Evolution of Film Music: A Comparative Study of King Kong

Film music has changed since the 1933 original King Kong film, produced by Dino De Laurentiis. Both versions of King Kong are products of their ages. The original film is from the Golden Age era where sound film just began. As many film makers wrestled with the basics of sound films, the technique enhanced into a much more live affect. In the latest King Kong film, which was released in 2005, and produced by Peter Jackson, sound film was much more advanced when it came to the special affects. As I watched each film, I noticed how much has changed in the style, music and sound. Also film making has come a long way and developed into something more inevitable for audiences to watch and enjoy. As for the 1933 film, the sound track was composed by Max Steiner. Steiner’s music kept the feeling of escalating terror throughout most of the film and gave off

In the 1933 film, the scene where the boat approaches the island, Steiner does not use any music. As for Howard, he uses music in that scene. Steiner’s music rises to the fantastical world of King Kong. While watching the 1933 film, Steiner blends the music in certain scenes. While my focus was on one sound, it switched which created a different mood or tone to the movie. Howard used similar techniques as the ship entered the fog and the drums started to become louder and louder. Both soundtracks from each film created a myth in the island scene. In other words, I was not sure what was going to happen. In a sense, I expected something to happen just because of the music. It kept me on my toes and made me listen more closely. On the other hand, the most significant difference between the two films is their portrayal of Kong and his relationship he had with Ann. Kong’s relationship with Ann changed the sound choice. So, the difference of Kong’s and Ann’s relationship in the two films, depicts what sound should have been used in certain