"Soul" as metaphor for colonized Korea

Jonathan Mark Hall jmhall at gol.com
Tue Nov 10 14:07:34 EST 1998


This is a late addition on a now-passed topic ... Still, irritating echo I
may be, I wanted to pick up a thread that Michael Raine mentioned on the
use of blacks (frequently African-Americans) in Japanese film "as shorthand
for jazz, dangerous sexuality, or Japanese victimization."  Michael made me
think about the use of "black" music in Japnese film, which deserves
critical attention--or at least commentary.  I remember the repetitive and
striking use of what I believe to be a black spiritual, namely "Motherless
Child", in Oshima's documentary on Korea/ the structure of Japanese
colonialism in Korea,  "Yunbogi-nikki" (Yunbogi-Boy).  It seems here that
blacks/black music is associated with victimization, though importanlty the
oppressed figure is that of Korea in the face of Japanese and US
militarism.

On the topic of a black actor in 60s/70s film, does anyone know what films
ドン・マドリッド (Don Madrid?) has appeared in?  He's in #Bara no soretsu#, 
and I am wondering what else. 

On a different topic, is there a way of adding smaller library holdings
(including the odd, but often critical surprise holding--say for whimsical
example, #Tanuki goten,# held by Beaver State) to the database? I know that
San Francisco State Univ. has a print, and a video copy in their media
library of the aforementioned Yunbogi Boy; how to add this to the ongoing
record?

Jonathan




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