King Kong Review

Figure 1: King Kong Movie Poster 1933.

This review discusses the positives and negatives of Merian C Cooper’s and Ernest B. Schoedsack’s 1933 King Kong, the first major movie to have technology such as a black and white film that had sounds recorded - being able to hear actors talking to one another. A major praise for King Kong is the visual effects although we have come far in the VFX industry, for 1933, King Kong was ahead of its time with a mixture of matte paintings, stop motion animation, back projection, mini models that were used for the stop motion (fig 2) etc. Another review agrees that “it is usually necessary to allow for the age of the film and the social and technical restrictions of the time. "King Kong" defies such limited expectations because it was so ahead of its time.” - Almar Haflidason 2001. Later on in the review the social restrictions of King Kong are discussed. King Kong today is the grandfather film to many films of the same genre e.g. Jurassic Park.

Figure 2: King Kong stop motion fight.

When one of the main characters, Carl Denham hires a slim blonde named Ann Darrow to star in his movie, the plot gets going when Denham and his crew sail with Ann to an island to film, they come across a tribe of black people who are preparing to sacrifice one of their women to King Kong in return for no harm to come to their village. The tribe leader offers six women from their tribe in exchange for Ann - no deal. Later that night some of the tribes men abduct Ann, return to the village where she is tied to a pole and Kong is summoned. The moment Kong enters the screen its hard to look away throughout the rest of the film. From there on Denham’s men chase Kong in an attempt to rescue Ann and Kong destroys many places and creatures. In what you think is the final showdown Kong gets knocked out and Denham’s men take Kong to New York and put on show all tied up. Whilst on stage Kong mistakes flash photography from the press as an attack on Ann so he breaks free to save Ann, in a famous scene Kong climbs to the top of Empire State building with Ann where he is attacked by several planes and eventually is beaten, he falls and plummets to his death. It is very noticeable that King Kong is inspired by Beauty and the Beast one of the most loved stories out there. ‘Police Officer Lieutenant: Well, Denham, the airplanes got him.

Denham: Oh, no. It wasn't the airplanes. It was Beauty killed the Beast.’ - Last lines from King Kong (1933).

Although the plot holds the viewer’s attention throughout strongly supported by the VFX used making the story believable: that the fight between Kong and the other creatures are real, that Ann is actually in danger, and in the end you don’t fear Kong but you feel sympathy for him because the audience believe Kong is real and that he has feelings which are shown through his facial expression (fig 4). You feel empathy when he dies despite all the destruction he caused because the audience engages with him and knows what has happened to him is wrong and blame Denham for it - he becomes the villain. All the beast wanted was to protect Ann - he never harmed her or tried too and there is the explicit link that he is the beast, misunderstood and punished for it. “King Kong’ is more than a technical achievement. It is also a curiously touching fable in which the beast is seen, not as a monster of destruction, but as a creature that in its own way wants to do the right thing.” - Roger Ebert 2002.

Figure 3: Kong smitten with Ann.

On the other hand, King Kong can be heavily criticised for the offence it causes present day viewers. Ann is a blonde - the stereotypical type of white woman to be considered pretty and beautiful - a damsel in distress with no hope of saving herself only because she is a woman, when sailing with Denham’s men she is a nuisance to them… Because she is a woman, she constantly screams as that (and standing there looking pretty) is all she can do, the men of this film enforce this stereotype and Ann plays up to it. The black people of the island are dressed savagely and do not speak sophisticated English like the white people do and when they are spoken too it’s like talking to a animal who is too intellectually poor to understand (fig 3). In addition to that when the tribesmen try to negotiate to have Ann in their possession (because women were not their own person) he offers six black women in return for one white woman. The noticeable point appears to be that there is no equality, between black and white and between males and females. These stereotypes say a lot about social values in 1933, putting this film back into its context of 1933 it was acceptable then and it was a break through for the film industry; which in a way you could appreciate as its history even though it’s difficult to agree with and watch without feeling enraged slightly. 

Figure 4: Comparison shots of race appearances and portrayals.

Another problem that gets the audience riled is the treatment of Kong not only is it animal abuse but was wrongly killed when all he tried to do was save Ann, he was in a city somewhere completely different to his home. The problems of 1933 are still relevant to the present day such as sexism - a female president in America and unequal pay are just two examples. Racism still rears its ugly head everywhere even in Hollywood for example a lack of diversity in the Oscar nominees. In addition to that causing uproar in the present day King Kong can be easily linked with Harambe (the gorilla who was shot when a child fell into his enclosure). Harambe never hurt that child just like Kong never hurt Ann. 

Bibliography: 

Quote 3: R. Ebert. (2002). http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-king-kong-1933

Quote 1: A. Haflidason. 2001. http://www.bbc.co.uk/films/2001/01/30/king_kong_1933_review.shtml

Quote 2: King Kong. (1933). Directed and Produced by Merian C Cooper and Ernest B. Schoedsack. RKO Pictures. America.


Illustration List:

Figure 1. King Kong Movie Poster (1933). http://libguides.fau.edu/film-boca

Figure 2. King Kong screenshot of a fight created in stop motion. King Kong. (1933). RKO Pictures. http://manapop.com/musing/king-kong-a-comparison/

Figure 3: King Kong screenshot of Kong's realistic facial expressions. King Kong. (1933). RKO Pictures. https://christinawehner.wordpress.com/2014/11/12/king-kong-1933-my-childhood-impressions-and-adult-reactions/

Figure 4: King Kong screenshots of white people and black people's appearance to compare. King Kong. (1933). RKO Pictures. http://iangarling.blogspot.co.uk/2015/10/space-oddities-king-kong-1933.html