KING KONG

US, 1933, 100 minutes, Black and white.
Fay Wray, Robert Armstrong, Bruce Cabot.
Directed by Ernest B. Schoedsack and Merian C.Cooper.

King Kong was a classic of its time. With special effects that were in advance of their day, the film made great impact. Audiences enjoyed it for its adventure and its fantasy – the echoes of the world of Edgar Rice Burroughs and other writers. However, somehow or other, the screenplay and the presentation of Kong made such an impact that he went into the realm of American myth. There are overtones of the Beauty and the Beast theme, especially with the fascination of Kong for Fay Wray.

There is genuine pathos in audience interest in and identification with Kong and for his being used by the humans.
The climax in New York on the top of the Empire State Building is famous and audiences grieved for the death of Kong. Dino de Laurentiis' remake in the seventies kept much of the same atmosphere and the mythic qualities. However. the surprise element had passed and the film, while very enjoyable in its way, was probably too grandiose compared with the original. There were many derivatives over the decades especially in Japanese adventure science fiction films for family audiences.
The original creators ventured into a sequel, Son of Kong. However, it was very short, used some of the same effects for audience delight but its plot and its treatment of Kong were rather trivial.

1. How enjoyable was this film? Why?

2. It Is considered a classic of the early talkies. A film of the 30s. Why should It be considered a classic? Its main classic features?

3. How good a product of the imagination was this film? The wide-ranging and seemingly limitless feats of imagination? A fantasy world within a real world? The overtones of science-fiction and the possible animals?

4. Audience response to the atmosphere of destruction in the film? Especially of New York and of Kong himself? Why do people like fears and dangers in their fantasy and science-fiction?

5. How well did the film create the atmosphere of the 30's and the Depression? The film production world, the heroine -the style of 30's heroics?

6. How important was it for the fantasy that the ordinary world was well established? New York itself, film production, Denham, the people, the ship etc?

7. The significance of the Arabian proverb about beauty and the beast? Its being at the beginning and setting a tone for the film? The fact that the theme was mentioned explicitly so often? Its significance at the end in terms of beauty, destruction? the real nature of bestiality? What comment did the film make?

8. Was the beauty also an attractive woman? The threats on the island and the adventures? Kong's possession of her and his being moved by her? Her fears and yet response to him? Beauty and his final destruction?

9. What kind of animal character was King Kong himself? The atmosphere of his being on the island? his part-divinity, his role as a symbol? As a wonder of the world? His hugeness? The overtones of gorillas etc? His danger? His threats to Anne? His capture and his being exhibited? Audience response to his being gaped at? The destructive element in New York? Kong and the Empire State Building as two great symbols?

10. How was Denham a typical American? The business enterprise, the danger the self-promotion? The business side? His response to Kong and exploiting him? What judgement was
made on these types?

11. Joe as a typical 30's hero? Tough and hard against Anne? changing, sharing her dangers?

12. Which were the most effective scenes with King Kong? The most effective scenes with Anne and King Kong? Why? The importance of the sequence on the Empire State building? the danger for Anne, the planes - small, destroying the monster etc?

13. How important were the sequences of the prehistoric monsters on the island? Comment on the technical skill of their presentation and the way they were filmed? Their interaction with the humans? The fantasy and danger and its success?

14. The background of the natives and their superstitions? As creating at atmosphere of fear? Danger?

15. How exciting a film? How enjoyable?(despite rather pedestrian dialogue)? As part of the science-fiction genre? The human values that it presented and explored?