Portrait of a Beauty (Min-In-Do) Summary

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I personally like Kim Min Seon, so since I have done the summaries for Painter of the Wind, why not do the cinematic version of that novel. It was opened in theatres in Korean in November 2008. This Korean film is directed by Jeon Yoon Soo.

Background

Inspired rather that adaptation from the novel Painter of the Wind by Lee Jeong Myeong, the film portrays Joseon-era painter Shin Yun Bok (Hyewon) as a being a woman disguised as a man. This is their version. The film has to be seen in its “openness” to the cinematic flavour & not to make comparison with the drama as it is on its own league. As we all known to the background of Shin Yun Bok from previous encounters, I will give a brief Shin Yun Bok (Hye Won) born in 1758, a genre painter of the Joseon Dynasty which is famous for his real depiction of daily life of the Joseon upper class aristocrats & gentry. This term is of course express greatly on “debauchery & taken steps to show the explicit sexuality indulgences of that time when Joseon impose strict moral conduct. As Leonardo Da Vinci had “Mona Lisa” so did Shin Yun Bok with “Mi In Do”

Synopsis

Shin Han Pyeong is a fame Artist at Dohwaseo, upon his almost retirement there was a young up & coming fame artist Kim Hong Do who arrives into the art circle. Shin Han Pyeong feels threaten & jealous as the occupation is hereditary from father to son, he forces his poor son Shin Yun Bok to take his path , although the lad have some talents but lacks to have what it takes & can’t conform to his father’s expectation. Shin Yun Bok can’t takes the pressure of his father’s expectation & obsession succumbs by taking the coward way by hanging himself. The ambitious & yet unrepentant Shin Hang Pyeong not wanting to lose to Kim Hong Do decided to make his daughter Shin Yun Jeong who has extraordinary talented should take over her dead brother identity & forever having to conceal her own gender to overcome the discrimination of the Confucian society & to live her father’s ambition & her own passion for the arts & eventually her admission to Dohwaseo & became a student under Kim Hong Do’s tutelage
Min-In-Do

The film opens when some of the Art appreciators in Shin Han Pyeong’s private residence looking through the album of some brush stroke paintings & admiring the details of the strokes as the Young Shin Yun Bok sits before them as they give him praise. Shin Yun Jeong looks at the distance. It seems the drawings are hers as she is curious what the peers will say about her drawings. The Art circles are now telling of the great talent Artist Kim Hong Do had taken the art scene by storm in which upset Shin Hang Pyeong. Then deciding they wanted to see the young Shin Yun Bok draw. Shin Han Pyeong prepares the paper but finds that his son Shin Yun Bok can only stare at the paper, Shin Yun Jeong watch at the distance, while Shin Han Pyeong “ahem” his son to carry on. The young Shin Yun Bok takes the brush dips some ink but can’t put the brush to paper. Shin Han Pyeong chases his son to draw, when he tarnish the paper with a drop of ink then find himself wet his pants due to fear. Years later after disappointments from his son, Shin Han Pyeong go to his studio to find his son had hung himself. During the private funeral, Shin Han Pyeong tells her daughter Shin Yun Jeong that her brother is not dead & that how can his daughter’s hand be able to draw. Shin Han Pyeong picks up his crying daughter to transform her by taking off her jeogori & ask her to assume to take over her brother’s identity. Shin Han Pyeong send his son ashes to the sea with Shin Yun Jeong now donning the Baji jeogori & wearing the gat & vows that his “son” will surpasses Kim Hong Do by becoming his student. Shin Yun Jeong now Shin Yun Bok promise her father & mourns quietly her lost of her gender

10 years later. Dohwaseo. Kim Hong Do plucked the Geomungo as Shin Yun Bok draw bamboo according to the rhythm. Kim Hong Do stops playing & inspect her drawing fine tune her painting. (Kim Min Seon because of her lean & tall frame makes really handsome boyish appearances of Shin Yun Bok able to carry herself the men’s hanbok). Kim Hong Do present a wind screen as Jeongjo talks to his Ministers about reforms Then Jeongjo finds out the apprentice who assist Kim Hong Do in the screen in which he reply it was Shin Yun Bok. Jeongjo asked Shin Yun Bok to step out for an audience. Jeongjo ask Shin Yun Bok to explain her views on the country. Jeongjo is please with the answer. Jeongjo reminds the Artist their primary role at Dohwaseo to bring records of his citizen to him. This also give green with envy of her fellow Dohwaseo colleagues

Then the street market, where some trying to brand the horse, people buying fresh fish & street tavern filled with eating customers, boy chasing his runaway duck when he finds someone carrying a mirror. The young boy is amaze to see his perfect reflection on the mirror then the Merchant who own the mirror tells how expensive it was & not for anyone to touch. Then Kang Moo a bronze mirror peddler finds his customers running away as words gets out that there is a mirror with perfect reflection. Then later detect that the authority are on a check, assuming that he doesn’t have the proper license to trade at the street market. Kang Moo makes a run with his ware in which is chase by the authority, then got corner as the authorities gave him a bashing then wriggle himself free & venture to another chase. Then a corner where the Yanban & his mirror, Kim Hong Do walking with Shin Yun Bok for their drawing depiction & the chased Kang Moo all collided at the corner bring the mirror crashing down together with Kim Hong Do & Kang Moo. Kim Hong Do cuts his hand from the glass splinters. Kim Hong Do & Shin Yun Bok on information gathering mission at the gisaeng decided to save Kim Moo. As a compensation for the mirror, Kim Hong Do asked Shin Yun Bok to draw a painting as a reimbursement. The Yanbans are not sure of Shin Yun Bok’s artistic skill but Kim Hong Do assures them. Shin Yun Bok draws & gisaeng Seol Hwa comes by to sit with them to enjoy the atmosphere. Shin Yun Bok signs her name as Hye Won. Seol Hwa gave her explanation on the painting to the Yanbans who was satisfied. Seol Hwa actually has eyes for Kim Hong Do.

Kang Moo happy to be free 1st gave Kim Hong Do a puppy as dog meat then throw the dog at Shin Yun Bok. Kang Moo offers his service in return & Kim Hong Do pushes Shin Yun Bok to Kang Moo as she was the person who saves him. Shin Yun Bok goes to the countryside for inspirations for her drawing album. Kang Moo waits for her & brings her around to see the sight & sounds. The black smith, then a marriage ceremony, then in the midst of the spring flowers. Then she went to see a house who is weaving cloth, threshing of rice, grind mill of soy beans, then farmer dancing as they sit by the tavern & looks at the festive. Shin Yun Bok is taken in by the festive. Then Kang Moo takes Shin Yun Bok by the hand to lead her to somewhere. Kang Moo takes her to the stream & using one of his bronze mirror reflects the women having a bath at the stream. Shin Yun Bok gets a shock at first but continue to watch it & force Kang Moo to be a standing stool as she peek over to see the activity, rising to the famed Shin Yun Bok master piece “Dano Festival” The actual depiction is true to the painting to the smallest details, even the peeping toms were young Buddhist novices. Shin Yun Bok is there as observer in the painting. The Gisaeng Seol Hwa is there to play the swing, although the scene looks highly CG rather than the natural environment in Painter of the Winds. Then the ladies notice the peeping Shin Yun Bok & the novice & started screaming, then Shin Yun Bok falls from her “stool” as they make a run for it, they came to a narrow bridge where they laugh on how silly they were when the young novices came to cross the bridge pushes Shin Yun Bok as she loses her balance & fell into the water below, as Kang Moo jumps to joined her. The young novice laughs as they run along. Kang Moon drags Shin Yun Bok up the banks as Shin Yun Bok tries to catch her breath & notice something strange about Shin Yun Bok’s chest that is protruding. Kang Moo comes forward & touches her breast & gets a punch cum slap from her instantly over his invasion to her modesty. Kang Moo realise what her gender was, Shin Yun Bok tries to walk away but Kang Moo hold her back

In the palace Kim Hong Do complete his fame “Roaring tiger or the ferocious tiger in the pine forest” as Jeong Jo is doing his set of drawings as they exchange information & thought of the country as he tries to improve the country to culture & arts. Shin Yun Bok showed her album to Kim Hong Do, as he advices her, Kim Hong Do flips the album to find the “Dano Festival” & is amaze by it. Kim Hong Do & Shin Yun Bok takes a boat ride to see Kim Hong Do’s teacher Kang Se Hwang. He presents the “Roaring Tiger” to him for him to review. Shin Yun Bok enjoy the beauty of the horticulture when she heard laughing that brings her to another painting “The widow lust in spring” The widow is laughing at the dogs mating interlocking in front of her, her maid tries to pinch her to stop laughing in her time of mourning. Shin Yun Bok walks the red light district of Han Yang. Ultimately, the film implies that the real reason for Shin Yun Bok’s interest in the sensual world of gisaeng was not her wish to observe them, but rather to be one – or more precisely, to be a woman. Indeed, Shin Yun Bok’s womanly desires become more blatant as the film progresses. Shin Yun Bok walks the Gisaeng & peep through the room they are having their orgy as the clients & gisaeng who are servicing their needs. Then she enters a room where there is a real depiction of the Korean / Chinese version of the “Kamasutra” with 2 live female performers in scantily dress diapers showing the stance & position with serenading of the haunting gayageum & narration. I like the scene had been lilted with yellow lighting as the colour of vulgarity with a flavour of homosexuality added to it. Shin Yun Bok sits with the crowd to watch the performers’ “acrobatics” carefully. The audience marvel by the performance starts to throw money as a token of encouragement.

Shin Yun Bok walks out after the demonstration then stops by her fellow colleagues from Dohwaseo. Firstly they are jealous because of her tutelage with Kim Hong Do & her praise she got from Jeongjo as Shin Yun Bok is only a gentry (Jungjin) class where else they are Yanban (aristocrats). One of her Yanban colleague strike her down with a slap, then she tries to retrieve her easel pod bag from them, then after her colleagues force her to go under his legs as an act of submission. Shin Yun Bok goes on her knees then Kang Moo comes to fight them off but Shin Yun Bok asked him to stop. Seol Hwa comes by in a palanquin & notice Shin Yun Bok & Kang Moo. Shin Yun Bok walks off as Kang Moo follows her acting more like chaperon & bodyguard. Kang Moo takes a look at her painting in her pod when she took it back from him & Kang Moo showed that she had some dirt on her mouth. Kang Moo moves forward to kiss her but her hand was in the way. Initially Shin Yun Bok was slightly dumbfounded what Kang Moo’s intentions are. Kang Moo just walks away

Ssireum. Kang Moo one of the wrestlers as he bring down his opponent one by one. Kim Hong Do is drawing the action in his famous painting “Ssireum”. Kang Moo as for Shin Yun Bok & announce her presence with a “ahem”. Kang Moo presents a paint brush to Shin Yun Bok as a gift. Then places the brush in her hands as he continues with his wrestling bout. Shin Yun Bok discusses on Kim Hong Do’s painting of Ssireum over Kim Hong Do skillfully borrowed the point of view of the wrestlers, purposely creating the illusion that we are watching the match ourselves. This creates a feeling that we are there inside the scene. (A Western perspective on term of observation in the line of sight of the spectator). Kim Hong Do asks what is her feeling lately then triggers something in her to take her leave in excitement. As she runs to rendezvous with Kang Moo, she passes through a swarm of fireflies. Kang Moo sheaves the clay to make bronze mirrors. Meanwhile Kim Hong Do goes to Shin Yun Bok to have a look around in her room. Shin Yun Bok join Kang Moo is kneading the clay with their feet at close quarters by now Shin Yun Bok starts to show her feminine side with all giggly & waltzing with the clay. Kim Hong Do looks through Shin Yun Bok’s album where he sees the Midnight Rendezvous or “Lovers in the moonlight”. Shin Yun Bok paints into the mould of the mirror of the flower & the butterfly. Kang Moo craves the painting as Shin Yun Bok assist in sweeping off the shavings, then pours the hot liquid metal to mould the mirror. Kim Hong Do flips to see “Waiting drinks to be drink at the brothel” then “Who will be my hero at the brothel”. Kim Hong Do smiles at Shin Yun Bok depiction, then “A window lust in spring” then ”Loitering at the Gibang” then “Boat ride at the river” This is nice when the painting comes with their narration to bring them out in life. Meanwhile Kang Moo finished the bronze mirror for Shin Yun Bok. Shin Yun Bok washes the mirror from the remaining clay from the mould. Kang Moo shows her drawing then the mirror finishing. Kang Moon holds her hands to wipe then dry. Then Kang Moo invites her to be intimate. Kim Hong Do sees the painting “Secret meeting under the moon night” As Kim Hong Do sees the couple in drawing being intimate Kim Hong Do slam the album stop from rage. Kang Moo & Shin Yun Bok is trying it out with their own secret rendezvous

Kang Moo’s employer the Merchant is out of a business trip & entrust him & handed the store keys to him for safe keeps. Meanwhile Shin Yun Bok had been found & thrown out about her erotic paintings & being punished by the elders of Dohwaseo that goes against the morals of Confucianism & is rage. Jeongjo arrives in Dohwaseo is happy to see Kim Hong Do’s painting of “Seodang”. The elders wants to leave the paintings for Jeongjo to see so as to have Shin Yun Bok expel from the Dohwaseo. Jeongjo praise Kim Hong Do in front of his peers when he notices Shin Yun Bok painting on the floor. Jeongjo goes to pick “Secret meeting in the moon night” & asked who is the Artist, he then ask Shin Yun Bok her purpose in drawing such paintings but doesn’t answer Jeongjo. The elders wants her expulsion from the bureau but Kim Hong Do explains the concept of “Jing yeong” & its daily depiction that is now happening in the Yanban class, The elders came to defend their social moral by explaining on the “Widow lust in spring” where a widow should find thrill in watching dogs mating. Then later the Dano Festival over the vulgarity that is portray in the drawing of the characters in nudity then having monks novice as peeping toms. In this crucial scene, Kim Hong Do & Shin Yun Bok debates the boundary between art and vulgarity it which it is perceive in their own interpretation from Shin Yun Bok it is a beautiful drawn painting where else Kim Hong Do thinks it is just pure vulgar. (The conclusion foisted upon us by the director, is that if you see obscenity in a picture where sexual innuendo abounds, it’s because your mind is muddled with dark, sinful thoughts)

Kim Hong Do notice that Shin Yun Bok frequents with Kang Moo. Kang Moo takes Shin Yun Bok to the store house to look at the merchandises as he is left with the keys. Shin Yun Bok notice a bird in a cage & takes the opportunity to release the bird free, a symbolic gesture that she want to be free from being trapped in the men’s clothes & to appease her womanhood sexual desires. Kang Moo watches Shin Yun Bok releasing the caged bird, and then Shin Yun Bok finds a grey horse at the stables, and then decided to gallop into the wind in the countryside. They decided to use the store house & the merchandise as plaything for their attraction. Shin Yun Bok portray herself as a woman as they played together, pillow fights until the feather spruce out from the tears that resemble snow flakes, they continue their amusement then finally kisses each other. Shin Yun Bok satisfied her womanhood on Kang Moo, being to able to practice for real what she saw at the Gibang on the “Karma sutra” & practice with Kang Moo fulfilling it for her woman hood. (These scenes were artistically erotically cinematic done. It should be seen as it is done in good taste but it is up to one to interpret the morals of it depend on your own conservative mindset. Kim Min Seon is really brave to venture to do these scenes as the Director must have wants to bring out the indulges as to what Shin Yun Bok as an Artist would have seen in his time to depicts these paintings. This also showed that Shin Yun Bok as a woman releases her energy that was all bottle up inside in just one session of romantic adventure with Kang Moo) Meanwhile someone else is watching them, Kim Hong-do who quickly notices Shin Yun Bok’s huge potential as well as her feminine features. Kim Hong Do ends up heartbroken & jealous when he sees them. He is in rage when all this while he was watching them. Shin Yun Bok start to draw on the back of Kang Moo’s anatomy like a piece of paper then traces with her frontal body, then a scene where Kang Moo sucks her nipples. Kim Hong Do in his envy goes to Seol Hwa for some satisfaction of sexual service but finds the Seol Hwa is not able to satisfy his need & left disgruntled no matter how hard Seol Hwa tries with her tactics. Kim Hong Do leaves & Seol Hwa is angry as she couldn’t hold on to Kim Hong Do’s heart

Jeongjo goes on a trip where the Dohwaseo follow to record the trip with Shin Yun Bok follow the entourage. Her colleague notices Kang Moo bidding her farewell. Back at the Dohwaseo, her Yanban colleagues tries to sexual harasses her then try to strip her pants to find out her gender. Kim Hong Do comes to rescue almost like a charging bull to attack the Yanban colleague almost choking his neck against the pillar. Then the Yanban colleague had to an apology banquet at the Gibang for Shin Yun Bok. In the Gibang they also tries to test the gender of Shin Yun Bok by calling the gisaeng to “entertained” Shin Yun Bok in which she was see what was her true gender by engaging the gisaeng trying to find out. Shin Yun Bok leaves but stop any gisaeng from getting near her. Gisaeng tries to stop her then Seol Hwa offer to take Shin Yun Bok to her chamber to entertained her needs. The other colleagues peep through the chambers as Seol Hwa works on Shin Yun Bok & kisses her passionately. Seol Hwa knows Shin Yun Bok true gender & why she had to be a man for the sake of drawing. Seol Hwa said in that way she needs to give up on her love. Kang Moo wants to buy a hanbok but couldn’t find any suitable to his liking. Seol Hwa who wants to own Kim Hong Do’s desire or body goes to Kang Moon to offer him the famous hanbok in “Mi In Do” with the indigo dye chima. Seol Hwa said she just wanted Kang Moo’s to be happy. Obviously knowing that she know the identity of Kang Moo’s friend is Shin Yun Bok

Kim Hong Do playing the Geomungo as Shin Yun Bok draws the painting. There are 4 treasures of Arts Music, Chess, Calligraphy & Painting. If you want to master any arts, you need to be well verse in the other as well to enhance your arts. I remember that the Technical advisor for Arts in “Painter of the Wind” eventually took gayageum lesson after her challenge with the gayageum master during the scenes where Shin Yun Bok & Jeong Hyang challenge each other with their arts. Kim Hong Do wasn’t in the mood in playing music. Shin Yun Bok wants to continue with her own genre painting & doesn’t feel that she fits the boundary & confines of Dohwaseo & asked that she should leave the establishment. Kim Hong DO refuses her request & wouldn’t hear her explanation. Kim Hong Do insists that she had to enter the exams as Bureau Artist. Shin Yun Bok goes to meet Kang Moo where he presents the Hanbok to her. Hesitate at first to even touched it but given reassurances from Kang Moo. Kang Moo yearns how beautiful she will be in wearing this hanbok. Shin Yun Bok takes her male Baji jeogori hanbok & dons the female chima jeogori hanbok & takes her to a mirror to show herself in the female hanbok. Then remark this is most beautiful lady in Joseon. Kang Moon takes Shin Yun Bok in an excursion

In the Buddhist temple where women goes to pray. There is a woman Yoo Shi praying really hard. At the temple Kang Moo & Shin Yun Bok goes to peddler his wares at the women who is meant to seen sanctity at the temple but finds it sexual arouse place. (This scene must be seen as controversial, as teachings of Buddhism places strict taboo on sexual activities in their premises. I heard that the Buddhists have gone so far as to consider legal measures in expressing their upset over the portrayal of their religion in this movie but I do realise it has happened. Shin Yun Bok had several series of drawing that involves life around the subject of temples) The woman Yoon Shi after many bows of offering collapse from fatigue & the monk bring her to her room to rest where in the end had to offer indulgences satisfaction for her. Shin Yun Bok draws depiction of the scene in the temple. Kang Moo shows Shin Yun Bok the mirror of truth in the temple. Shin Yun Bok them sees the reflection of her brother hanging himself & her father telling her to resume the identity of her brother if she wants to further her passion in painting. Then the guards comes to surround the temple on a decree of the royal commandments from Jeongjo to “crack down on the debasement of temples” (This is also shown the severe repression of women suffered in Confucian history, and obscene language, all of which gives rise to the criticism of Buddhists. This is also seen in the KBS drama “Iron Empress” where the Joseon Dynasty depicts Empress Chu Cheon as a tempest of unmoral proportion where else other text had said like wise. It is due to the conflict of Buddhism belief & Confucianism. Empress Chu Cheon brought down her own brother who had adopted Confucianism idealogy but also the fact that he had downgraded Goryeo from an Empire to a submissive country to Song Dynasty China. As Joseon was the succeeding Dynasty that had adopted Confucianism idealogy & to all may know history is written by the victors, she is put into the bad light. KBS had done her justice by depicting her in a better light. There is a traveler from Song Dynasty who had written his travel to Goryeo who told of what was like in Goryeo during her reign, it is that book as the basis that the drama is adapted from. The erotic picture album that is drawn by Shin Yun Bok was a form of resistance to the morale critics of the Joseon which severely repressed sexuality. An attitude of defiance towards the strictures of those times could be considered another reason for the abundant depiction of corrupted priests in his work. The controversial scene is based on a scene from his paintings on the critical perspective on corrupted yanban and the hidden desires of humanity. This was significant clash between artistic freedom and individual religious beliefs. That was due to the spirit & the morals of the times. What is forbidden is always seem as temptation?)

The guards came to arrest the women who were having all sort of orgy from sleeping with monks to having lesbian affairs. Kang Moo seeing the guards coming for the temple takes Shin Yun Bok & makes a run but she leaves behind her paintings. Kang Moo fights off the guards so that Shin Yun Bok could run away. Kang Moo promise that they will meet again. Kim Hong Do sees Seol Hwa but then realise to finds Shin Yun Bok is a female hanbok. Kim Hong Do calls out to her. No longer to hold on to his bottle passion for his student & succumb his desires to own Shin Yun Bok both physically and emotionally, by going for her that soars to into beastly manner then finds no resistance in her like a lamb to a slaughter house

Bureau Artist exams, the subject title “the most beautiful”. Shin Yun Bok didn’t attend the exams. Kang Moo is arrested & is going to make a scapegoat for the affairs at the temple. Seol Hwa entertains Kim Hong Do but showed no interest her as his mind is filled with obsession of Shin Yun Bok. Shin Yun Bok comes to him to beg him to save Kang Moo & she will do what he bids of her. Kang Moo is sentence to have his limbs pull from its socket then falls to the pikes. Kim Hong Do goes to Jeongjo to get a pardon & express their political views over the matter. Shin Yun Bok comes to the execution grounds as Kang Moon is stretch & a trap door is open below full of pikes filled with creepy crawly & rodent as Shin Yun Bok wails for his mercy of estrange lover, the guard about to cut the ropes then palace guard called out fro a royal decree & Kang Moo is lessen the sentence to banishment. Shin Yun Bok goes to Kang Moo for one last hug before she was drag away by the guards. Kang Hong Do meets with Kang Moo & asked Kim Hong Do to take care of Shin Yun Bok. Shin Yun Bok goes to attend her brother memorial only to find that her father’s remainder to ask her to topple Kim Hong Do as Joseon best accomplished painter. Shin Yun Bok burns her art things including the brush that Kang Moo gave her. Kim Hong Do painting the “Winter pine tree” when Shin Yun Bok comes in women clothes to repay his gratitude for saving Kang Moo by offering herself to her teacher. Kim Hong Do literally “attacks” her is perilous obsession manner almost to point border line rape as Kim Hong Do had his satisfaction on her on the background of the mural painting “Gun San Do” Kim Hong Do ask her to give up her genre paintings & return to Dohwaseo. Shin Yun Bok returns to some normalcy, while out on the country side notice the dead bird on the stream. Kang Moo is send to banishment & driving on the brink of death. Seol Hwa comes to save Kang Moo. Shin Yun Bok gets news of Kang Moo & runs to him & sees him lying in bed as Shin Yun Bok leaves, Kang Moo calls for her to see her once before he dies. Shin Yun Bok hugs him.

The Yanban colleagues pays the guard aplenty to get hold of Shin Yun Bok’s painting of the temple, all under the mastermind of Seol Hwa to bring Shin Yun Bok identity to the open. Seol Hwa lighted Kim Hong Do’s jealous by telling that Kang Moo has return to the capital & Shin Yun Bok will leave with Kang Moo the person she love. Kim Hong Do runs back to Dohwaseo only to find Shin Yun Bok waiting for him. Shin Yun Bok wants to complete a painting together with her teacher. Kim Hong Do with his bold stroke versus Shin Yun Bok fine & exquisite line & strokes complete a drawing of the plum blossom. (Kim Min Seon attempts some of the painting on her own, & is feature in the film. I also know she is quite a talent on her own right after seeing her in the variety of KBS Happy Sunday on the High Five show. She was also a Director of an animated feature as well). Kim Hong Do realise that this painting is a sign to denote their parting. Kim Hong Do recalls that he actually meet her when she was a child & present a drawing album & a brush to her, later years Shin Han Pyeong presented his “son” Shin Yun Bok to Kim Hong Do as a student. Shin Yun Bok pay greeting to Kim Hong Do when he accept her as student then realise that they had met before. Kim Hong Do begged Shin Yun Bok not to leave as she could pursue her passion in arts in Dohwaseo. But Shin Yun Bok willed herself to leave. Yanban colleague brings Shin Yun Bok’s temple painting to Dohwaseo elders to reveal Shin Yun Bok true gender

Kim Hong Do goes to “hunt” Kang Moo down & shot him with a poisonous arrow, only to give him the antidote if he gives up Shin Yun Bok & leaves the capital. Kang Moo asked what Kim Hong Do’s real intentions are to retain Shin Yun Bok at Dohwaseo. Kang Moo said that Shin Yun Bok will be better to leave like the wind. Shin Yun Bok goes to her rendezvous with Kang Moo. Kim Hong Do rides away but turns back to give the antidote to Kang Moo after second thoughts. Dying Kang Moo waits for Shin Yun Bok, Kim Hong Do goes to beg Kang Moo to let her go. Kim Hong Do gives him the antidote but was attack by Kang Moo instead. The two men battle it out for Shin Yun Bok. Kim Hong Do drops the antidote & it fell into the water. Kim Hong Do jumps to the water to retrieve it. By this time Kang Moo is already in the brink of dying by the affects of the poison. Shin Yun Bok comes only to see Kang Moo is already Hematemesis. She ran to him as Kang Moo manages to look at her for one last time before he smiles & expires on her arms. Kim Hong Do come back drenching wet manage to find the antidote but is too late. Shin Yun Bok cries for her lost of her love, Kang Moo. Kim Hong Do knew that he also had lost. Palace guards arrest Shin Yun Bok & Kim Hong Do for deceiving the King. Shin Yun Bok defends her genre of painting that it all pour from her heart. Shin Han Pyeong tries to save her daughter by saying all in his doing in his ambitious & envy. Jeongjo wouldn’t listen to the plea & asked them to receive punishment, the Minister pleas for mercy as Kim Hong Do is Joseon best Artist. Jeongjo command until they feel remorse will commence sentence. Kim Hong Do & Shin Yun Bok goes to torture. In the end Jeongjo release Kim Hong Do. Shin Yun Bok defends Kim Hong Do & takes the responsibility. Kim Hong Do copies Shin Yun Bok brush strokes & confess to Jeongjo. Shin Yun Bok is expels from Dohwaseo & has punishment has her documents erase from existence. Kim Hong Do cries over his folly. Shin Yun Bok paints the Painting “Mi In Do” then sends the painting off to the waters

Comments

Portrait of a Beauty did really well at the box office in the slump of the Korean cinemas. Portrait of a beauty stands on its own rights, photographic & cinematic shot. Kim Min Seon portrayal of Shin Yun Bok & her desire must be applauded. This film had earn a place in my film library collection. Since there is really lack lusted dramas on the screen, I would like that “Deep Rooted Tree” written by Lee Jeong Myeong (novelist to Painter of the Wind) to be done on film or a drama on King Sejong ala with a touched of seasoning of Agatha Christie’s mystery. The story tells in the 25th year of King Sejong’s reign, the corpse of a young Jiphyeonjeon scholar (royal researcher) is discovered behind Gyeongbok Palace. The only clues left behind are mysterious body paintings and a “forbidden book.” As investigations continue, more murders occur, provoking the questions, who was the murderer and what is his motive? Wouldn’t that be a nice story to tell? It is also had be done as a stage play under “Who killed the King’s Scholars?” Is there anyone out there would listen to my request?