For The Love of 'Kong'
The following does contain spoilers.
I’ve just returned from seeing Peter Jackson’s King Kong. All the way home on the bus, I was trying to put into words my deep sense of awe and wonderment. I don’t know if I will succeed, but I will try anyways.
First off, I could not rip my eyes from the screen. The sheer tension and excitement of the action was enough to keep me glued to my seat. But this film has more than just the action going for it. It has a heart and a soul, and an emotional element that just can't be defined with any words in the English language.
One of the things I loved about the film is how we relate to Kong himself. When he holds Ann in his hand and they stare into the sunset together, we can engage with his admiration of the beauty of his home. When he is captured, we are enraged. And when he finally finds Ann in New York after escaping from his chains, we're amazed that such a horribly destructive monster can be more humane than most of the people in the story.
What this engagement of Kong manages to accomplish is the we see things through his eyes. For me, the moment that crystalizes this is the scene with Ann on the frozen lake in the park. Kong has no idea what ice is; it's something completely outside his experience and as he steps out we see his childlike wonder of nature once again.
And now, my actual point: what this film did for me.
What is perfectly clear in every frame of this movie, is Peter Jackson's respect and admiration for King Kong. This isn't a remake; it's a love letter to the original. And it's infectious.
I never thought much of the 1933 film. I thought it was fun, yes, but I just could not understand why some people had to gush over it; a great love story? Bah. And then I saw this: one man's incredible love for Kong. And you know what? It spread to me. I can finally understand why the story became beloved, why it is timeless. I can't put it into words yet, but I can now say that I see Kong with new eyes. I felt like he did on the ice with Ann.
Now all I need is the DVD Collector's Edition of the original film. Hopefully, I should be getting that soon.
Here's to Kong, the King of Skull Island and the Eighth "Wonder of The World"!
I’ve just returned from seeing Peter Jackson’s King Kong. All the way home on the bus, I was trying to put into words my deep sense of awe and wonderment. I don’t know if I will succeed, but I will try anyways.
First off, I could not rip my eyes from the screen. The sheer tension and excitement of the action was enough to keep me glued to my seat. But this film has more than just the action going for it. It has a heart and a soul, and an emotional element that just can't be defined with any words in the English language.
One of the things I loved about the film is how we relate to Kong himself. When he holds Ann in his hand and they stare into the sunset together, we can engage with his admiration of the beauty of his home. When he is captured, we are enraged. And when he finally finds Ann in New York after escaping from his chains, we're amazed that such a horribly destructive monster can be more humane than most of the people in the story.
What this engagement of Kong manages to accomplish is the we see things through his eyes. For me, the moment that crystalizes this is the scene with Ann on the frozen lake in the park. Kong has no idea what ice is; it's something completely outside his experience and as he steps out we see his childlike wonder of nature once again.
And now, my actual point: what this film did for me.
What is perfectly clear in every frame of this movie, is Peter Jackson's respect and admiration for King Kong. This isn't a remake; it's a love letter to the original. And it's infectious.
I never thought much of the 1933 film. I thought it was fun, yes, but I just could not understand why some people had to gush over it; a great love story? Bah. And then I saw this: one man's incredible love for Kong. And you know what? It spread to me. I can finally understand why the story became beloved, why it is timeless. I can't put it into words yet, but I can now say that I see Kong with new eyes. I felt like he did on the ice with Ann.
Now all I need is the DVD Collector's Edition of the original film. Hopefully, I should be getting that soon.
Here's to Kong, the King of Skull Island and the Eighth "Wonder of The World"!
posted by Steven | 9:12 PM
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