"I was a budding cinephile when Peter Jackson's King Kong came out in 2005. And like many, I was excited. It was unavoidable, much like the marketing and subsequent public frenzy of anticipation. Jackson was fresh off of the wildly successful The Lord of the Rings trilogy, and now he was about to make what was clearly a passion project."
"Jackson proved he could respect what made a property so beloved while meticulously bringing his signature blend of epic action fueled by human connection. So like any cinephile would, I decided to watch the original 1933 movie that inspired it. And when I did, there was a lingering question in my mind: why was no one talking about the racism of it all?"
Peter Jackson's 2005 King Kong revitalizes the classic by combining epic action with human connection and extensive character development across a three-hour runtime. The remake expands backstories and arcs for the human cast, reworking Carl Denham into a sleazy, less colonial figure and centering Ann Darrow as an emotional anchor. The original 1933 film retains iconic imagery but contains racial and gender politics reflective of its era that are troubling and often unacknowledged. The remake both honors beloved visual elements and reframes problematic aspects, prompting reconsideration of representation, historical context, and how adaptations can address outdated themes.
Read at Inverse
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