Beauty Killed the Beast

#41—King Kong

Throughout cinematic history there as always been an influx of Monster movies. Creatures that run amuck and we the foolish humans that believe we can tame them or understand them. If it be a giant dinosaur/lizard hybrid destroying Tokyo or little green terrors that are the result of getting a cute little fur ball wet, audiences around the world will always have a soft spot for monster movies. One of the ‘kings’ (pun intended) of this subgenre has been around since 1933 and has been redone and reimagined quite a few times. Coming up on number 41 on the American Film Institute’s 100 Years…100 Movies list is Radio Pictures’ classic King Kong.

Famed wildlife filmmaker Carl Denham (Robert Armstrong) has an idea for his next project and has chartered a boat to a secret location. Denham is in need to find his leading lady which brings him to Ann Darrow (Fay Wray), a poor woman in need of a job. After a quiet voyage, the crew and passengers of the Venture come to an island that is inhabited with an indigenous tribe of people that seem to pray to some sort of ancient god. When the natives get a glimpse of Ann, they kidnap her and offer her up to their ‘god’…a giant gorilla. Now the Denham and the rest of the Venture crew have to gather all of their courage and save Ann from the one they call Kong.

As I went to explain in the beginning paragraph, King Kong will most likely be remembered as one of the greatest Monster movies that we have ever had the pleasure of being exposed to. However, what I think most people forget is that this film is a revolutionary vision and is on this list more for its ground breaking effects. Though corny and unimpressive compared to some of the summer blockbusters that we are used to now, in 1933 King Kong was awe inspiring and at times quite frightening to the audience. To have a Claymation gorilla imposed with real actors was a high accomplishment during this time. I would also like to remind you all of the grandiose scale that this script is on. Though filmed mainly on a backlot somewhere, the script calls for a remote jungle island that has been lost in time, riddled with dinosaurs and giant insects. We also get to see a humungous gorilla climb the Empire State Building while swatting at airplanes. This was a very ambitious movie for 1933 and is rightfully recognized for its brilliance.

The other thing that you should take note while viewing this film is the musical score and the emotional impact it has on the story. While we all know how important the musical score is to any film, with King Kong the music also gives the audience an insight to the emotions of Kong himself. The ‘beast’ cannot speak and barely communicates, but we connect with him through the music. I believe that the score to this film is much underrated and should be talked about just as much as the technical advancements that the film achieved.

Paving the way for other great special effect filled films, King Kong will always be not only a classic monster film, but a supreme adventure story that will survive the test of cinematic time. As I am sure that most of you have seen the updated Peter Jackson (The Lord of the Rings) version in 2005, be sure to take the time to view the original to truly appreciate it.

The Verdict: Should Be Higher on List.