기생과 초기 한국 영화의 전통성

Abstract

Gisaeng is the name of Korean traditional female artists. They had worked against high-men since Shilla the Korean ancient dynasty. They differed from general prostitute. One group of them had performed standardized and advanced dance in king palace, another had played Korean traditional instrument and sung traditional song for example shijo against yangban the nobility of Joseon dynasty. Gisaeng had gradually changed in the end of joseon dynasty and the early time of the Japanese colonial period. They had became working against emerging capitalists, Japanese and foreign diplomat. The repertoire of their performance had been also changed. Pansori(a traditional Korean narrative song), Japga(a folk song), Japanese song and even western dance had been performed by gisaeng during that period. And gisaeng had played in Yeonswaegeuk(a play combined with moving picture) and Korean early silent films. They were very popular entertainers in the end of Joseon dynasty and the early time of the Japanese colonial period. Especially they were very meaningful beings in Korean early cinema. They were considerably free from physical labor like housework or farming that Korean common people had done as a way of life. So they had so frequently watched films at theater unlike general housewives or workers. And they had often let driver of a rickshaw wait at the front of theater for picking up a byeonsa(a movie talker of Korean early cinema) and invited him to their own home. In short gisaeng was very positive spectators of Korean early cinema. Gisaeng had played in Korean early silent films. Because there had been no scenario writers in Korean early cinema, film narrative had depended on the Korean narrative tradition like old novels. Narrative tradition of Korean early cinema had related with Pansori. And gisaeng had been familiar with Pansori. So it was very natural that gisaeng had played in Korean early films. (1923), (1924) were important films what gisaeng had played in. Gisaeng was an important tradition in Korean early cinema. While feudal Korean women had disliked being actress, gisaeng had played in films willingly. Gisaeng the traditional being had rolled very importantly in Korean early cinema.