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 Sin Yun-bok (better known by his pen name, Hyewon) as being a woman disguised as a man.[2]
| Portrait of a Beauty | |
|---|---|
![]() Theatrical poster  | |
| Korean name | |
| Hangul | |
| Hanja | |
| Revised Romanization | Miindo | 
| McCune–Reischauer | Miindo | 
| Directed by | Jeon Yun-su | 
| Written by | Han Su-ryeon | 
| Based on | Painter of the Wind by Lee Jung-myung  | 
| Produced by | Choi Jun-yeong  Kim Se-hun Lee Seong-hun  | 
| Starring | Kim Min-sun Kim Young-ho Kim Nam-gil Choo Ja-hyun  | 
| Cinematography | Park Hee-ju | 
| Edited by | Park Gok-ji | 
| Music by | Hwang Sang-jun | 
Production companies  | Iroom Pictures Sponge Entertainment  | 
| Distributed by | CJ Entertainment | 
Release date  | 
  | 
Running time  | 108 minutes | 
| Country | South Korea | 
| Language | Korean | 
| Box office | US$11.8 million[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 Sin Han-pyeong seeks to settle an old score with the most sought-after painter of that time, Kim Hong-do (Kim Young-ho). Sin 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 Gyu-ri), 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 Gyu-ri as Sin Yun-bok
 - Kim Young-ho as Kim Hong-do
 - Kim Nam-gil as Kang-mu
 - Choo Ja-hyun as Seol-hwa
 - Han Myeong-goo as King Jeongjo
 - Park Ji-il as Sin Han-pyeong
 - Kwon Byeong-gil as Kim Geo-sang
 - Choi Kyoo-hwan as Artist Choi
 - Yeo Ho-min as Artist Shim
 - Kim Seung-hoon as Artist Hong
 - Kang San as young Yun-bok
 
Artistic license
    
Sin 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
    
- Nomination – Best Actress – Kim Gyu-ri
 
- 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 Gyu-ri
 - 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.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link) -  Yang, Sung-hee (25 October 2008). "Erotic icon". Korea JoongAng Daily. Archived from the original on 27 January 2013. Retrieved 2014-02-05.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link) - 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 at IMDb
 - Portrait of a Beauty at HanCinema
 
