The TV series The Scandal, starring Son Ye Jin, Ji Chang Wook, and Nana, which recently premiered on Netflix, immediately drew attention back to Untold Scandal , a South Korean film released in 2003. Both based on Les Liaisons Dangereuses and featuring a dangerous game of seduction in the Joseon era, the two works, separated by 23 years, show a clear difference: the TV version had more time to delve deeper into the characters, while the older film knew exactly what to keep to maintain the story’s chilling intensity.

Notably, The Scandal was released and received quite a few negative reviews. Some comments suggested that the cast was unsuitable for their roles, the pacing was slow, some character choices were unconvincing, and the intimate scenes didn’t always add value to the story. In that context, rewatching The Shame They Gave All the most attention.

When desire becomes a game that no one truly controls.

The film *The Shame of the Cho Family* is set in 18th-century Joseon and tells the story of a group of nobles living in a society where honor, chastity, and propriety are prioritized over personal desires. But behind the modest hanbok, the elegantly decorated rooms, and the seemingly proper facade lies a completely different world, where people use sex, seduction, and manipulation to achieve their goals. Netflix also presents the film as a Korean version of * Dangerous Liaisons* , which revolves around two sisters who seek to ruin the lives of innocent people.

At the heart of the story in *The Shame of the Cho Family* is Lady Cho (Lee Mi Sook), an intelligent noblewoman trapped in a loveless marriage. When her husband prepares to bring another woman home, she refuses to accept her fate. Lady Cho seeks out her cousin Jo Won (Bae Yong Joon), a notorious playboy known for his ability to seduce women, to carry out a plan of revenge.

Jo Won’s target is Lady Jeong (Jeon Do Yeon), a young widow renowned for her unwavering devotion to her deceased husband. She’s the type of woman Jo Won would find difficult to win over, and this very difficulty transforms the chase into a captivating game.

The most interesting aspect of the film lies in the fact that Jo Won is not simply a womanizer, and Mrs. Cho is not just a puppet master. From the beginning, their relationship is filled with desire and calculation. They understand each other too well to completely trust each other, yet are also so attracted to each other that they cannot simply leave the game. Jo Won wants to prove his seductive prowess, Mrs. Cho wants revenge and control over Jo Won. And Mrs. Jeong, seemingly just a pawn, gradually becomes a variable that causes the entire plan to spiral out of control.

Therefore, the film isn’t really about who sleeps with whom. It’s about who will be the first to lose control of their emotions. This is also why * The Shame of the Cho Family* remains captivating despite its familiar formula. Viewers know Jo Won is lying, they know Mrs. Cho is manipulating, and they know Mrs. Jeong is being trapped. But what keeps viewers watching is not knowing when those who set the trap will fall into it themselves.

The film therefore contains a rather biting satire. The more restrictive Joseon society became regarding desire, the more distorted the hidden desires behind it became. People talked about virginity but used sex as a tool. People glorified morality but secretly betrayed it. Women were expected to live according to established norms, but those in the most power constantly sought to break those norms for themselves.

Without needing to extend to 8 episodes, The Shame They Gave Me still makes the game of love even more dangerous.

The most valuable aspect of *The Shame of the Cho Family* lies in its conciseness. The film has the runtime of a feature film, yet it still provides enough space to build a love triangle between Mrs. Cho, Jo Won, and Mrs. Jeong. Each character has a clear purpose, and each time their relationship changes, the story immediately moves forward.

The strength of The Shame of the Cho Family lies in addressing something that The Scandal struggled with. The Netflix series has eight episodes and actively expands the storyline. Son Ye Jin’s character, Mrs. Cho, is placed more centrally, her past with Jo Won is explored, and their relationship is developed in a way that shows genuine affection rather than just lust and manipulation. This is a deliberate change, giving the new version more room for acting, character psychology, and this expansion creates a different approach compared to the film version.

However, this very ambition sometimes dilutes the content of The Scandal . The series suffers from pacing issues, with the story stretching across eight episodes. Themes such as women’s identities, social norms, and the desire for freedom are sometimes only explored superficially, through the characters’ narratives. Meanwhile, the intimate scenes between Ji Chang Wook and the female actresses in some episodes have been criticized for being prolonged but not contributing enough to the characters’ psychology or power dynamics.

This is where the 2003 film shows its power. The Shame of the Cho Family also features sex scenes, even sparking controversy upon its release. But director Lee Jae Yong knows how to make sex an integral part of the story, rather than using it for sensationalist, attention-grabbing purposes. The gaze, the distance between the characters, the touching hands, or the act of lovemaking are all moves in a power game. The film’s sex scenes serve the story of desire, and desire, in turn, serves the story of power.

Bae Yong Joon also had a memorable transformation. Just before that, he had become an Asian star with Winter Sonata , associated with the image of a romantic male lead. In The Shame of the Chos , he immediately broke that image with Jo Won – a flamboyant, confident man who enjoys playing with women’s emotions and sees conquering others as a game. But it was Lee Mi Sook who created the dangerous, tense atmosphere for the drama. Her character, Mrs. Cho, didn’t need to yell or constantly display cruelty; a single glance was enough to show her calculating nature. Jeon Do Yeon, on the other hand, brought a softer but not-so-simple Mrs. Jeong, transforming her from a target in a game into someone capable of turning the tables. Of course, all three were perfectly suited to their roles and performed better than the trio of Ji Chang Wook, Son Ye Jin, and Nana from The Scandal.

Compared to The Scandal , it’s noteworthy that the original didn’t necessarily need to explain too much for the audience to understand the characters. The Scandal turned its advantage (having ample time to develop the story) into a fatal weakness by dragging on unnecessarily. The Shame They Gave, on the other hand , gives the audience almost no chance to lose patience. It draws viewers into the game, making them witness each move and quickly pushing the characters to the consequences of their own actions.

That’s also why the 2003 film is still worth rewatching at a time when The Scandal is gaining attention. Not because the new version lacks value, but because when placed side-by-side, the power of a restrained film becomes even clearer. It doesn’t need more episodes, more sex scenes, or more explanations to make lust, betrayal, and hypocrisy seem dangerous.

After 23 years, The Shame They Gave Still Retains the Most Important Element of a Story: the player believes they are in control of the game, until they realize they are merely a pawn.

Source: Compiled from various sources.