that she is pregnant with his baby.
In fact, Su-hyun and Ka-hee are close friends. At a party to celebrate a successful cello performance of Su-hyun, Ka-hee puts enormous pressure on Ki-hoon, now asking to be more than just his secret lover. She wants to monopolize Ki-hoon's love and go beyond their limits in their illicit relationship.
Even the murder case gets out of control. Witnesses offer conflicting testimonies, making it tricky to identify who is the real murderer. From this point on, the movie goes into a mystery thriller direction.
Ki-hoon, now desperate to save his dualistic life, does whatever necessary to get things under his control. Strangely, he succumbs to his uncontrollable sexual fantasies even when he should be focusing on work.
Ki-hoon's travails symbolize a fundamental question about human desire. Why do human beings feel greater pleasure and satisfaction when they are knowingly engaging in forbidden love and lust? Should self-destruction always be a fitting consequence even if something more than sexual desire is involved?
Director Byun Hyuck portrays inherently vulnerable human beings in a meticulous style that can provoke overwhelming emotional responses from both mainstream moviegoers and fickle film critics.
Han's performance is solid and impressive. This undisputedly top-rated actor suffered a humiliating box-office failure two years ago in "Double Agent." Some critics even questioned whether Han would be able to pull off a comeback. But his charismatic acting in "The Scarlet Letter" proves that he is still at the top of his game as one of the most celebrated actors in Korea.
Lee Eun-joo also demonstrates her versatility. She is already an A-level actress here but her audacious acting in this provocative film suggests she has greater potential than previously thought.
In fact, Ka-hee's character is as multi-faceted as that of Ki-hoon. She screams fiery words toward her lover when she feels frustrated. Seconds later, she steps forward and kisses the man passionately. She sees the destructive nature of their secret relationship, but she keeps going forward.
Back to the question about love, the movie does not offer a satisfying answer. Perhaps, it is foolish to ask such question in the first place when sexual desire takes over.
(insight@heraldm.com)
By Yang Sung-jin |
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