Beautiful and historically important!
After living in Seoul for a couple of years I much enjoyed the scenery but also get the background of the mentality and the hardship the Korean
people has endured.

A Solid film about Sociality and Art...
Chihwaseon (aka. Painted Fire, Strokes of Fire) is an engaging biopic on the life of renowned Korean painter; Jang Seung-Ub. Directed by Im Kwan-Taek with lush award-winning cinematography by Jung Il-Sung, Chihwaseon uses the history and beauty of Korea as its backdrop. I am in a very disadvantaged position, since I do not have a strong knowledge of Korean History; I cannot tell whether this film is accurate to its roots and can only comment on how well the film has been made.

Jang Seung-Ub (Choi Min-Sik, Oldboy) is the quintessential painter of the Chosun Dynasty who was born in 1843 and disappeared without a trace (into the stuff of legend) in 1897. Jang lived a peculiar carefree life; he is an alcoholic and is a womanizer, but is an ingenious painter. He became a center for a lot of people's criticisms and lived during a drastic change in Korean history was occurring, he truly struggled to overcome the limits of his artistry. In his final stages of his life, he decides to leave everything behind and finally becomes a free man.
Although not as famous as other Korean painters, experts continue to hold his work in high regard.

When I first watched "Chihwaseon", I was awe-struck with the direction by Im, the beautiful cinematography by Jung, the excellent performance by Choi Min-Sik as the lead. So, I asked myself, what else is there to know about Jang Seung-Ub, other than he is a renowned painter during the Chosun period and that loves drinking and women? Well, I had to pay special attention to the subtle details, as this is a Korean film, this may be once again a character study or period study.

The beauty of "Chihwaseon" lies not only with its direction and superb visual execution; it lies on its proceedings. I've read that art experts of the Chosun period in Korea were called in to reproduce Jang's works, his authentic paintings were used for the film. To properly replicate Jang Seung-Ub's exquisite brush strokes, Choi Min-Sik went through an intensive training to give life to one of Korea's most cherished painters.

There is a very human characteristic present in the proceedings. However, I commend the director that instead on focusing his expression mostly on Jang Seung-Ub, he avoids the usual clichés inherent in other films about artists. The film is more about social status and how society expects a certain structure; it explores an artist who in all the political changes, manages to stand firm with his devotion to his art. The film also has a strong expression of romanticism that it felt like it wanted to create something of Jang's character. Noble men and leaders seek to influence Jang's paintings and he considers this an invasion of the true essence of art. Jang apparently wandered around in pursuit of the truth of art, he confirms his skills while painting with a wine bottle in one hand and as his fame grew, he challenges his own limits. Interestingly, he finds the state he has striven to attain in the form of a plain and misshapen bowl.
Sadly, without knowledge of Korean history, I gained little from the references to the Chinese and Japanese struggles to a weakened Korea.

Aside from Kwan-Taek Im's direction and Jung's cinematography, the film draws its strength from its stellar cast. Choi Min-Sik once again gives an excellent portrayal and bears his soul for the audience. Jang is portrayed as a loner and usually expresses his contempt for those who seek to deaden the essence of art; Choi effectively brings his character to life, his fights with noble men and outbursts atop rooftops expresses pure agitation. He is joined by an excellent supporting cast: Ahn Sung-Ki plays Jang's mentor and actresses Kim Yeo-jin, Sun Yeh-jin and Yoo Ho-Jung play his various love interests. There is mild sexuality and nudity in the proceedings but will not turn off viewers since they are beautifully shot.

"Chihwaseon" may not be Im's best work but it is a very strong film about the life of Jang Seung-Ub. It does seduce the viewer with its very lush camera work and while some sequences felt a bit hurried, it would be unfair to expect a film to fully portray the life of a man in 2 hours. Im's other works have the unique ability to get under your skin, and while it would be unfair to impose such an approach with "Chihwaseon", Im definitely made this film with care and patience and has an uncanny ability to allure with its charms by execution.

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED! [4 ½ stars]

Dedicated to fellow amazon reviewer Ernest Jagger.
A True Amazon friend, who has inspired and touched me with his reviews....

Breathtaking!
I was attracted to this movie because I thought it would be something would appeal to my aesthetic taste. It seemed that it might be something like Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter... and Spring, which I absolutely loved. This film was so breathtaking for so many reasons for me. Having lived in Asia for many years, I developed a deep appreciation for ink painting and calligraphy and the whole aesthetic expression of it. I even studied it for a while, and practically salivated with excitement as I watched the acts of actual painting through out the film.

Painted Fire is the story of the tumultuous life of a famous Korean painter, Oh-won, who lived in the mid to late 1800's. Typical of many genius artists, he goes through life driven to express his truth in the purist sense, to transcend art through painting. Also like many genius artists, he's troubled and tries to drown out that feeling of being incomplete through constant debauchery. Actor Choi Min-sik gave a moving performance in this depiction of Oh-won's tormented life.

This film also does and excellent job of portraying and explaining the whole quintessence of ink painting; how just the act of one brush stroke can express totality and transcendence in itself. The cinematography in this film was beautiful as well. Being a period piece, the sets and clothing exquisitely represent the era this took place in, and through out the film there are sweeping and often stark Zen like landscapes as backdrops. Watching this film was a feast for all the senses.

Chihwaseon
Directed by the great living legend of Korean cinema, "Painted Fire" tells the tempestuous life story of Oh-won, one of the most famous artists of his time. Played with bombastic, larger-than-life ferocity by Choi Min-sik (of "Oldboy" fame), Oh-won is a tortured, raging alcoholic and inveterate wanderer who's cursed by his humble beginnings but blessed with an unnatural aesthetic talent that helps him survive and prosper in the tumult of the Chosun dynasty. Im's portrait of this restless, passionate spirit is also a masterwork of period filmmaking, boasting extravagant costumes and rich, earthy cinematography.

GOOD MOVIE
Chihwaseon is a charming film, full elements of the artist symbolism. Excellent visual work in this production.