King Kong free essay sample

In comparison, King Kong in 1933 and King Kong in 2005 both have the same plot. Carl Denham was an independent film director famous for shooting animal pictures in remote and exotic locations. In his newest project, Denham wanted to find an uncharted, mysterious island that he imagined would be full of monstrous creatures unseen by the viewing public. In his movie, the monster would be spotlighted along with a leading â€Å"damsel in distress. † Denham recruited a bunch of macho seamen, but is unable to hire an actress for his newest project. His usual agent did not help find anyone because of the dangerous expedition, so Denham went out on the streets of New York searching for a girl for his leading lady. In his search, he met Ann Darrow, a small-time actress who was desperate for work because of the effects of the Great Depression in 1933. Denham took a chance by going with Ann Darrow and tries to convince her to join him on the adventure of a lifetime, offering her the lead in his project. We will write a custom essay sample on King Kong or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Captain Englehorn had promised to take Denham to Skull Island where he wanted to film his movie. Before the voyage, the Captain begins to have second thoughts about the trip, and during his attempt to turn around, the ship is lost in fog and crashes into rocks on the island. Denham and the crew explore the island and are attacked by the natives. The natives kidnaped Ann to sacrifice her to their god Kong. Kong then takes Ann to his lair in the islands interior. While the crews search the island for Ann, they battle dinosaurs, giant invertebrates, and other deadly creatures. When Ann is threatened by other dangerous creatures, Kong fights the creatures and keeps her safe. Denham wanted to rescue Ann and capture Kong as a way to save his job. Ann was afraid of the ape at first but realizes that he is calm and nice to her. Ann entertains Kong with juggling and dancing from the theater. They watch the sunset together and she attempts to communicate with him using sign language. The crew then interferes with Ann’s befriending of the ape, and the ships crew traps Kong. Ann tries to stop Denhams plan. Kong was drugged with chloroform for the trip to New York, and Denham promises the crew that Kong will make them all rich. Back in New York, Denham imprisons Kong in chains and a cage, and presents him as the Eighth Wonder of the World on Broadway. Ann refuses to participate in the show, which recreates Kongs capture. Kong becomes upset when he sees that the lead actress is not Ann, and he breaks his chains after the cameras start to flash, which upset him even more. Kong destroyed the theater and ruined Times Square before they can take him away. The ape and Ann got together in Central Park that made him calm. Kong climbs the Empire State Building with Ann in his hand. While he was on the top, he started to make a signal which meant beautiful. As they set on the top of the Empire State Building, Ann was not afraid. They were glad and at ease in each other’s company. Much to Ann’s surprise and dismay, Kong was attacked by airplanes. She tried to waive them off but he was hit by many bursts of gunfire. Finally, there were too many bullets for Kong to remain alive. When Kong fell to his death, he looks at Ann. While Ann is crying, hundreds of people run to Kongs body. Peter Jackson, the director of the 2005 version, wanted to create the feeling he had while watching the original for a modern audience. In order to do this, he stuck to the original story as closely as he could and instead of updating the story, he expanded it. Peter Jackson was nine years old when he first saw the movie and was in tears in front of the television when Kong slipped off the Empire State Building. At age twelve he tried to remake the film using his parent’s camera and a model of Kong made of wire and his mother fur coat. His project did not turn out as planned so he gave up on it. King Kong was his inspiration and made him want to become a filmmaker. The irony in both films is very evident. Both films included the one great irony that sets this movie apart from others and leaves the audience feeling sympathy and empathy for Kong. In the beginning of both movies, we are shown a portrait of a man-eating monster, thirsting for the taste of human blood on his lips, but at the end we realize who is really the beast in this film the humans who took him out of his natural environment, only to make a spectacle of him for profit and fame, causing him to die a horrifying death. Ironic also is what the main character supposedly said at the end of the movie. According to Hunter (2005), a man tells Denham that the airplanes killed him, but Denham replies, It wasnt the airplanes. It was Beauty that killed the Beast. Both versions have similarities, but at the same time there are contrasts that show very distinct differences. For instance, the original sets a guideline for the plotline, scenes, and characters, but the remake changed it. Another difference in the versions can be seen in the characters. In the original, the main character seemed to focus more on the production of the movie he is producing. The main character was focused on making a movie that people will remember, rather than making a movie to get him rich. However in the remake, the main character was in the midst of a financial disaster and primarily was making a movie to restore value to the name â€Å"Denham† and to make money for him. Throughout the rest of the movie, there were subtle differences in the moods of the characters. For example, the captain in the original movie was nicer than the captain of the remake. Other differences are noted in the way the movies were made. While both were filmed in New York City and Harbor, the technology available for filmmaking during each production are vastly difference. King Kong in 1933 was made during the great depression. In 1933 the gigantic ape was made out of motorized parts and covered with fur. The movie was filmed in black-and-white and shows how light and sound cause different feelings in the audience. Cooper felt Creelmans final draft was too slow. Writer Ruth Rose was brought in to fix up the script. For example she showed how he was taken from the island and moved him right into the theater. She rewrote the dialogue to give it some spice and created the films entire opening part showing Denham plucking Ann from the streets of New York. In 2005 King Kong was digital and shot behind a green screen, and it helps with the computer animation. The computer-generated King Kong comes to life through two techniques: motion capture and digital animation. Motion capture is recording the movement of objects or people. In motion capture sessions, movements of one or more actors are sampled many times per second, early techniques used images from multiple cameras and calculate 3D positions; motion capture often records only the movements of the actor, not his or her visual appearance. Digital animation is used for generating animated images used by computer graphics. Modern computer animation usually uses 3D computer graphics although 2D graphics are still used. Jackson decided early on that he did not want Kong to behave like a human, and so he and his team studied hours of gorilla footage. Andy Serkis, who modeled his movement, went to London Zoo to watch the gorillas, but was unsatisfied. He ended up going to Rwanda to observe mountain gorillas in the wild. The resulting Kong is entirely a special effect, who acts and moves very much like a real gorilla. Paul (December 5, 2005). A significant difference exists between the impact King Kong in 1933 had on the leading actress versus the impact the King Kong movie of 2005 had on the leading actress. Almost any â€Å"Baby Boomer† and those born earlier who are still around can tell you the name of the actress who played the dangerous and believable role of the lady who feared for her life then turned protector of the one she feared. When you say â€Å"King Kong,† those mentioned able automatically think â€Å"Fay Wray,† the actress who screamed her way into n unforgettable role, and who blossomed from a helpless, frailty to a heroine for Kong. Fay Wray was a Canadian-born actress who was already a success in Hollywood. She had starred in role with such leading men as William Powell, Gary Cooper and Fredric March. Although she had these credits under her name, it was her screams of terror in King Kong during a time when the nation was in awe about the effects of the Gr eat Depression, for which she is most remembered and admired. In fact, her name became synonymous with King Kong. Conversely, who was the leading actress in the 2005 version of King Kong? The impact of the movie for that actress in association with the film was non-existent. While the 1933 version of King Kong was the number one movie of its time, the 2005 version of King Kong did not rate close to its parent. Works Cited Hunter, Stephen. King Kong: A Beauty of a Beast. Washington Post. The Washington Post, 14 Dec. 2005. Web. 01 Apr. 2013. King Kong (1933). King Kong (1933). N. p. , n. d. Web. 01 Apr. 2013.