<현해탄은 알고 있다>(김기영, 1961)의 휴머니즘과 포스트식민성

Abstract

This study analyzes the text of The Sea Knows, which induces a reconsideration of Japan. Until now, The Sea Knows has been recognized only in the dimensions of a presentation of Japanese-style aesthetics or an international melodrama narrative of cross-cultural romance, as well as a radio drama in the context of Han, Woon-sa. Particularly, it has been perceived as a film that advocates humanism by focusing on the triumph of the character A, Ro-un, who overcomes various hardships during the Japanese colonial period. However, this film lacks a Korean independence hero struggling for independence and does not present any spectacle elements suitable for a anti-war. Instead, The Sea Knows visually represents the relationship between contemporary Japan and Korea, thereby presenting a social form. As South Korea went through a confused period socially and economically due to the Korean War, it began to reassess Japan"s presence. Despite defeat of Japanese imperialism, Japan consistently achieved economic growth, whereas Korea"s situation was the opposite. In other words, in the 1960s, Japan was admired economically, but culturally, it was seen as a presence to be rejected due to memories of the Japanese colonial era. This was also manifested in intergenerational conflicts within Korea and portrayed as a divide among generations who had experienced Japan. The Sea Knows visualizes these cleavage through humanism and postcoloniality, presenting them in both public and hidden transcript forms. The film, in its public transcript, depicts the colonial era setting, the Pacific War, and the oppression of Koreans. Particularly, by dividing Japanese characters into good and evil and showcasing the new face of Japan, while also portraying the independence of the Korean character A, Ro-un, it exhibits a form of humanism. The recurring imagery of bodies staged like corpses highlights characters resisting violence. On the other hand, the hidden transcript beneath the public one doesn"t deny the Japanese experience continued through Han, Woon-sa, Kim, Ki-young, and A, Ro-un. To fully understand its meaning, it needs to be confronted and translated. This is represented by the Japanese landscape inserts. The inserts shorts divided into port, train, tank, and castle represent colonialism and war respectively, while the inserts divided into Nagoya downtown, fountain, and temple represent modified postcoloniality. Following the portrayal of colonialism in the Japanese landscapes, A, Ro-un"s narrative of suffering unfolds. Especially, the repeated appearance of one landscape insert in the middle section represents A, Ro-un"s independence and suffering together. In essence, Kim, Ki-young, through both overt and covert scripts, confronts the ruptures, inducing a reconsideration of Japan.