Korean Film Opens to Critical Praise in New York

Director E J-yong's "Untold Scandal", which opened in New York last week, is receiving good reviews by U.S. critics. Elvis Mitchell of the New York Times said that the film uses Christopher Hampton's version of Choderlos de Laclos's "Liaisons Dangereuses" as inspiration, with a touch of religious persecution added to the mix. He praised the director's understanding of intrigue as a physical force in the material and of the psychological aspects of Lady Chung's secret adherence to strict religious codes. The last shots of Cho-Won and Lady Cho are the film equivalent of a dramatic exit, boldly conceived scenes that intimate the director's familiarity with the stage version of Hampton's "Liaisons". E's ability to keep it from feeling petty is a major feat, said Mitchell.

The New York Post said that the film provides a meticulously detailed look at traditional Korean clothing and breathtaking views of nature. The Daily News said that "Untold Scandal" not only depicts an alluring story of eroticism and Forbidden Love, but also deals with encroaching Western culture in Korea, both in the context of Catholicism.
Time Out praised the colorful Korean costumes and architecture, the views of sea and snowfield, and the harmony of ying and yang.

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