The Treacherous
| The Treacherous | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical release poster | |
| Hangul | 간신 |
| Hanja | |
| Directed by | Min Kyu-dong |
| Written by | Lee Yoon-seong Min Kyu-dong |
| Produced by | Min Jin-su |
| Starring | Ju Ji-hoon Kim Kang-woo Chun Ho-jin Lim Ji-yeon Lee Yoo-young Cha Ji-yeon |
| Cinematography | Park Hong-yeol |
| Edited by | Kim Sun-min |
| Music by | Kim Jun-seong |
Production company | Soo Film |
| Distributed by | Lotte Entertainment[1][2] |
Release date |
|
Running time | 132 minutes |
| Country | South Korea |
| Language | Korean |
| Budget | ₩7 billion |
| Box office | US$8 million[3] |
The Treacherous (Korean: 간신; Hanja: 姦臣; RR: Gansin; lit. "Treacherous Subject" or "Treacherous Retainer") is a 2015 South Korean period drama film about Joseon's king Yeonsan, directed by Min Kyu-dong.[4][5][6] It follows Im Sung-jae, a notorious vassal who, alongside his father Im Sa-hong, manipulated King Yeonsangun of Joseon. The film was theatrically released on May 21, 2015.
Plot
In the 11th year of King Yeonsangun's reign, as schemers vie for power by offering women to control the king, the age of treacherous courtiers begins. Appointed as Chae Hong-sa, Im Sung-jae forcibly recruits beautiful women from across Joseon, calling them Unpyeong, seizing the opportunity to execute his grand ambition for ultimate power. His ruthless actions, indiscriminately abducting noblewomen, commoners, and even the lower class, ignite public outrage.
To tighten his grip, Im Sung-jae and his father, Im Sa-hong, select the stunning Dan-hee for personal training, while the infamous courtesan Jang Nok-su, fearing her loss of influence, enlists Joseon's greatest gisaeng, Seol Jung-mae, to counter Dan-hee. As treacherous courtiers engage in a fierce battle for dominance, Dan-hee and Seol Jung-mae must endure rigorous training to become the ultimate gi-saek and survive in a ruthless game of power and seduction.
Cast
- Ju Ji-hoon as Im Sung-jae[7][8]
- Seo Young-joo as young Im Sung-jae
- Kim Kang-woo as Yeonsangun of Joseon
- Chun Ho-jin as Im Sa-hong
- Lim Ji-yeon as Dan-hee[9]
- Kim Hyun-soo as young Dan-hee
- Lee Yoo-young as Seol Jung-mae
- Cha Ji-yeon as Jang Nok-su
- Song Young-chang as Yu Ja-gwang
- Jo Han-chul as Park Won-jong
- Jang Gwang as Joseon prime minister
- Jung In-gi as Head of Sungkyunkwan
- Gi Ju-bong as Butcher Mr. Kim
- Ryu Seon-young as wife of the head of Sungkyunkwan
- Seo Ji-seung as daughter of the Prime Minister
- Kim Jong-gu as Nobleman Jo
- Son Young-hee as Sweet Briar, gisaeng from Miryang
- Choi Ye-yoon as So-hyang, Yonggonggak gisaeng
- Kim Ji-young as Mother of Deposed Queen Lady Yun
- Park Myung-shin as Queen's mother
- Moon Hee-kyung as Discipline sanggung
- Kim Seon-ha as only daughter of nobleman Jo
- Go Kyung-pyo as Grand Prince Jinseong
- Jung Man-sik as Assassin
- Shim Eun-jin as Yonggonggak owner
- Choi Il-hwa as Kim Il-son
- Jeon Yeo-been as Woman having queen’s fate by Physiognomy
Reception
Box office
The film has grossed ₩8.92 billion (US$8.09 million) from 1.11 million admissions at the South Korean box office.[10][11]
Awards and nominations
| Year | Award | Category | Recipient | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | 52nd Grand Bell Awards | Best Art Direction | Lee Tae-hun | Nominated |
| Best Costume Design | Lee Jin-hee | Nominated | ||
| 36th Blue Dragon Film Awards | Best New Actress | Lee Yoo-young | Won | |
| Best Art Direction | Lee Tae-hun | Nominated |
References
- ^ Noh, Jean (23 March 2015). "Filmart 2015: Hot titles - South Korea". Screen International. Retrieved 24 April 2015.
- ^ Ma, Kevin (23 March 2015). "Hot Korean titles at FilMart". Film Business Asia. Retrieved 24 April 2015.
- ^ "The Treacherous (2015)". Archived from the original on 2017-12-24. Retrieved 2017-08-28.
- ^ Conran, Pierce (26 August 2014). "JU Ji-hoon and KIM Kang-woo Sign on for TREACHEROUS SUBJECT". Korean Film Biz Zone. Retrieved 24 April 2015.
- ^ Baek, Byung-yeul (19 April 2015). "Historical film tells story of Joseon tyrant". The Korea Times. Retrieved 30 April 2015.
- ^ Conran, Pierce (14 May 2015). "ASSASSINATION and THE TREACHEROUS Find Buyers Ahead of Cannes". Korean Film Biz Zone. Retrieved 14 May 2015.
- ^ Jang, Sung-ran (19 May 2015). "Ju Ji-hoon gambles on Treacherous". Korea JoongAng Daily. Retrieved 20 May 2015.
- ^ Kim, Hyung-woo (17 May 2015). "Interview: Joo Ji Hoon Talks about Having to Act with 30 Nude Women". enewsWorld. Retrieved 21 May 2015.
- ^ Jin, Eun-soo (20 June 2014). "Lim Ji-yeon offered period drama role". Korea JoongAng Daily. Retrieved 24 April 2015.
- ^ Ma, Kevin (26 May 2015). "Hollywood takes Buddha holiday in South Korea". Film Business Asia. Retrieved 26 May 2015.
- ^ Ma, Kevin (23 June 2015). "Classified File opens second-placed in South Korea". Film Business Asia. Retrieved 26 June 2015.
External links
- The Treacherous at the Korean Movie Database (in Korean)
- The Treacherous at IMDb
- The Treacherous at HanCinema