KJCKorea
Journal Central

This paper is an attempt to articulate and redefine ‘Chosŭn cinema’ as of 1943 and to examine the production process of the first special project of Chosŭn Film Production Co., <Portrait of Youth>(1943), which was made for the celebration of establishing a conscription system from 1944 in colonial Korea. I tried to demonstrate how the colonial power had intervened its production, through the comparative examination between its two scenarios and the film directed by Toyota Shiro. The mutual assistance of Chosŭn Film Production Co. and the Counsil of film planning in this production shows us the big leap of the colonial power from film sensor to producer, and thus the nation became omnipresent. Twice deliberations and Toyota's direction made the screenwriter Hatta Naoyuki adapt <Portrait of Youth> from propagadazing for the “Becoming Japanese” to demonstrating the establishment of conscription system as not only the fruition of “Becoming Japanese” but also a new phase of “Becoming the real Japanese.” In this process, filmmakers emphasized that the Korean young generation had a strong sense of responsibility and intense aspirations for being Japanese soldiers. The chosŭn cinema as of 1943 couldn't help revealing the contradiction of “Being Japanese”. The chosŭn government-general and Army of Chosŭn armed forces would struggle for recognition to Japanese Empire by making the films like <Portrait of Youth>.

Chosn Film Production Co., Counsil of film planning, <Portrait of Youth>, Chosn cinema, conscription, becoming the real Japanese, omnipresence of nation