THE LEGEND OF TARZAN

US, 2016, 110 minutes, Colour.
Alexander Skarsgaard, Samuel L. Jackson, Margot Robbie, Christophe Walls, Djimon Hounsou, Jim Broadbent, Simon Russell Beale, Ben Chaplin.
Directed by David Yates.

The stories of Tarzan and and his nickname, King of the Jungle, by novelist Edgar Rice Burroughs, have been popular for over 100 years. Have been silent films, classics of the 1930s with Olympic swimmer turned actor Johnny Weissmuller, a variety of Tarzans in the 1950s and 60s followed by a seriously classic version in the 1980s, The Legend of Greystoke, with Christopher Lambert.There has also been an animated Disney Tarzan and a sequel.

This film is not exactly the same as the others. This is a story of an adult John Clayton, Earl of Greystoke, and his American wife, Jane.The classic story was that of the boy John, in Africa and in and in the jungle, his parents killed, his growing up with the apes, learning to live with the animals, understand their language, move swingingly through the trees of the jungle. and, he also met Jane and rescued her.

In fact, there are some flashbacks to Tarzan and his past giving a little background to how he has become the person he is.

What is of interest for those who love history is that the setting is the 1880s, the period of Belgian colonising of the Congo, and the exportation of the native tribes by King Leopold.This film offers a critique of the Belgian colonialisation, some British collaboration (with Jim Broadbent as the English Prime Minister) and an American interest in the defence of rights, in the person of George Washington Williams, Samuel L.Jackson enjoying himself – although he does find saving Tarzan then being saved by him and running through the jungle, leaping from cliffs, balancing on giant tree trunks more than demanding.

John Clayton is sent to Africa with Jane to inspect the developments there. What actually happens is that he is pursued by Leon Rom, Christophe Waltz doing his archvillain thing again. Waltz is searching for the vast amounts of diamonds to finance Belgian progress, the building of a railway, the building forts and the establishing of a force of mercenaries. Rom has done a deal with the local chieftain, Djimon Hounsou, who is hostile to Tarzan because of the death of his son and the death of Tarzan’s parents.

A lot of the action comes from the taking of Jane by Rom, transporting her on a riverboat – but she is more than feisty and engineers her escape. In the meantime, Tarzan and Williams escape, rush through the jungle, descend on a train and liberate carriages of slaves, and then move to rescue Jane and to confront the Chief. Tarzan also has to demonstrate to Williams his knowledge of the apes and his deference to them in fighting and bowing to them.

One of the spectacles to resolve the crises is Tarzan rounding up the animals, a huge range of animals, to go stampeding through the port town.

All did not end well in the Congo but John Clayton returns to England, George Washington Williams delivers his denunciation of exploitation – and there are intimations of the new generation of Claytons.

The film was directed by David Yates who made several of the Harry Potter films.

1. The popularity of the stories by Edgar Rice Burroughs? For over 100 years? The variety of film versions, silent, Johnny Weissmuller, the films of the 1950s? Christopher Lambert, Greystoke and the more serious presentation? The Disney animated version? Audience knowledge and expectations?

2. The 21st-century telling of the story, going back to the late 19th century, in retrospect in the themes: colonialism, Belgium and King Leopold, the critique?

3. The production values, the locations in Gabon, in the UK, the mountain sequences, the animals, the gorilla fights, the stampede of the animals and the destruction of the Port? A sense of Africa in the 19 century?

4. The setting, the information about Belgium, colonialism, Leopold, the Congo? The development of the railway? The tribes enslaved? The forts, the importation of the mercenaries? The exploitation of the diamonds?

5. The UK, the British prime minister at the meeting? Discussions, money, King Leopold, the Congo? The audience with George Washington Williams, his later meeting with the group, his evidence about the slavery, data? The confrontation?

6. Rom, an archvillain, his plans for King Leopold, his travelling through the jungle, the confrontation with the tribes, mowing them down, his surviving? His tribal allies, the local chief with his vendetta against Tarzan? Rome promising to bring him? In exchange for the diamonds? Leopold and his debt, Rom arranging matters – in the plan to become governor?

7. Introduction of John Clayton, at Greystoke, the mansion, his marriage to Jane, her American background? The invitation to go to Africa? To supervise developments in the Congo?

8. The insertion of flashbacks, the audience filling in Tarzan’s background, his parents killed, a boy amongst the animals, being raised with the animals? Adapting to the jungle? His language, mimicry of animal sounds, swinging through the trees, fighting with the gorillas, kneeling in respect? The meeting with Jane, the rescue, the marriage? Return to
England?

9. George Washington Williams, the background of the Civil War, massacres, rights, his motivations, going to England, his commission, accompanying John, going to Africa, his experience of the jungle, having to keep up, John saving him, he saving John? His involvement with the action, observing the gorilla fights? With the tribesman? The animals and the stampede through the town?

10. Rom and the capture of Tarzan and Jane? On the boat, his lifestyle, the meal, treatment of Jane, his plan? Jane and the knife? The man in the cage, lowering him into the water, Jane’s escape, freeing him? The danger of the hippopotamus?

11. Tarzan and Williams, the fight with the apes, the customs, the obeisance towards the apes?

12. Tarzan swinging through the trees? Jumping from cliffs? The big boughs of the trees? And Williams following?

13. Tarzan, the capture, the chieftain, the story of the deaths, the explanation, his becoming an ally?

14. The episode with the train, the jump from the trees, landing on the carriages, the confrontation with the soldiers, the freeing of the slaves?

15. Going to the Port, Frum, his greed and deals and the deal with Rom, the exchange of the diamonds? The animals stampeding through the town? The destruction, the range of animals?

16. Rom, the crocodiles, his death?

17. The return to England, Williams report to the government? Tarzan and Jane – and the new generation of Claytons?