The Scarlet Letter

$ 13.00
Sales: $ 11.99

$ 13.00 + $ 2.50 (shipping fee)
Sales: $ 11.99 + $ 2.50 (shipping fee)

Korean

English & Chinese

2 VCDs Box Set

Han Suk Gyu, Lee Eun Ju, Eom Ji Won & Seong Hyun A

"Chuhung Kulsi (The Scarlet Letter)" is a moody thriller that marks the return of actor Han Suk-gyu 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 Daniel H. Byun 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(Uhm 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(Lee Eun-Ju(a), 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 (Seong Hyun-a), 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. 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.