An optical recording film (5,5',5") includes a chemisorptive thin film (7) with orienting properties fixed directly or through a primer layer (2) to a substrate (1) surface, and a coating formed on a surface of the chemisorptive thin film (7). The coating has an initial molecule orientation attained by aligning a group of polymerizable molecules in a predetermined direction on the surface of the chemisorptive thin film (7), and polymerizing the polymerizable molecules to one another. Regions with changed initial molecule orientation and regions with unchanged initial molecule orientation of the coating are formed when selectively irradiating the coating with light (6) that changes the initial molecule orientation, thus making optical information recording possible. It is also possible to introduce photodegrading functional groups into the coating. By introducing functional groups whose orientation is changed by light or functional group that are degraded by light, an optical recording film allowing optical recording and an optical recording medium using the same are provided.