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Drunk on Women and Poetry

Play trailer Drunk on Women and Poetry Released Feb 14, 2003 1h 57m Biography Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
Watchlist Tomatometer Popcornmeter
83% Tomatometer 42 Reviews 77% Popcornmeter 1,000+ Ratings
Jang Seung-Up (Choi Min-sik) is a Korean peasant and a gifted artist. Upper-class Kim Byung-Moon (Ahn Sung-ki) discovers Jang and, recognizing his talent for painting, agrees to become his patron. As a result, Jang's skills continue to develop and his profile rises. He falls in love with Mae-Hyang (Yoo Ho-jeong), but class differences keep them apart. When Jang learns Mae-Hyang has married, he succumbs to a self-destructive downward spiral of alcoholism and womanizing.
Drunk on Women and Poetry

What to Know

Critics Consensus

A fittingly artful biopic about the life of a brilliant painter, Chihwaseon offers an uncommonly compelling look at a singularly creative life.

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Critics Reviews

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Alexander Walker London Evening Standard This South Korean film is one of the few authentic artist biopics ever created for the screen. It doesn't crudely guess at the source of the late 19th century painter Jang Seung-up's genius. It simply exhibits it. Jan 10, 2018 Full Review Empire Magazine Rated: 4/5 Dec 30, 2006 Full Review Desson Thomson Washington Post It is quietly observant, with a detached eye for the telling moment, and the visual compositions are often exquisite. Jun 20, 2003 Full Review Panos Kotzathanasis HanCinema Im Kwon-taek's narrative approach focuses on detail, regarding both the actual story and the overall visuals, with Jeon Il-seong's cinematography matching the actual paintings of Seung-up in beauty, without neglecting realism Jul 26, 2020 Full Review Par Parekh Film Journal International In spite of these few moments of wonder, and even the dense, moving thematic content, the film ultimately doesn't leave a lasting taste. May 15, 2007 Full Review Film Threat Rated: 4/5 Dec 6, 2005 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

View All (49) audience reviews
Audience Member Even though slow-paced, the tension in the main character's behavior and relationship to others makes you enjoy his journey. I loved how easily they connected the painter's biography with the historical events that shaped South Korea in the nineteen century. A great ending too! Rated 4 out of 5 stars 02/22/23 Full Review antti p Beautiful story about the not-so-beautiful life of a master artist. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 03/30/23 Full Review Audience Member Movies about painters are usually boring, (Andrei Rublev) but in this case Choi Min-sik is good enough to keep your attention. Its a biopic about a famous painter who grew up from a orphanage, who became so skilled that he painted for the king and people would view him as a celebrity. The movie is slow paced, but its worth it for the performance from Choi Min-sik. Rated 3 out of 5 stars 02/05/23 Full Review Audience Member Abrupt ending but fascinating all the same. Are all painters mad? Certainly worth a visit if art doesn't bore you. The story moves at a speedy pace.....a little too fast in years flying by sometimes, but interesting enough to amuse me. Great scenes. The picture quality (if you're buying the dvd) is varied.....sharp in places, a little more fuzzy in others. Not bad for 2002 release but don't expect perfection. Rated 3 out of 5 stars 01/22/23 Full Review Audience Member I can tell that a lot of care went into the making of this film, but I was confused at times because it jumps forward in the protagonist's life so frequently. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 02/12/23 Full Review Audience Member Un biopic sur un peintre corà (C)en avec Choi Min-Sik dans le rôle principal, je peux là (C)gitimement me demander si ce film nâ??a pas à (C)tà (C) secrètement fait pour moi. Hà (C)las nous sommes dans bizarro-land. Ca fait quelque temps que quand un film à lâ??air pourri en fait il est bien, et quand il a lâ??air top il me dà (C)çoit. Lâ??à (C)norme dà (C)faut dâ??Ivre de Femmes et de Peinture est sa construction, on dirait que le scà (C)nar nâ??est en fait quâ??une liste dâ??à (C)vènements et dâ??anecdotes jugà (C)es marquants quâ??il faut absolument prà (C)senter les uns après les autres. On se retrouve avec une progression très mà (C)canique, un dà (C)roulement rapide de scènes courtes qui tranche cruellement avec lâ??aspect contemplatif de la peinture extrême-orientale. Dâ??un point de vue pà (C)dagogique le film nâ??y gagne rien, trop dâ??informations survolà (C)es tuent lâ??info et on perd en quelque sorte une grosse moitià (C) du film jusquâ??à ce que le rythme se pose enfin et que les situations aient le temps de se dà (C)rouler naturellement. Oui, il aurait fallu choisir de se concentrer sur des instants prà (C)cis reprà (C)sentatifs et non pas rà (C)aliser une notice biographique exhaustive. Mais si la narration reste un à (C)chec, dans sa forme le film est une à (C)vidente rà (C)ussite. Certains plans sont purement magnifiques et comme toujours, Choi Min-Sik assure grave. Rated 3 out of 5 stars 01/18/23 Full Review Read all reviews
Drunk on Women and Poetry

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Cast & Crew

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Movie Info

Synopsis Jang Seung-Up (Choi Min-sik) is a Korean peasant and a gifted artist. Upper-class Kim Byung-Moon (Ahn Sung-ki) discovers Jang and, recognizing his talent for painting, agrees to become his patron. As a result, Jang's skills continue to develop and his profile rises. He falls in love with Mae-Hyang (Yoo Ho-jeong), but class differences keep them apart. When Jang learns Mae-Hyang has married, he succumbs to a self-destructive downward spiral of alcoholism and womanizing.
Director
Im Kwon-taek
Producer
Lee Tae-won
Screenwriter
Kim Yeong-ok, Im Kwon-taek
Distributor
Kino Pictures
Production Co
Taeheungyeonghwa
Genre
Biography, Drama
Original Language
Korean
Release Date (Theaters)
Feb 14, 2003, Wide
Release Date (DVD)
Jun 11, 2007
Box Office (Gross USA)
$59.4K
Runtime
1h 57m
Sound Mix
Dolby Stereo, Dolby Digital, Dolby A, Surround, Dolby SR
Aspect Ratio
Flat (1.85:1)