KING KONG
dir: Merian C. Cooper; Ernest B. Schoedsack
"It wasn't the airplanes. It was beauty killed the beast. " - Carl Denham
Brief Synopsis
A filmmaker attempts to make his latest film on the uncharted island where a mythical beast roams known as King Kong. Soon the director abandons his film, turning to the beast for profit instead, all while his lead actress is kidnapped by the beast who falls in love with her.
Why It's Here
After more than half a century, King Kong, the very original still stands strong for a number of reasons. The classic tale was a special effects marvel, years ahead of it's time, however, unlike today where film plots are typically ignored in favour of high-end special effects (Transformers), 1933 showcased the most outstanding visual effects breakthrough in "King Kong" while also having a powerful, down-to-earth story about human emotion, all a retelling of sorts to the classic Beauty and the Beast tale, with a tragic climax.
The classic was coined as one of the first "creature features", being only the second to visual effects coordinator Willis O'Brien's previous "The Lost World". The man who invented the term with his larger-than-life films delivered his career best in "Kong" where the beast is shown as a terrifying giant. Despite the age of the special effects, in the classic black and white, they still manage to have a vintage appeal and look good considering their age. The beat battles are magnificently constructed as Kong battles numerous dinosaurs and the humans attempt to escape the sea beasts and the tribes people (in great looking sets). Each fight scene was constructed using the famous stop-motion techniques that O'Brien became world renowned for after "The Lost World" in the 20's, taking it a step further in Kong by adding trick photography resulting in the most highly acclaimed stop-motion sequences ever filmed (fun fact, Kong's fur appears to flow because animators constantly were handling the model between shots, accidentally giving it movement of it's own).
The story is a classic tragedy of love and greed. The ruthless behaviour of humans that is monstrous even to the worlds greatest monsters is a message that any audience can relate to, no matter what date it is. Released in a time when America was suffering it's great economic depression, the prize of "Kong" was an appealing sight to viewers as the beast was used for large profits, yet the story tells the moral tale of a prize too great for any price or greed.
The story of the love not meant to be is provocative as the romance is between an ape and a woman. It's risque take on the sexual frustration of the beast is a theme that carries through the film with Fay Wray demonstrating the innocence of her accidental femme fatale in her silk gown and affection for her captor. The relationship showcase the power of the visual effects to the same degree that Peter Jackson's remake does, the effects are powerful enough to build a bond between characters, despite one not even existing in reality. "Kong" is an early portrait of Hollywood magic and it's powerful themes and visuals show exactly why it manages to stand the test of time.
The classic was coined as one of the first "creature features", being only the second to visual effects coordinator Willis O'Brien's previous "The Lost World". The man who invented the term with his larger-than-life films delivered his career best in "Kong" where the beast is shown as a terrifying giant. Despite the age of the special effects, in the classic black and white, they still manage to have a vintage appeal and look good considering their age. The beat battles are magnificently constructed as Kong battles numerous dinosaurs and the humans attempt to escape the sea beasts and the tribes people (in great looking sets). Each fight scene was constructed using the famous stop-motion techniques that O'Brien became world renowned for after "The Lost World" in the 20's, taking it a step further in Kong by adding trick photography resulting in the most highly acclaimed stop-motion sequences ever filmed (fun fact, Kong's fur appears to flow because animators constantly were handling the model between shots, accidentally giving it movement of it's own).
The story is a classic tragedy of love and greed. The ruthless behaviour of humans that is monstrous even to the worlds greatest monsters is a message that any audience can relate to, no matter what date it is. Released in a time when America was suffering it's great economic depression, the prize of "Kong" was an appealing sight to viewers as the beast was used for large profits, yet the story tells the moral tale of a prize too great for any price or greed.
The story of the love not meant to be is provocative as the romance is between an ape and a woman. It's risque take on the sexual frustration of the beast is a theme that carries through the film with Fay Wray demonstrating the innocence of her accidental femme fatale in her silk gown and affection for her captor. The relationship showcase the power of the visual effects to the same degree that Peter Jackson's remake does, the effects are powerful enough to build a bond between characters, despite one not even existing in reality. "Kong" is an early portrait of Hollywood magic and it's powerful themes and visuals show exactly why it manages to stand the test of time.