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Arirang (1926 film)
Encyclopedia
Arirang is a 1926
Korea
n film. One of the earliest feature films to be made in the country, it is named after the traditional song Arirang
, which audiences were said to sing at the conclusion of the film. The silent, black and white film was written and directed by Na Un'gyu (1902-1937), and stars Na Un'gyu, Shin Ilseon and Nam Kungun. It depicts life in Japanese Korea.
against the Japanese colonial rule. He returns to live with his father and sister, Yeongheui, in their small village home. Yeongjin's friend, Yun Hyeon'gu, is in love with Yeongheui. While the villagers are preoccupied with a harvest festival, O Kiho, a collaborationist
for the Japanese police, attempts to rape Yeongheui. Hyeon'gu fights with Kiho, striking and killing him with a sickle. When Yeongjin regains his sanity, he believes himself to have killed Kiho. The film ends with the Japanese police taking Yeongjin over Arirang hill to return to prison.
on October 1, 1926 caused a national sensation, and the film was soon shown throughout the country. Arirang became an extremely influential film in the history of Korean cinema, and started what is known as the "Golden Age of Silent Films" in Korea which continued until about 1935. It was also the first in a line of nationalist, anti-Japanese films which ended with the increased repression of the national culture in the mid-1930s.
Na Un'gyu made two sequels to this film: Arirang keuhu iyagi (1930) and Arirang 3
(1936). Also, IMDB shows that Na Un'gyu's story for Arirang has been remade at least three times since the 1926 debut of the original. Director Lee Kang-cheon filmed his version of Arirang in 1954, Yu Hyun-mok
filmed his in 1968, and most recently, Lee Doo-yong made a version in 2003.
Revered to this day as a masterpiece and milestone in the history of Korean cinema, one of the sites on which the movie was filmed has recently been refashioned into a "Street of Motion Pictures," housing the Arirang Cine Center, Arirang Information Library, a small theme park claiming to be the movie set, a monument in memory of the 100th anniversary of Na Un'gyu's birth, and an annual film festival.
. The original nine reels of the film are believed to have been lost during the 1950-1953 Korean War
. However, a copy of the film was rumored to be in the possession of Japanese collector, Abe Yoshishige, who died in February 2005. His collection of approximately 50,000 films reverted to the Japanese government with his death, but no news has yet come forth as to whether the film was found in the collection.
1926 in film
-Events:*August - Warner Brothers debuts the first Vitaphone film, Don Juan. The Vitaphone system used multiple 33⅓ rpm disc records developed by Bell Telephone Laboratories and Western Electric to play back audio synchronized with film....
Korea
Korea
Korea ) is an East Asian geographic region that is currently divided into two separate sovereign states — North Korea and South Korea. Located on the Korean Peninsula, Korea is bordered by the People's Republic of China to the northwest, Russia to the northeast, and is separated from Japan to the...
n film. One of the earliest feature films to be made in the country, it is named after the traditional song Arirang
Arirang
"Arirang" is a Korean folk song, sometimes considered the unofficial national anthem of Korea. Arirang is an ancient native Korean word with no direct modern meaning.- Variations :...
, which audiences were said to sing at the conclusion of the film. The silent, black and white film was written and directed by Na Un'gyu (1902-1937), and stars Na Un'gyu, Shin Ilseon and Nam Kungun. It depicts life in Japanese Korea.
Plot summary
The film concerns a student, Ch'oe Yeongjin, who has become mentally ill after being imprisoned and tortured by the Japanese for his involvement in the March 1, 1919 protestMarch 1st Movement
The March 1st Movement, or Samil Movement, was one of the earliest public displays of Korean resistance during the occupation of the Korean Empire by Japan. The name refers to an event that occurred on March 1, 1919, hence the movement's name, literally meaning "Three-One Movement" or "March First...
against the Japanese colonial rule. He returns to live with his father and sister, Yeongheui, in their small village home. Yeongjin's friend, Yun Hyeon'gu, is in love with Yeongheui. While the villagers are preoccupied with a harvest festival, O Kiho, a collaborationist
Chinilpa
Chinilpa is a Korean word that denotes Koreans who collaborated with the Japanese government during its reign over Korea , or shortly before...
for the Japanese police, attempts to rape Yeongheui. Hyeon'gu fights with Kiho, striking and killing him with a sickle. When Yeongjin regains his sanity, he believes himself to have killed Kiho. The film ends with the Japanese police taking Yeongjin over Arirang hill to return to prison.
Cast
- Na Un'gyu... Ch'oe Yeongjin
- Shin Hongnyeon... Ch'oe Yeongheui
- Nam Kungun... Yun Hyeon'gu
- Chu In'gyu... O Kiho
- Yi Kyuseol... Yeongjin's father
Impact
The premiere of the film at Dansung-sa Theater in SeoulSeoul
Seoul , officially the Seoul Special City, is the capital and largest metropolis of South Korea. A megacity with a population of over 10 million, it is the largest city proper in the OECD developed world...
on October 1, 1926 caused a national sensation, and the film was soon shown throughout the country. Arirang became an extremely influential film in the history of Korean cinema, and started what is known as the "Golden Age of Silent Films" in Korea which continued until about 1935. It was also the first in a line of nationalist, anti-Japanese films which ended with the increased repression of the national culture in the mid-1930s.
Na Un'gyu made two sequels to this film: Arirang keuhu iyagi (1930) and Arirang 3
Arirang 3
Arirang 3 is a 1936 Korean film directed by and starring Na Woon-gyu. The second sequel of Na's ground-breaking 1926 film, Arirang, this was the only entry in the series that was not silent...
(1936). Also, IMDB shows that Na Un'gyu's story for Arirang has been remade at least three times since the 1926 debut of the original. Director Lee Kang-cheon filmed his version of Arirang in 1954, Yu Hyun-mok
Yu Hyun-mok
Yu Hyun-mok was a South Korean film director. Born in Sariwon, North Hwanghae, Korea , he made his film debut in 1956 with Gyocharo...
filmed his in 1968, and most recently, Lee Doo-yong made a version in 2003.
Revered to this day as a masterpiece and milestone in the history of Korean cinema, one of the sites on which the movie was filmed has recently been refashioned into a "Street of Motion Pictures," housing the Arirang Cine Center, Arirang Information Library, a small theme park claiming to be the movie set, a monument in memory of the 100th anniversary of Na Un'gyu's birth, and an annual film festival.
Lost status
Along with almost all other Korean films of this era, Na Un'gyu's Arirang is now considered a lost filmLost film
A lost film is a feature film or short film that is no longer known to exist in studio archives, private collections or public archives such as the Library of Congress, where at least one copy of all American films are deposited and catalogued for copyright reasons...
. The original nine reels of the film are believed to have been lost during the 1950-1953 Korean War
Korean War
The Korean War was a conventional war between South Korea, supported by the United Nations, and North Korea, supported by the People's Republic of China , with military material aid from the Soviet Union...
. However, a copy of the film was rumored to be in the possession of Japanese collector, Abe Yoshishige, who died in February 2005. His collection of approximately 50,000 films reverted to the Japanese government with his death, but no news has yet come forth as to whether the film was found in the collection.
See also
- Korea under Japanese ruleKorea under Japanese ruleKorea was under Japanese rule as part of Japan's 35-year imperialist expansion . Japanese rule ended in 1945 shortly after the Japanese defeat in World War II....
- List of Korean language films
- Cinema of KoreaCinema of KoreaKorean cinema encompasses the motion picture industries of North and South Korea. As with all aspects of Korean life during the past century, the film industry has often been at the mercy of political events, from the late Joseon dynasty to the Korean War to domestic governmental interference...
- Contemporary culture of South KoreaContemporary culture of South KoreaThe contemporary culture of South Korea developed from the traditional culture of Korea, and on its own path away from North Korean culture since the division of Korea in 1948. The industrialization and urbanization of South Korea, especially Seoul, have brought many changes to the way Korean...
- List of Korea-related topics
- The Korean folk song ArirangArirang"Arirang" is a Korean folk song, sometimes considered the unofficial national anthem of Korea. Arirang is an ancient native Korean word with no direct modern meaning.- Variations :...
- List of lost films
External links
- Collector’s Death May Free Long-Lost Korean Classic Film at Digital Chosun Ilbo February 11, 2005.
- S. Korea Seeks to Recover Legendary Film 'Arirang' from Japan by Shim Sun-ah at Yonhap News February 22, 2005. (dead link as of June 25, 2006)
- Street of Motion Pictures by Kyung Tae Lee at KBS World.