Portrait of a Beauty

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Movie: Portrait of a Beauty
Revised romanization: Miindo
Hangul: 미인도
Director: Jeon Yun-Su
Writer: Kee Jung-Myeong (novel), Han Su-Ryeon, Jeon Yun-Su
Producer: Cho Sung-Kyu
Cinematographer: Park Hee-Ju
Release Date: November 13, 2008
Runtime: 108 min.
Genre: Period-18th Century / Romance
Distributor: CJ Entertainment
Language: Korean
Country: South Korea

Plot

Retired court painter Shin Han-Pyong 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.

Now the grown-up Yun-jeong (Kim Gyu-Ri), better known as "Hyewon" - the pen name of Shin Yun-Bok, finally enters the court and learns to paint under the guidance of Kim Hong-Do, who is trusted by by King Jung-Jo.

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.

Shin Yun-bok, better known by the pen name Hyewon, is a real 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. A story about a genius painter who loved his patron’s lover and then lost everything, only to leave a miindo of the lady.

Notes

"A Portrait of a Beauty" is based on the 2007 fictional historical novel "The Painter of the Wind" by Jung-myeong Kee.
The novel examines the life of 18th century painter Yun-bok Shin. Although highly regarded for his erotic & satrical paintings, there are few documents relating to the painter's life in the present day. Jung-myeong Kee's novel then presents the hypothetical question, "What if Yun-bok Shin was actually a girl dressed in men's clothes?"
Other titles based on the same story:
1. The Painter of Wind (SBS / 2008)

Cast



Kim Gyu-Ri	Kim Young-Ho	Kim Nam-Gil	Choo Ja-Hyun
Shin Yun-Bok / Shin Yun-Jeong	Kim Hong-Do	Kang-Mu	Sul-Hwa

Additional Cast Members:

Han Myung-Goo - Jeong-Ju
Kwon Byung-Gil - Kim Keo-Sang
Yeo Ho-Min - Shim Hwa-Won
Kim Seung-Hoon - Painter Hong
Park Ji-Il - Shin Han-Pyeong
Choi Kyu-Hwan - Choi Ha-Won
Ra Mi-Ran - nobleman's wife
Kang San - Shin Yun-Bok (young)
Lee Eun-Mi - gisaeng 4 at Danopoongjung
Jeon Kuk-Hwan - Dang Sang-Kwan
Oh Man-Seok - writer 3
Ko Yu-Seon - gisaeng 1 that seduces Yoon-Bok
Sun Wook-Hyun - public officer 1
Han Kuk-Jin - Monk Bang-Sa
Hwang Chan-Woo - Heo Hwa-Won
Choi Young - police chief
Choi Dae-Sung - patrol at police bureau
Kang Wang-Soo - street patrol police officer 2
Lee Do-Hyung - playboy 2 at gisaeng house
Hwang Sun-Hwan - playboy 10 at gisaeng house
Joo Young-Ho - playboy 14 at gisaeng house
Son Hyun-Woo - playboy 15 at gisaeng house
Ki Se-Hyung - playboy 18 at gisaeng house
Shin Yoo-Joo - gisaeng 3
Bo Ri - indecent gisaeng 2
Park Bong-Seo - Kang Se-Hwang
Shin Yool-Yi - (voice)

Trailers

Image Gallery

Film Festivals

2009 (13th) Fantasia Film Festival - July 9th-29th (Canadian Premiere)

Awards

Best Cinematography - 2009 (46th) Daejong Film Awards - Nov. 6th

Comments

WengSB Feb 19 2023 9:54 am The last scene where she was in a boat was best picture material.. so beautiful, it made me cry. Her words in front of the king and in the final scene were so profound.

NN Jun 08 2020 1:32 am @BMR I absolutely agree with you.

BMR May 26 2018 5:28 pm The same creative novel has led to two totally different results: the K-drama "Pianter of the Wind" and the present movie "Portrait of a beauty"

The "Painter of the wind" is outstanding and classy. The present movie is crude and crummy. Its plot does not hold up and the film is replete with gratuitous nude scene and some them outright pornographic one. Many episodes are completely arbitrary. The psychology of this movie is really pathetic. Most actors (male and female) are wooden and shallow. Only Kim Nam-gil acts well.

If you are after gratuitous nude scenes and some porno ones watch this movie. It even invents a budding sex orgy in a Buddhist temple of all places !!

If you want to watch superb story telling with convincing and moving psychological development and superior photography as well- watch "Painter in the Wind" .You will also learn what 18th century Koreans valued the most in paintings. I did. You have all the ingredients of a great drama: a good director, good screenwriters, superb acting, photography matching the great paintings of Kim Hongdo and Shin Yunbok.

What amazes me is that these two pieces were made only one year apart! One is so classy and the other so embarrassingly worthless. Yet both grew out do the same movie-making period.

Among earlier comments, @omaha makes specific points about the many qualities of the "Painter in the wind" that I do not have time to make.

jenielyn simbajon Aug 18 2014 6:35 pm I agree.His really talented. Kim nam gil forever!!!

emsi Feb 25 2014 6:52 am I was just wondering why kim nam gil didn't get any acting nomination from this movie. This movie showcases kim nam gil's talent... from comedy to action to drama to being a loverboy. Excellent job for kim nam gil!

Quan Feb 19 2014 5:20 pm Is the movie good? Yes. Is it worth discussing? Yes. Would adolescents understand it? No (they will flounder among the themes; the story's sense will simply pass over their heads). Was it made just to make money? No. Is it credible? Yes. Where do the depths lie? 1) In Kim Hong-do's confession of how he failed his student. 2) In Yun-bok's integrity, in expressing into paper the contents of his/her mind and heart with full honesty. 3) In the film's reliance on visuals rather than on verbal elaborations. 4) In showcasing the contents of a human's heart: jealousy, greed, violence, generosity, openness, frailty, trust, courage, lasciviousness... How does the entire film strike you? It's a fusion of a novel-storytelling (I feel like I'm watching in front of my eyes the words that I read that sound in my head) and a painting (I will never forget the golden sheen of the lovers' skins, and the general lighting with which they were encased inside that building as they laughed/glowed in each others' company) and an anthropological study (of a society where females have very limited range of freedom plus that they exist to cater to the needs of the males, where the males were like demi-gods, where royalty is as distant as the moon, where societal class was the measure of a person's worth). What is the over-all mood? It has a cadence with which one won't be disillusioned into expecting a happily-ever-after ending. One sits in front of the screen with gravity. For me, I was constantly feeling watchful, because of the constant threat of Yun-bok being uncovered. Then I felt protective of the love between Yun-bok and Kang-mu, where Kang-mu was freed from his class thereby becoming just another man reveling in his love for a woman, and Yun-bok's true form was uncovered and she became a female just like any other human female. Then I felt disgust over the whole cannot-be-helped situation, in the weakness of the respected teacher, in the arrogance of traditions. If the darkness of the night is the context/environment within which Yun-bok's art/"beauty" exists, then the fireflies are 1) Yun-bok being able to draw out from within herself and transfer onto paper her perception of life; 2) Yun-bok and Kang-mu's love, where Kang-mu the mirror-maker is himself the mirror with which Yun-bok saw her real self.

Emi Feb 17 2014 6:03 am I belive that KHD's feeling about SYB wasn't lust or such these things,he loved her...coz if didn't love her,he wouldn't defend her at the end of the film under that heavy torture.when he met her 3years ago,he left sul-hwa en didn't sleep with her anymore..he broke his pride because of her beloved,it was too much for a noble man like him..... KHD's acting was amazing...i affected by his deep en skillful playing.he showed me the cold en selfish apparent of a man which at first seems not to fall for anyone,but in the middle of a film,he finally indicates his kind en warm heart.I don't know...at least i think in this way......i can't accept that he has a dark en cruel character at all. the film was really tragic en sad ending one.KNG like always end up with dieing..good story line,good actors(at first I downloaded this film because of KNG,but ultimately I intrested in KYH's acting...he was reallly excelent en wonderful.he was really touching.)..just one thing was really distracting en annoying in this film en that was the sex en erotic scenes.I think that much sex scenes was unnecessary en affected the strong story line,en makes people misunderstand the film with a porn films....goood film at all.I'm thankful this film for knowing en find a talented actor like KYH .

florence May 08 2013 5:45 am I am very moved with the brave acting of Kim Yeong Ho (as Kim Hong Do character) because it shows how fragile - even a very 'cold' / 'insensitive' man is... he could cry...

yet when he realised he had either love or lust ...

he used every power he had to defend and get what he wanted.... very rare attribute to be found in a man nowadays...

what touches my heart is that.. he even begged his love (Shin Yun Bok) that he could take Kang Mu and lived together... I don't know... selfish... but... at least he tried... and he had expressed his feeling... the hardest thing a "noble-high-positioned" man can do...

for me... Kim Yeung Ho is just unique and very interesting individual... amazing actor too...

Kim Yeung Ho made me love him in Miindo... he has made 'The Portrait of a Beauty' beautiful to watch... Love you to bits Kim Yeung Ho ;)

Omaha Apr 08 2013 12:51 pm If you seek a nice story, good interpretations, colorful images ,nice traditional dresses and buildings accompanied by nice songs you should view Painter Of THe Wind TV serial with same characters from same inspirating book, but with a very different story, (the male outlaw lover of SYB didn't even exist), the portrayal of Gisaengs there played by Moon Che Won as Jeung Hyang, a first tier GIsaeng, is more artful, honorable and beautiful,and their love so real and touching, making YTb viewers cr

Omaha Apr 08 2013 11:11 am @Iliekater: If you like a movie which shows a nice story , had good interpretations , was colorful on images , with nice traditional dresses and buildings and was accompanied by nice songs . If one keeps a purely hypothetical plot in his mind ... THen you should best watch Painter Of THe WInd TV serials of the exactly same characters cast as Portrait of a Beauty and inspired by the same book (POTW), truthfully it's far, far more better in all those aspects you looked for in this POAB film.. Aside from a very different story (Shin YB didn't fall in love with a male outlaw) , the presentation of Gisaengs in POTW are more elitist, artful of songs and dance, and honorable than shown here in this film , and of course Moon Chae Won's acting as SYB's lover Jeung Hyang was sooo real and touching it made so many crying fans and so many saluting impression and fans !!

Nallali Dec 31 2012 11:15 pm The unnecessary, extended sex scenes were a bit of a distraction and an unwelcome one at that. and for the life of me i did not get how she stood up for her teacher after all the s*** he did to her, i mean rape, bf murder...mind does not compute! Am left to conclude the story was that of teacher-student rather than that of 2 young lovers which is what the director concentrated on...with all those sex scenes lol

Ivy Sep 11 2012 3:16 pm Hi Kim Nam-Gil, allow me to love you. Its not about time I knew your perform in Bad Guy, but its about your acting is definetly gorgeous has stolen my heart to love you as Swin Gun-wook performing stand-up 2010 until present.

Compare with all your drama's and movies performing, in BAD GUY (specially acting with Oh Yoo-Seo as ' Hong Tae-Ra') you deserve to get The Best an ASIAN Actor. Due my professional way, I will come to South Korea, I hope from your management can give you a free time to meet me. I really want to meet you as my fate.

One thing, you live here 'in my heart in every single minute', I breath cause your love life here.

God Bless you honey. See you soonest.

Cordially yours, Ivy (Indonesian).

lorraine Oct 29 2011 1:21 pm i beg to disagree, i don't think this movie is porn. it's just sexy and erotic.

lorraine Oct 29 2011 1:14 pm i have been wanting to watch this movie but all the ones in youtube with english sub is not available. so many hidden links appeared but when you click the links it's not even there. most of nam gil's movie are blocked. he's such a good actor, intense. just by the look in his eyes, you are so drawn to him. an A1 actor. i just hope he'll be in hollywood movie soon just like lee hyung bun and jung woo song.

sarah Sep 20 2011 1:31 am call me old fashioned but I just despise the who;e porn thing. if there is anyone who wants to watch porn they just watch porn. why we should ruin the story??

iliekater Jul 09 2011 11:17 am You are pressing the wrong button . Try harder !

rclono Jul 04 2011 3:20 am Looks like a interesting movie to watch, but can't start it.

rclono Jul 04 2011 3:18 am How do you start the movie?

rajes Mar 03 2011 7:13 am NICE MOVIE... GIVE IT A 8/10 SEE THE TRAILER FIRST.. IF YOU WANT TO SEE THE MOVIE...! VERY NICE MOVIE I SHOULD SAY...

iliekater Jan 21 2011 5:14 pm I don't like movies which alter history or even hypothesize a different course of events and persons , because misunderstandings may occur . Nevertheless , the movie presented a nice story , had good interpretations , was colorful on images , with nice traditional dresses and buildings and was accompanied by nice songs . If one keeps a purely hypothetical plot in his mind without any relations to real painters in his mind , then , I think , he might watch a great movie .

Ki Mar 15 2009 10:03 pm “Portrait of a Beauty” (Korean title “Miindo”) is based on a controversial 2007 novel titled “Baramui Hwawon” by Jung-myeong Kee. The novel gives a fictional account of 18th century folk painter Yoon-bok Shin, better known under his pen name “Hyewon.” Hyewon’s paintings are noted for its eroticism and its realistic depiction of everyday life. The novel then asks the purely hypothetical question … “what if Yoon-bok Shin was a girl and disguised himself as a man?” Although there isn’t any historical evidence to back this assumption, the novel sold enough to quickly inspire the 2008 SBS drama “The Painter of Wind, ” starring Korea’s little sister - Geun-yeong Mun. With that, film-makers decided to bring the novel “Baramui Hwawon” to the big screen as “Portrait of a Beauty.”

As a child, Yun-jeong Shin (Min-sun Kim) often painted for her older brother. Their father fiercely pushed her brother to pursue painting, but because of his lack of talent relied on his sister’s paintings. When the pressure became too much her brother committed suicide. Her father, upon discovering that Yun-jeong painted for her brother, then pushes Yun-jeong to take her brother’s identity (girls at the time were not allowed to paint) and enter the world of court painting.

Now as an adult, Yun-jeong, who uses her brother’s name Yun-bok, becomes accepted in the King’s court as a painter and works under the tutelage of Hong-do Kim (Yeong-ho Kim). It doesn’t take long for Hong-do Kim to notice Yun-bok’s immense talents, as well as his feminine features. Yun-bok then meets Kang-mu (Nam-gil Kim), a carefree glass seller whom she falls in love with. When Hong-do takes notice of their relationship, he becomes engulfed by jealousy and is willing to do anything to end their relationship.

“Portrait of a Beauty” has that unusual premise (a woman takes the identity of a man to become a famous painter), copious amounts of nudity & sex, and tragic melodrama of the Shakespearean kind. Sounds good you say? On paper it does, but the finished product is rather lackluster.

First warning sign would lie with Yun-se Jeon - the movie’s film director. Yun-se Jeon’s prior film “Le Grand Chef” had moments of fun, but was ruined by poorly done flashbacks of Joseon era South Korea. Well, “Portrait of a Beauty” is entirely set in Joseon era South Korea so that’s not a comforting sign. The next sign of possible trouble would lie with casting Min-sun Kim in the starring role of Yun-bok Shin. Although she has taken steps to play more diverse characters (reference “Rainbow Eyes” where she convincingly plays a tough as nails cop), you’re not going to confuse her with Do-yeon Jeon anytime soon. What stacks the table further against her, is her own beauty and the director’s odd decision to not disguise her more when playing a man. In the first half of the film, when Yun-bok’s identity still needed to be kept under wraps, you wouldn’t believe for a second that anybody would think she is man. This killed any sense of realism the movie might have had.

Beyond Min-sun Kim’s unconvincing portrayal of Yun-bok Shin, her co-stars were just as bad. Yeong-ho Kim, who received a lot of praise for his recent work in Sang-soo Hong’s “Night and Day,” portrayed the rugged scholar aspects of Hong-do Kim well, but when it was time to display emotions he totally blew it. Nam-gil Kim, who played the glass seller, wasn’t as bad, but he doesn’t do anything to distinguish himself either.

The film does have a surprising amount of nudity and sex scenes for a commercial Korean film. The first scene involving two models as they mimic Kama Sutra positions for painters, doesn’t carry a lot of heat but I did learn a thing or two about sexual positions. The second sex scene has Min-sun Kim going all “Wei-Tang” for the cameras.

Although I didn’t have high expectations going into “Portrait of a Beauty” the movie never engages in any meaningful way. Performances are weak throughout the film which is probably the biggest factor for this sense of detachment. The decision to not have Min-sun Kim look more like a man in the early portions of the film also dampens any enthusiasm for the film that may arise. A decent love triangle (or is it quadrangle?) story starts to emerge in the second half of the film, but (again) poor acting dampens everything. Most likely “Portrait of a Beauty” will only be remembered for its steamy sex scenes and its preposterous premise. The movie itself? Blehhhh……..

Portrait of a Beauty

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