Chihwaseon is major-league arthouse painted up like a travelogue. The story of a famous painter, set against the backdrop of political upheaval in Korea that also echoes turbulence worldwide, sometimes slides into the background because of the breathtaking scenery.
For a truly heavyweight arthouse flick, it’s surprisingly watchable. Its credibility was demonstrated when it won the Prix De La Mise En Scene at Cannes, although it lacks the dreary quality of many arthouse films. A fair amount of arthouse often strikes me as something that “one should watch”, as though it’s castor oil for the soul. This is clearly not the case here. Possibly it’s because of the cast: two of Korea’s strongest dramatic actors strut their stuff, Ahn Song Ki ably portraying a subtle and complex character, and Choi Min Sik eating it all up and giving us a loud, hard-drinking master artist that fair leaps off the screen.
Or maybe it’s because of the scenery. If you’ve never been to Korea, you’ll want to go after watching this. The simplicity of the traditional housing gives way to a parade of the best of Korea’s landscapes, in a variety of seasons. A brief stint in one of the main palaces in Seoul, Changdokgung, gives a glimpse of something that tourists don’t see (you can’t go in the buildings there), and offers just a hint of the tranquil beauty of Piwon, the secret garden. It’s worth going to Seoul just to see this. And if you’re in Korea, you’ll also have to go to Kyongju, which is the site of the traditional Shilla pottery (ie where they do the potting) used in some final scenes.
Then there’s the variety of traditional costumes, which may look a bit odd if you’re unaccustomed to them (the hats especially). And a fleeting mention of the kisaeng, a class of women trained in music and poetry, and accorded freedom unknown to other women of the time: in time the concept was adopted in Japan as the geisha.
And if all this sounds just like a travel brochure, that’s because this is a travelogue cunningly disguised as a serious arthouse movie. There’s not overmuch emotion, although a thread of melancholy runs through the whole film. But what there is buckets of is the beauty that is Korea. A very lovely film.