Chang: A Drama of the Wilderness
7.8 /10 1 Votes
100% Rotten Tomatoes Duration Country United States | 7.2/10 IMDb 6.5/10 Letterboxd Genre Adventure, Documentary | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Language Silent filmEnglish intertitles Director Merian C. CooperErnest B. Schoedsack Release date April 29, 1927 (1927-04-29) Cast Chantui, Than, Namul, Natives of the Wild, Nah, Ladah, Bimbo the Monkey, Kru Screenplay Merian C. Cooper, Ernest B. Schoedsack, Achmed Abdullah Similar movies Related Ernest B Schoedsack movies | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Chang: A Drama of the Wilderness (1927) is a silent film about a poor farmer in Issan (Northeastern Thailand) and his daily struggle for survival in the jungle, the film was directed by Merian C. Cooper and Ernest B. Schoedsack. It was released by Famous Players-Lasky, a division of Paramount Pictures.
Contents
Plot
In the directors' own words, Chang is a "melodrama with man, the jungle, and wild animals as its cast." Kru, the farmer depicted in the film, battles leopards, tigers, and even a herd of elephants, all of which pose a constant threat to his livelihood. As filmmakers, Cooper and Schoedsack attempted to capture real life with their cameras, though they often re-staged events that had not been captured adequately on film. The danger was real to all the people and animals involved. Tigers, leopards, and bears are slaughtered on camera, while the film's climax shows Kru's house being demolished by a stampeding elephant.
Awards
Chang was nominated for the Academy Award for Unique and Artistic Production at the first Academy Awards in 1929, the only year when that award was presented.
