King Kong

King Kong (2005) is not a particularly strong movie, but as an update to the original, it does the job. There have been so many movies featuring King Kong, it's kinda ridiculous. The only thing more ridiculous, perhaps, is me trying to show a parallel between this movie and my life. Go ahead and laugh. This movie relies on symbolism and metaphors (much like Joseph Conrad's Heart of Darkness mentioned in the film).

This is a long movie (by Peter Jackson, who I don't think makes short movies), most of which is bogged down in typical action movie stuff. The story is widely known, but we find Kong on a Jurassic Park sort of island, Skull Island, a place inhabited by dinosaurs and giant bugs, etc. It's ridiculous, but gloriously so. He is king of the island, and the savage inhabitants feed him sacrifices to presumably appease him. Well, when Ann is one of those sacrifices, something changes. 

It's hard to pinpoint the exact moment this beast has a change of heart. It could be when she's dancing for him. It could be when they share a sunset together. I don't know. All I know is he's not the same beast he was before. The rest of the movie finds him defending her at his own peril. When he's captured and brought to Depression-era America, he's stage fodder for entertaining New York's well-to-do. As the announcer says, in his world he was king, but here he's a captive. 

Well, he's not a captive for long. He tears New York apart looking for his beloved Ann. The story is predictable because we all know how it ends, but I wasn't prepared for the heart-rending scene at the end when this beast shares a tender last moment with Ann. I knew before I watched the movie (which I've seen before) I was going to write about it, but really had no idea how to pick it apart. 

There is a beast inside every man. I'm no different, though I'm scrawny. While I was wild and free on my little island, a true king of my domain (at least in my own mind), there was no great danger. The most dangerous thing a beast can do is fall in love. Kong was captured by the beauty of Ann. In much the same way, I was captured by my girl. How gentle can a beast be? Ask her. I am not the kindest person in the world. I don't think men are naturally predisposed to being kind. We're warriors, defenders, providers, killers. Kindness, if there is room for it, comes last. 

At the heart of every beast, though, is a gentleness that can only be teased out by beauty. For me, it was a woman. With her, I am the kindest and most gentle creature. How can such a little girl make me her captive? It's a great mystery, perhaps questioned by the writer of Proverbs, who wondered about the great mystery of "the way of a man with a maid." Yes, I was captured by her. It was how I was led off my island and made to perform for the entertainment of others (which reminds me of sharing my heart on this blog). She is beautiful, of course, but when offered a different woman, Kong goes berserk and tears the town apart. There is only one woman he wants. 

I could sit here and draw parallels all day. That's not my intention. Of course, it wasn't my intention to be captured by a little girl either. At some point, we feel sorry for Kong because he's a tragic character. He's been drawn out of his kingdom by beauty. He'll die for her. He belongs to the old world. He's in the new world now. In the old world, he slayed dinosaurs. In the new world, he will be slain, all because he couldn't let go of beauty. Or maybe because she couldn't let go of him. We're left to wonder why Ann loves Kong. It's never really answered, but we know she sees him as more than just a beast. 

There is no sexuality in the movie. It may be implied on a Freudian level. I don't care for that line of thinking. There are things more powerful than sex, which we're taught is the second-most-powerful drive in our bodies, second only to the drive for self-preservation. No, this is outside the realm of sex, though sex is beautiful and perfect. This transcends self-preservation, as well, because for her he was willing to do the most dangerous things and risk death. What he saw in her transcended the most powerful urge to stay alive. 

This post could have gone on a number of tangents, but I don't care for tangents at this moment. I've had a singular thought in my head for longer than I care to admit. She has captured me. How such a little girl could have me so captivated, I'll never know. For a while, I held her in my hands like she was mine, but we all know now, dear audience, she's the one who has me.