In no way does Peter Jackson’s version of King Kong in 2005 attempt to address the concerning depiction of African Americans in the two previous versions; it is disgustingly racist and completely dehumanizes the black characters, turning them into tribal monsters.
In the first version, directed by Merian Cooper in 1933, the black characters were reduced to racist African caricatures, dancing in grass skirts and chanting while they tie a pretty white girl up for sacrifice and the black characters wear face paint that mocks African cultural practices. When King Kong grabs helpless Ann played by Faye Wray, the black characters celebrate, solidifying which side they are on, and which side the audience is on. The audience is forced to consider them as the enemy of the white characters. King Kong is a representation of historical references to Africans as
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In one shot in particular, a black man is dressed up as a baboon and dances around Dwan, played by Jessica Lange, in order to scare her and the white audience. While the black characters have nothing but sticks, rope, and fire for technology, the white characters are decked out with expensive boats; this perpetuates the notion that black people are technologically inferior to white people. Later on, when King Kong comes to grab Dwan he appears much more menacing and powerful than in the original movie. There is a closeup shot of his eyes, which is done to make him seem more real and more of a threat to be scared of. And, the more frightening King Kong becomes, the more the audience will feel animosity towards the black characters he’s aligned