Celluloid Heroes

I’m someone you can trust, I’m a movie producer.

After 29 years, Peter Jackson has finally delivered on Dino De Laurentiis‘ promise. Before the release of his 1976 remake, De Laurentiis famously said, “When Jaws die, nobody cry. When my Kong die, everybody gonna cry.” Well, nobody cried in 1976, except maybe the film’s financial backers. Audiences, on the other hand, snickered, chortled and guffawed at the cheesy effects and a leading lady who played the brainless ditz a little too well. The fact that Jessica Lange’s career survived that film, let alone that she went on to be highly respected, is a testament to her talent.

2005 brings Peter Jackson’s 3 hour remake/homage to Merian C. Cooper’s 1933 classic. In a lot of ways, it’s even more overblown and self-indulgent than De Laurentiis’ fiasco, but who cares? This Kong works.

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It’s running out, and ninety percent of what’s left is in the Middle East. This is a fight to the death.

In his superb documentary Looking for Richard, Al Pacino comments how hard it is for actors and audiences to keep straight all of the characters in Shakespeare’s historical plays. Watching Syriana, I kind of knew how he felt. This film is confusing and not because it’s badly written or any other fault of its own. It’s confusing because it’s about oil and politics, a subject that lends itself naturally to confusion.

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