Portrait of a Beauty
Portrait of a Beauty (Korean: 미인도; RR: Miindo) is a 2008 South Korean film directed by Jeon Yun-su. Adapted from the bestselling novel Painter of the Wind (Korean: 바람의 화원; RR: Barame Hwawon) by Lee Jung-myung, the film portrays Joseon-era painter Shin Yun-bok (better known by his pen name, Hyewon) as being a woman disguised as a man.[2]
| Portrait of a Beauty | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical poster | |
| Hangul | 미인도 |
| Hanja | 美人圖 |
| Revised Romanization | Miindo |
| McCune–Reischauer | Miindo |
| Directed by | Jeon Yun-su |
| Produced by | Choi Jun-yeong Kim Se-hun Lee Seong-hun |
| Written by | Han Su-ryeon |
| Based on | Painter of the Wind by Lee Jung-myung |
| Starring | Kim Min-sun Kim Young-ho Kim Nam-gil |
| Music by | Hwang Sang-jun |
| Cinematography | Park Hee-ju |
| Edited by | Park Gok-ji |
| Distributed by | CJ Entertainment |
Release date |
|
Running time | 108 minutes |
| Country | South Korea |
| Language | Korean |
| Box office | US$11,848,017[1] |
Portrait of a Beauty opened in South Korean theaters on 13 November 2008.[3] It was the 8th most attended domestic film of 2008 with 2,364,482 tickets sold.[4][5]
Plot
Retired court painter Shin Han-pyeong seeks to settle an old score with the most sought-after painter of that time, Kim Hong-do (Kim Young-ho). Shin raises his son to surpass Kim Hong-do, but his son commits suicide over his lack of talent. The father then pushes his daughter Yun-jeong to disguise herself as her brother and enter the world of court painters.
The grown-up Yun-jeong (Kim Min-sun), now known under the pen name "Hyewon," finally enters the court and learns to paint under the guidance of Kim Hong-do, who is trusted by King Jeongjo.
Kim Hong-do quickly notices Yun-bok's huge potential as well as his girlish features. Things remain normal until Yun-bok goes out and comes across a playful seller of mirrors, Kang-mu (Kim Nam-gil). When their romantic adventure takes off, it is Kim Hong-do who ends up heartbroken. Kim's jealousy, and his desire to own Yun-bok physically and emotionally, soars to a perilous level.
Cast
- Kim Min-sun ... Shin Yun-bok
- Kim Young-ho ... Kim Hong-do
- Kim Nam-gil ... Kang-mu
- Choo Ja-hyun ... Seol-hwa
- Han Myeong-goo ... King Jeongjo
- Park Ji-il ... Shin Han-pyeong
- Kwon Byeong-gil ... Kim Geo-sang
- Choi Kyoo-hwan ... Artist Choi
- Yeo Ho-min ... Artist Shim
- Kim Seung-hoon ... Artist Hong
- Kang San ... young Yun-bok
Artistic license
Shin Yun-bok, better known by the pen name Hyewon, was a real historical figure who produced a host of thematically provocative and artistically excellent paintings in the 18th century. However, not one record of the painter still exists.[6][7]
Several art history scholars have criticized the Korean entertainment industry for distorting historical facts about the painter, who was unquestionably a man.[8] The novel had also been adapted into the television series Painter of the Wind.
Awards and nominations
- 2009 Baeksang Arts Awards
- Nomination – Best Actress – Kim Min-sun
- Best Cinematography – Park Hee-ju
- Best Editing – Park Gok-ji
- Best Art Direction – Lee Ha-jun
- Best Cinematography – Park Hee-ju
- Nomination – Best Director – Jeon Yun-su
- Nomination – Best Actress – Kim Min-sun
- Nomination – Best Supporting Actress – Choo Ja-hyun
- Nomination – Best Lighting – Kim Seung-gyu
- Nomination – Best Art Direction – Lee Ha-jun
- Nomination – Best Costume Design – Lee Yu-suk
- Nomination – Best Supporting Actress – Choo Ja-hyun
- Nomination – Best Lighting – Kim Seung-gyu
- Nomination – Best Art Direction – Lee Ha-jun
References
- "Box office by Country: Portrait of a Beauty". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved 2012-06-04.
- Chung, Ah-young (9 October 2008). "Mysterious Artist Resurfaces on Modern Culture Scene". The Korea Times. Retrieved 2014-02-05.
- "Provocative Portrait of a Beauty Tops Movie Chart". The Chosun Ilbo. 24 November 2008. Retrieved 2014-02-05.
- Yi, Chang-ho (27 November 2008). "Portrait of a Beauty sold to Japan, Singapore, and Thailand". Korean Film Council. Retrieved 2014-02-05.
- "The Best Selling Films of 2008". Koreanfilm.org. Retrieved 2014-02-05.
- Lee, Eun-joo (31 October 2008). "Fact and fiction meld in life of mysterious Joseon painter". Korea JoongAng Daily. Archived from the original on 26 January 2013. Retrieved 2014-02-05.
- Yang, Sung-hee (25 October 2008). "Erotic icon". Korea JoongAng Daily. Archived from the original on 27 January 2013. Retrieved 2014-02-05.
- Yi, Chang-ho (6 November 2008). "Liberal take on artist SHIN Yoon-bok arrives in cinemas". Korean Film Council. Retrieved 2014-02-05.
- "Portrait of a Beauty - Awards". Cinemasie. Retrieved 2014-02-05.
External links
- Official website (in Korean)
- Portrait of a Beauty at the Korean Movie Database
- Portrait of a Beauty on IMDb
- Portrait of a Beauty at HanCinema