Splendid Outing: Limited Edition – Radiance Films (Blu-ray)

Theatrical Release Date: South Korea, 1978
Director: Kim Soo-yong
Writer: Yong-seong Kim
Cast: Yun Jeong-hie, Lee Dae-kun, Lee Yeong-ha, Jeong-ran Kim, Mi-nam Song, Kim Ki-su

Release Date: December 8th, 2025 (UK), December 9th, 2025 (USA)
Approximate Running Time: 93 Minutes 52 Seconds
Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1 Widescreen / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVC
Rating: 15 (UK), NR (USA)
Sound: LPCM Mono Korean
Subtitles: English
Region Coding: Region A,B
Retail Price: £14.99 (UK), $39.95 (USA)

"Following a dream about her dead twin sister, thriving corporate tycoon Gong Do-hee (Yoon Jeong-hee, Poetry) takes a drive to the seaside. But her splendid outing becomes a nightmarish one when she is kidnapped and forced to live with a gruff island fisherman who insists that she is his runaway wife." - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 4.5/5

Here’s the information provided about the transfer, “Splendid Outing was digitally scanned and color graded in 4K by the Korean Film Archive in 2023, using a 35mm original negative acquired in 1984, and was supplied to Radiance Films as a high-definition file. Restoration was performed by Radiance Films at Heavenly Movie Corporation.”

Splendid Outing comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 34 GB

Feature: 25.6 GB

The source is in excellent shape; any debris or imperfections have been removed. Flesh tones look healthy, colors look correct, image clarity and compression are solid, black levels are strong; and there are no issues with digital noise reduction.

Audio: 4.5/5

This release comes with one audio option, a LPCM mono mix in Korean with removable English subtitles. The audio is in excellent shape; dialogue always comes through clearly, everything sounds balanced, and ambient sounds are well-represented.

Extras:

Extras for this release include an interview with filmmaker Lee Chang-dong (15 minutes 24 seconds, LPCM mono Korean with non-removable English subtitles), an interview with assistant director Chung Ji-young (20 minutes 56 seconds, LPCM mono Korean with non-removable English subtitles), a video essay by Pierce Conran titled Stranded but Not Afraid: The Island Women of Classic Korean Cinema (16 minutes 21 seconds, LPCM stereo English, no subtitles), an audio commentary with Ariel Schudson, reversible cover art, removable OBI strip leaving packaging free of certificates and markings and a 24-page booklet (limited to 3000 copies) cast & crew information, an essay titled Splendid Outing, or An Outing in Search of Myself written by Chung Chong-hwa, an excerpt from Kim Soo-yong’s My Love, Cinema written by Kim Soo-yong, an essay titled Slipping Through the Jaws of Censorship: The Contemporary Reception of Splendid Outing written by Pierce Conran, and information about the transfer.

Summary:

Kim Soo-yong, a prolific filmmaker who directed more than 100 films and whose career spanned five decades, directed Splendid Outing. Notable films he directed include Bloodline, Sad Story of Self Supporting Child, The Sea Village, Flame in the Valley, Mist, When a Woman Breaks Her Jewel Box, and The Land.

Strange dreams haunt an overworked executive who travels to a remote fishing village, where kidnappers capture her and sell her to a peasant farmer.

The protagonist, a corporate tycoon named Gong Do-hee, is a confident woman who commands the respect of her male peers. She is a career-minded person whose personal life suffers because of her drive to succeed, notably her relationship with her children. That said, what begins as a melodrama about modern women’s role in society and the anxiety and other issues that arise from these issues slowly morphs into a nightmarish tale about identity.

The opening setup is conventional in how it presents information; however, once the protagonist embarks on a trip and is later kidnapped and sold into marriage, the distinction between reality and illusion becomes blurred. Although the protagonist makes repeated attempts to let others know what has happened to her, most ignore her pleas for help. The narrative becomes more surreal as it propels towards its bleak ending.

Although all of the performances suit the story that unfolds well, it is ultimately its lead, Yun Jeong-hie (Poetry), who stands head and shoulders above the rest. She delivers a pitch-perfect performance of a character in a mental crisis. The other performance of note is Lee Dae-kun’s (Insect Woman) portrayal of the peasant fisherman who forces Gong Do-hee to be his wife. His character knows only one emotion, brute force, and that is how he keeps Gong Do-hee in line.

From a production standpoint, Splendid Outing is a film that exceeds the sum of its parts. The premise is flawlessly executed, and the narrative does an exemplary job building momentum to a twist finale where the protagonist is finally confronted by the truth. Another strength is the visuals, which do a phenomenal job reinforcing and heightening the mood. Symbolism, more than any other area, is where Splendid Outing excels; it is a film overflowing with social commentary, notably feminism. Ultimately, Splendid Outing is a gut-wrenching melodrama whose finale stays with you after.

Splendid Outing gets an exceptional release from Radiance Films that comes with a solid audio/video presentation and a wealth of insightful extras; highly recommended.

Written by Michael Den Boer