Painted Fire (2002)

In a time of political and social unrest in nineteenth-century Korea, an uncouth, self-taught painter explores his natural talent amidst the repressive world around him.

Director:

Kwon-taek Im

Writers:

Kwon-taek Im, Yong-ok Kim

Stars:

Min-sik Choi, Sung-Ki Ahn, Ho-jeong Yu

6 wins & 4 nominations.

Cast

Credited cast:
Min-sik Choi	...	Jang Seung-up
Sung-Ki Ahn	...	Kim Byung-Moon (as Sung-kee Ahn)
Ho-jeong Yu	...	Mae-hyang
Yeo-jin Kim	...	Jin-jong
Ye-jin Son	...	So-woon
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Tae-hee Kim
Jin-seo Yoon

Storyline

The struggles of an artist. Jang Seung-up (1843-1897), also called Owon, focusing on the years 1882 to 1897, when Korea was in political upheaval, caught between China and Japan, the conservative dynasty dying, and peasant revolt at hand. Jang, born poor, has genius; a merchant, Kim, becomes his patron, finding him a teacher. Jang must convince others that a commoner can have talent, then move beyond his ability to copy old masters and find his own style. He's bedeviled by a temper and alcohol, arguments with patrons as he seeks commissions, and relationships with kisaeng, particularly Mae-hyang, that start and stop. It's the life of a restless spirit producing great art.

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Plot Keywords:

burning a portrait | army | kiln | china | porridge | 

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Taglines:

The Life of Painter Jang Seung-up

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Genres:

Biography | Drama | History

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Certificate:

Unrated

Details

Official Sites:

Official site Official site (Korean, some English)

Country:

South Korea

Language:

Korean

Release Date:

10 May 2002 (South Korea)

Also Known As:

Painted Fire

Box Office

Opening Weekend USA:

$9,302, 16 February 2003, Limited Release

Gross USA:

$59,413, 22 June 2003

Company Credits

Production Co:

CJ Entertainment, Taehung Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

120 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Chosen by "Telerama" (France) as one of the 10 best pictures of 2002 (#10)

User Reviews

Visual beauty to feast on; an artist's genius to inspire

For one in love with nature and art, with both brought to the screen in breathtaking beauty, this movie offers the thrill of what great cinema is all about. This is the story of the development of a Korean artist in the 19th century, from his beggarly beginnings to great renown in his country. It's a very complex and often agonizing journey as this natural artistic genius struggles to create art for which he has enormous talent, but which is restricted by tradition and government control. The film spares us nothing...his heavy drinking, his sexual encounters, his rages...withal it's the underlyng "blessed unrest" of the artist that comes through. We're given the fruits of his creativity as well as awe-inspiring images of nature from which the work itself derives. This marriage of art and nature...man and his need to give expression to his talents is powerfully portrayed by the actors, the director...by all those responsible for this exquisite and uncompromising film,