Classic stories remain a classic because they convey a message which appeals to people of multiple generations despite changes in society. King Kong was released in print in 1932, a year prior to its release in Hollywood, as a part of the film’s advance marketing. The public of this generation easily accepted the story’s racist, colonialist, and sexist themes. Today, literary critics such as Cynthia Erb view the novel and film as representation of the early 30s and thus a resource to understand the cultural context of the times. In particular, King Kong provides a window through which a modern audience can understand and interpret racism of the 1930s. The main stereotypes presented in the story, King Kong, were those of African Americans. A main message conveyed was the hyper-sexuality of African Americans, with the message revolving around the stereotype that African American males have an exaggerated sexual energy and an unquenchable desire for beautiful white women. The story of King Kong is, in short, about an enormous ape pursuing a beautiful blonde with the movie ending on the top of the Empire State Building. With this hyper-sexuality stereotype in mind, this ape is a representation of the black man. This being has animal-like instincts, which are “lower” instincts, and has a constant desire to be with Anne, “the golden woman” , as described by a native. The plot proceeds to show Kong climbing to the top of the Empire State Building with Anne in tow. The Empire State building can be interpreted as a phallic symbol and is “conquered” by Kong when he reaches the top of the building with Anne (Figure 1) . Cynthia Erb describes this use of sexuality and raciness in King Kong as a, “type of commodification that was feat... ... middle of paper ... ... Not only does this provide an example of the ambient racism in this story, but it also relates to the previous statement of how the filmmakers exaggerated the sexual energy of black people. Racist characteristics in films and stories are something that can be perceived in this generation, but was something that was normal and expected in the 1930’s. Sexuality and raciness were items that made films a commodity in the 30’s and King Kong uses both of these to attract a wide audience. These qualities are also a factor as to why King Kong remains a classic throughout the generations. Works Cited Cynthia, Erb. Tracking King Kong: A Hollywood Icon in World Culture - Ch. 1: A Showman’s Dream: The Production and Release of King Kong. Wayne State Univ Pr, 1998. King Kong. Merian C Cooper, 1933. Wallace, Edgar, and Merian C. Cooper. King Kong. Modern Library, 1932.
Before we get into the movie specifically, we should first talk about representation and how race is represented in the media in general. Representation is defined as the assigning of meaning through language and in culture. (CITE) Representation isn't reality, but rather a mere construction of reality and the meaning behind it. (CITE) Through representation we are able to shape how people are seen by others. Race is an aspect of people which is often represented in the media in different ways. Race itself is not a category of nature, but rather...
In recent times, such stereotyped categorizations of films are becoming inapplicable. ‘Blockbusters’ with celebrity-studded casts may have plots in which characters explore the depths of the human psyche, or avant-garde film techniques. Titles like ‘American Beauty’ (1999), ‘Fight Club’ (1999) and ‘Kill Bill 2’ (2004) come readily into mind. Hollywood perhaps could be gradually losing its stigma as a money-hungry machine churning out predictable, unintelligent flicks for mass consumption. While whether this image of Hollywood is justified remains open to debate, earlier films in the 60’s and 70’s like ‘Bonnie and Clyde’ (1967) and ‘Taxi Driver’ (1976) already revealed signs of depth and avant-garde film techniques. These films were successful as not only did they appeal to the mass audience, but they managed to communicate alternate messages to select groups who understood subtleties within them.
For many years, African Americans have faced the challenge of being accurately and positively portrayed within mainstream media, such as American made films. They are often represented as people who are inferior to those of the Caucasian race, and are frequently presented with problems that are related to racial discrimination. The portrayal of African Americans in media such as movies has often been considered a large contributing factor to the racial tensions that still exist in our world today (Lemons, 1977). The movie, To Kill a Mockingbird, sheds light on the portrayal of African Americans in movies, and how stereotypes can greatly impact the lives of those who are not of the Caucasian race.
The key to the issue is black and white, and yet don’t fall into that racial trap. Although the film explores racial issues; the true point is that no issue is black and white, there are no easy answers. The film calls the audience to think about its message, and hopefully understand better the problem with racism. The heat imagery used within the film really emphasizes the slow-burning attributes of prejudice and how quickly everything can turn, which of course is clear in the actions of everyone at the end of the film. I feel like any viewer can identify with this story because everyone in the film whether white, black, Hispanic, or Asian, experiences negative racist
W. Griffith wanted to show that blacks were inferior to the white population. African Americans were considered, uneducated, monsters, and violent. Throughout the film whites were trying their hardest to keep African Americans from gaining too much power, or any power at all. D. W. Griffith wanted to convey the message that it was a mistake to give black people freedom, and African Americans were not smart enough to handle power or freedom. In certain scenes, director D. W. Griffith showed blackface actors acting violent, drunk, and smoking. Throughout the film there were lynchings to put black people back where they belonged. If there were any black actors throughout the movie, they were either servants or slaves. In a scene with African Americans being servants, there are smiles on their faces, and what seems to be happiness while being servants. White people started to get the message that African Americans were happy to be subservient to whites. D. W. Griffith was telling this story through the eyes of a white man, he wanted whites to believe that slavery was wonderful for African Americans, and that they always wanted to work for whites. There was not a very positive relationship between African Americans and whites throughout the movie. Although a law was passed for interracial marriage, it was still not accepted by either
Classic narrative cinema is what Bordwell, Staiger and Thompson (The classic Hollywood Cinema, Columbia University press 1985) 1, calls “an excessively obvious cinema”1 in which cinematic style serves to explain and not to obscure the narrative. In this way it is made up of motivated events that lead the spectator to its inevitable conclusion. It causes the spectator to have an emotional investment in this conclusion coming to pass which in turn makes the predictable the most desirable outcome. The films are structured to create an atmosphere of verisimilitude, which is to give a perception of reality. On closer inspection it they are often far from realistic in a social sense but possibly portray a realism desired by the patriarchal and family value orientated society of the time. I feel that it is often the black and white representation of good and evil that creates such an atmosphere of predic...
Often times, literature reflects the problems within a society. An author finds their character’s struggles and triumphs in the people of each era. Inspirations from real life events fuel not only great literature but also books that become remarkable social pieces. A perfect example is Harper Lee’s To Kill A Mockingbird. This novel is reflective of the 1930’s era. In the story racism runs rampant through society with only a noble few trying to stop it. The racism that is apparent and a focal point for the novel is, although fiction, closely matched to that of a racist era in America. Racism represents fear of the unknown in many themes in the book as well as in the daily aspect of life.
How would you describe African American men? Stereotyping is a way of placing general characteristics on a certain group of people. Racial stereotypes of African Americans were prevalent in the United States during the nineteenth century. Whites became associated with positive meanings such as superiority, safety, and cleanness while African Americans became associated with negative meanings such as sexual monsters, dangerous, and deviance. For example, The Scottsboro trial was about nine black youths charged with raping two white women in the state of Alabama. In a series of trials the youths were found guilty and sentenced to death. In addition, Candyman, directed by Bernard Rose, is about a son of a former slave who fell in love with a white woman for his crime the father set a lynch mob upon Candyman and they cut off his hand and replaced it with a hook, smeared with honey stolen from an apiary, prompting the locals to chant 'Candyman', and the bees stung him to death. Lastly, King Kong, directed by Merian C. Cooper and Ernest B. Schoedsack, is about a documentary filmmaker who sails off to parts unknown to film his latest epic with leading lady Darrow in tow. Disembarking at Skull Island, the chief offers to buy the "golden woman" to serve as the "bride of Kong." Kong is eventually captured and taken back to New York, where he breaks loose on the night. Kong winds up at the top of the Empire State Building with Ann Darrow, facing off fleet of World War I fighter planes. All three characters are connected to one another because they are all feared by the white culture. African American men reinforced the stereotype of being seen as sexual predators because they pose as a threat to the white community.
The United States has long been a country that has accepted that change is a necessity for prosperity and growth. However, each change within the nation's history was hard fought against those who resisted such change either through racism, bigotry, and blatant discrimination. African American cinema is enshrouded in history that depicts these themes of racism, struggle, and deprivation. Yet, this same cinema also shows scenes of hope, artistic spirit, intellectual greatness, and joy. Black actresses, actors, directors, producers, and writers have been fighting for recognition and respect since the great Paul Robeson. The civil rights movement of the 1950's and 60's was fueled by black cinema through films like A Raisin in the Sun. Progressions in the industry were hindered by blaxploitation films such as Shaft, but these too were overcome with the 1970's movies like Song. The true creativity and experiences of African Americans started to be shown in the 1980's with directors like Robert Townsend and Spike Lee. These directors helped enable black cinema to expand in the 90's with the creation of works ranging in brutal but honest portrayal of urban life to that of comedy. By analyzing Spike Lee's film Bamboozled, director John Singleton's Boyz in The Hood, and movies like Coming to America and House Party indicate that the experiences of African Americans and the way that they are depicted in cinema directly impacts the way mainstream society perceives them to be, while showing that African Americans are a major driving force behind creativity and ingenious inspiration behind many aspects of American life.
The movie “King Kong” was a commercial success in 1933, although the great gorilla briefly flickered merely on a few hundred screens (Linn 35) and (Selznick, Cooper and Schoedsack n.pag). According to “Universal Studios Hollywood (13), King Kong’s story had to be repeated on smaller home screens through television for new generations of youth and adults to embrace it fully as their own, making the fable a fundamental part of our culture that is widely recognized by everyone. The original 1933 film of remains one of the central myths created in the 20th century (“Peter Jackson’s King Kong” 116 +). Its core conceits, scenes, imagery and dialogue diffused outward everywhere into the culture, as the essays in this very volume attest (“Peter Jackson’s King Kong” 117). King Kong is a constitutive work of genius. It remains as powerful a viewing experience today, even more than 70 years after it was created and first released (Linn 35).
The movie 'Ethnic Notions' describes different ways in which African-Americans were presented during the 19th and 20th centuries. It traces and presents the evolution of the rooted stereotypes which have created prejudice towards African-Americans. This documentary movie is narrated to take the spectator back to the antebellum roots of African-American stereotypical names such as boy, girl, auntie, uncle, Sprinkling Sambo, Mammy Yams, the Salt and Pepper Shakers, etc. It does so by presenting us with multiple dehumanized characters and cartons portraying African-Americans as carefree Sambos, faithful Mammies, savage Brutes, and wide-eyed Pickaninnies. These representations of African-Americans roll across the screen in popular songs, children's rhymes, household artifacts and advertisements. These various ways to depict the African ?American society through countless decades rooted stereotypes in the American society. I think that many of these still prevail in the contemporary society, decades after the civil rights movement occurred.
For decades Disney has been the source of happy endings, fairytales, and family friendly stories for children of all ages. These stories range from realistic and familiar, to the eye-catching magical fairytale. The key to each of these stories are the happy endings brought about by each of the characters unique personalities and dreams. Disney’s films are attempted to provide children with the basic understanding of wrong versus right, but instead influences our society’s beliefs and awareness. Although Disney’s efforts to provide the basic morals to our children are misleading and affect our society strongly, they also contain the use of racism in a form which shows the major differences between characters. The once admired and well-known characters are seemed to be recognized by their species, ethnicity and even their social class. Disney films have taken out of context and have persuaded their viewers understanding of racial stereotyping, which is thoroughly explained in Henry Giroux and Grace Pollock’s novel, The Mouse that Roared. They bring awareness to the underlying racial stereotyping in Disney films, which deeply affect our societies understanding today. Giroux and Pollock bring into perception these admired and regularly watched films through precise examples and racist rendering of the specific characters species and ethnicities which strongly influence our society and lead children to intake these negative influences.
Richard Stam argues that the study of racial issues in film has been bombarded by critics who reject certain films on the basis of misrepresentation. That is to say that stereotypes, sh...
Growing up as a child in the United States I was always easily amused by cartoons that played on the television during the early 2000’s and late 1999’s. By far one of my most watched movies as a kid was Tarzan, which sometimes played during the weekends on Disney channel, so for this week it was entertaining to watch this old version of Tarzan directed by W.S. Van Dyke. In the film Tarzan “the Ape Man”, Jane Parker derives to Africa to visit her father, who was in a pursuit for ivory, Tarzan captures Jane and once the preliminary terror has worn off, Jane apprehends that she adores Tarzan and that jungle life suits her. This take on the modern day Tarzan opened my eyes to a much more realistic viewpoint of race discernment with the
Based on the original, classic film of King Kong made in 1933 we are shown a whole new side of cinematography and the world renowned CGI special effects throughout the king Kong film we all know and love today made in 2005. We as the viewers were conceded yet to another action, and drama filled film by the high class New Zealand director Peter Jackson, In the film we are portrayed the four main characters of Naomi Watts as Ann Darrow, Jack Black as Carl Denham, Adrien Brody as Jack Driscoll and of course the CGI edited gorilla of King Kong played by Andy Serkis.