This is going to sound like an odd statement but King Kong was the first film I wanted to see. Let me clarify. It wasn't that I didn't really want to see Toy Story 2 or even Johnny English, yes I really wanted to see those films and I loved them when I did but King Kong was the first film that wasn't on in any cinema or advertised on TV or watched annually by my Dad that I really really wanted to see. I'm not sure but I'm pretty sure it was the first film I bought that hadn't been in cinemas the previous year. It was probably the first black and white film I ever saw and it was definitely the first films I saw about bestiality.
I know I just said this was the first film I saw that wasn't advertised on TV but in a way King Kong is one of the most heavily advertised films of all time simply thanks to it's iconography. If you see a simian of anything above normal size you think of King Kong. When you think about the monster movie genre the first film that pops in your head is King Kong (and if not, Godzilla, who fought King Kong (and if not Godzilla or King Kong then Cloverfield that wouldn't exist if not for Godzilla and King Kong (and if not any of them then what kind of monster movie hipster are you!?))) Hell King Kong is one of the few films that has permanent advertising space in the shape of the empire state building. That image of a giant ape batting bi-panes away teetering on top of that towering building will never leave your mind once you have seen it. It's full of inspiring and classic moments like that giant wall, the big smiling face and Fay Wray's brutal screaming. It's a classic lesson in style and it's also the main reason films like 2012 and Cloverfield fail to make much of an impact, at this point we as cinema goers have seen it all and it really is first come first served in the world of cinema.
I can however see the flaws in this film. Like a lot of older films, the acting is incredibly dated. It's not that it's bad more that it is of an era that now feels incredibly hammy and over the top. But I've always thought it helped the film. You have all this big male bravado and casual racist tribal folk and then this big monkey that feels more human because of how false the real humans are. Making King Kong a sympathetic lead is a mean feat that they absolutely nail and we very quickly grow to love the guy rather than fear him. Sure they did a more comprehensive job in the 2005 remake but this was 1933 and all they had were little armatures, stop-motion and back projection and yet they manage to breathe so much life into him.
But this section is meant to be about me and my love. And I really do love King Kong. I remember one Christmas rather than being specific, simply asking for 'King Kong related stuff'. I don't think I am special being a youngster fascinated by this film. I'm sure thousands of kids are sitting at home right now discovering it the same way I did but that's not the point. At the time it felt like I had literally dug into the depths of cinema and unearthed a film no one had seen for centuries and as I gave it life and a chance to retell it's awesome tale it gave me a little thing to keep with me and be a bit proud of. At a more basic level it was a film that told me old films are cool to. Just cause it's black and white or silent, doesn't mean it's not radical. Maybe if I didn't watch it I wouldn't be the film geek I am now, I doubt it but I am happy to give King Kong the title of film that made Joe love film. So that's why this film is first. It didn't give me any kind of sexual awakening like Sam got from One Million Years B.C. (creep) and it wasn't the first film I saw and adored (Toy Story) But it was probably the film that started it all. And dude, I love it.
JO
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