"Chihwaseon (Painted Fire)"
"Blue is more than the indigo it is made from, but without the indigo there would be no blue." This statement about artist and art is the heart of director Im Kwon-Taek's telling of the life of Jang Seung-up (Choi Min-Sik), a crude and uncultured man who became the shining light of the late 19th century Korean art world. This brilliant and talented man broke new ground with his work amidst the turmoil of political change and his story is told in "Chihwaseon."
I couldn't help getting the impression that filmmaker Im had seen the American film "Pollock" before starting production on "Chihwaseon." The parallels between Jang Seung-Up and Jackson Pollock could be coincidence - i.e. all brilliant artists get drunk, introspective, belligerent, suicidal, self-abusive, self-destructive, arrogant and morose - or intentional, as I think.
In addition to the depiction of the artist, his life and his work, the film gives a real sense of the politics at the time as the Korean monarchy is threatened by Reformists, a Japanese-backed movement to oust the royals from power in 1884. This highhanded attempt by the Japanese to create a puppet government was followed by the Peasants Revolt in 1887 that brings down the whole feudal system. In that new socialist world patronized artists like Jang Seung-Up become outcasts in their own society.
Choi Min-Sik gives a powerful performance as the volatile artist and is convincing whether with brush in hand or a draining a bottle of rice wine. The actor has a presence that is reminiscent of the great Toshiro Mifune and holds center stage effortlessly. His depiction of the volatile Jang brings out the self-destructive aspect of the artist who would rather destroy his own masterpieces than see them fall into the hands of those he considers unworthy.
Production credits are uniformly high quality. Cinematographer Kim Il-Sung has a painter's eye as he composes his shots in a form that compliments the artwork under his scrutiny. Art design by Joo Byung-Do creates a believable world of 19th century Korea as the winds of change blow through that country. Costume design by Lee Hye-Ran is superb on a number of levels, contrasting the dark, somber clothes of Jang with the crisp white "uniforms" of the court artists. The techs are definitely up to par for this epic story about a legendary man.
"Chihwaseon" is also a mystery explained as we come to find out that, after his fall from grace and artistic prowess, Jang Seung-Up disappeared without a trace. But, rather than leave us with an ambiguous finale, helmer Im Kwon-Taek and co-writers Kim Yong-Ok and Min Byung-Sam have created a sudden, plausible end to the artist's story that is shocking, though not entirely unexpected.
There have been a number of fine and varied films coming out of South Korea lately and "Chihwaseon" is a good combination of content and character. And, it explores the life of a brilliant artist virtually unknown in the West while effortlessly teaching us about a tumultuous period in Korea's past. I give it a B+.
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