Flash back to stage one film studies, when we looked at the film of King Kong 1933. I remembered I did an essay on analysing this film and one of the aspect that I have mentioned was the aspect of sexuality, and how King Kong has been associated as an Black male.
The notion of “beauty and the beast” portrayed an idea of how the beauty has been attracted by animals. Often the “beauty” has represented by white or European females. By having a white female it creates a sense of purity and weakness. It made all the rest (males) willing to protect her. In another way, we could interpret this, as white female are attractive and could be seen as a sexual object. This has reinforced us to the notion of been “exotic”. For something to be exotic it has to be strange, foreign and exiting. To anyone born in a so-called exotic culture everything will seem quite normal, far from exotic. Things only seem exotic to the foreign eye.
Been “exotic” has always been associated with the groups, that are majority non-white or non-European. However, in this case the interpretation of “exotic” is quite different.
To elaborate on this, we need to firstly look at to whom we could argue the white beauty can be seen as “exotic”. In the beginning of the film, apart from the white male (which they are the dominate actors of the film), there was a group of sailors, which they are in a lower class social status comparing the rest. Or, they are the less important group. There was one Chinese sailor who also fascinates about Ann Darrow and wish she could be his. Also, with later on within the film, how King Kong have felt in love with the white beauty because Kong sees Ann Darrow as the exotic object.
According to Rosen, he descried, “Aside from the sexual aspect implicit in the question of race, there is the more direct and somewhat delirious, sexual imagery in the film. Kong often functions as a most appropriate symbol of “lower,” “animal” instincts. In this case we have a giant ape and his unrestrained, headlong pursuit of a “blond,” that archetypical Hollywood sex-object…” and “ the sexual theme touches potency, and the complementary notion of his insatiable desire for white women”. (Rosen 7)
Therefore, been “exotic” can be interpreted in different contexts. To those who are non-European or non-Westerner, a white beauty can also be seen as an exotic object.
The representation of King Kong has been illustrated as a black male. In the film, Kong’s characteristics are violent, rebellion and aggressive. According to Rosen again, he argued that, “It doesn’t require too great an exercise of the imagination to perceive the element of race in King Kong. Racist conceptions of blacks often depict them as subhuman, ape or monkey-like. And consider the plot of the film: Kong is forcibly take from his jungle home, brought in chains to the United States, where he is put on stage as a freak entertainment attraction”. (Rosen 8) This, which emphasised the idea of how black people, has also been seen as uncivilised and only the whites could put them under the control.
We could argue that this has been seen as a stereotype for the Black’s representation. Through the history of the black civil war, black people often been labeled as the lower social class and been part of the slavery revolution for many years. According to Hooks, she argued that, “ They do not know this thing we call “difference.” System of domination, imperialism, colonialism, and racism actively coerce black folks to internalize negative perceptions of blackness, to self-hating…” (Hooks 166)
In Hollywood’s film, a Black character has often been portrayed in a negative way. Such as been violent, danger, or the one who is always causing troubles. Whereas on the opposite side, the white character are been often portrayed in a positive way. Such as the white savior, the good guy or the heroes.
Therefore, it should be understood that an historical appreciation of the problem of symbolism and meanings could cause an effect upon on how different race group is been perceived. Race are socially constructed, in King Kong, the film has portrayed Kong as the black rebellion male which reinforced the audiences of how Black people, especially black males has been represented at that time. Also been all race can be represented as exoticised object based on what contexts you are in.
Rosen, N David. (2004) “King Kong Race, sex, and rebellion”. Jump Cut: A Review of Contemporary Media, no. 6, pp, 7-10.
Hooks, Bell (1992.) Representing Whiteness in the Black Imagination. Black looks: race and representation. pp, 165-178. Boston, MA: South End Press.
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