| Abstract |
In 1937, as the Japan-China war intensified, and the Japanese military occupied Chosun (old Korea), this film emerged as a pro-Japanese government-sponsored film. A tale of espionage driven by love, Military Train centers on the friendship between two young Korean men, Jeom-yong and Won-jin. Won-jin is in love with Jeom-yong's sister and wants to free her from her miserable, degrading hostess job, but it will take money to extricate herself from work that has left her in debt to her employer. When a Chinese spy approaches Won-jin and seduces him with the cash he needs, Won-jin divulges secret information about the military train, secrets that he gains from spying on Jeom-yong who drives the military train. After Won-jin leaks the information, he is pricked with guilt and this leads to his trying to undo what he has tragically set in motion. The film was released to coincide with the mobilization of military troops soon after the start of the Sino-Japanese war and to promote the importance of the military mission of the railroad to transport the troops. Along with Homeless Angel (Jib-eobsneun cheonsa), Story of Sim-chung (Sim Cheongjeon), and Fisherman's Fire (Eohwa), it is one of just four films from the 1930s whose existence in Korea has been verified. |
