1926년 영화 〈아리랑〉 속 광기 연구 : 나운규의 전염병 경험을 중심으로

Abstract

On October 1, 1926, <Arirang> was released at Dansungsa (團成社). Directed and scripted by Na Woon-gyu, the film features his performance as ‘狂人 Choi Young-jin’. What prompted Na Woon-gyu to introduce ‘madness’ into <Arirang>? Where does the madness assigned to Young-jin manifest within certain time-space, and what cinematic significance does it hold? Answering these questions involves exploring the roots of contemporary enthusiasm for <Arirang> and the ‘Arirang folk song’ within the context of the film. This study examines the nature of madness in <Arirang> and reevaluates the film through the lens of an epidemic. In 1910, when Na Woon-gyu was 9 years old, a devastating outbreak of the plague occurred in Manchuria. This period marked the budding of his interest in theater and his roaming around Hoeryong (會寧). The plague claimed the lives of 60,000 people within two years in Manchuria, making it one of the most catastrophic epidemics in history. Alongside the plague, diseases like influenza, cholera, typhoid, tuberculosis, and smallpox left their marks on the lives of the colonized populace. Due to epidemics, the people bore the scars of having to leave cherished villages and loved ones behind. They witnessed the harrowing scenes of neighbors turning black and blue as they succumbed to death. Colonial authorities, under the pretext of modern hygiene, sometimes forcibly quarantined or cremated villagers while suppressing proper mourning and funerals. The intertwined narrative of memories and trauma finds its significance in the present-day nation. Searching for traces of this narrative is akin to discovering the ‘Na Woon-gyu as a survivor’. Watching <Arirang> signifies a time of healing one's personal wound of ‘humanity eroded by epidemics’. The ‘Ethnic Nostalgia (民族的 望鄕症)’ experienced by Young-jin and the villagers is conveyed through the healing process facilitated by <Arirang> and the ‘Arirang song’. This process is the ‘Desire Lines (希望線)’, not designed by architects but carved out by the people. From the wish for a bountiful harvest to the cure for epidemics, to the birth of life and the notion of being ‘buried in the land’, this Desire Lines resonated naturally when <Arirang> achieved popularity.