On the Railway (1960)

On the Railway (1960)

December 1st, 7:00PM in Garland 104 (2441 E. Hartford)


Probably made in 1960, On the Railway centers upon the events of the Korean War. This is not particularly unusual as this is a constant theme in North Korean cinema. The difference in this case is that it was made relatively close to the actual events, with many of the actors likely having fought in the conflict.
The basic story involves a man who travels south with his train, seemingly to defect. But there is more to the story then that, obviously ending in patriotic sacrifice. This formula has been repeated every year from the 1950's to the present, and will likely go into the not too distant future if not beyond.
One interesting feature involves a focus on American troops in the defection segments.
From the early days of the North and Kim Il-sung comes this look into an idealized view of the war. With so little information available on their cinema, this like almost all North Korean film has a phantasmal quality, and in that sense there is a remarkable continuity running throughout the more then fifty years of a truly strange cinema.
North Korea, Director ?, Cast ?, 90 minutes, in Korean with English subtitles