중화인민공화국 초기의 정국 변화와 『우쉰전(武訓傳)』 비판운동

This paper explores the nature of the 1951 campaign against the film The Life of Wu Xun by analyzing and reinterpreting the film text and other written materials regarding the film. The protagonist of the film Wu Xun, based on a real person from the late Qing period, devotes his life to raising three free schools for poor children with his money earned through decades of begging around. The Life of Wu Xun is actually an ambivalent text as to its evaluation of Wu Xun`s achievements. However, this fact cannot fully explain the sudden and extreme campaign against it following Mao Zedong`s fierce criticism of the indiscreetly enthusiastic reception of the film. The reason why Mao began the campaign against the film in 1951, I argue, was related to the urgent need to control domestic matters while PRC fought the Korean War. Under strong political and economic pressure generated by the Korean War, Mao and the government could no longer tolerate the “ideological confusion” revealed in the public applause for Wu Xun`s life.