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Chang: A Drama of the Wilderness

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(Redirected from Chang (film)) 1927 film "Chang (film)" redirects here. For the 1997 South Korean Film, see Downfall (1997 film).

Chang: A Drama of the Wilderness
Film poster
Directed by
Written byAchmed Abdullah
Produced by
  • Merian C. Cooper
  • Ernest B. Schoedsack
Starring
  • Kru
  • Chantui
  • Nah
CinematographyErnest B. Schoedsack
Edited byLouis R. Loeffler
Music byHugo Riesenfeld
Production
companies
Distributed byParamount Pictures
Release date
  • April 29, 1927 (1927-04-29)
Running time64 minutes
CountryUnited States
Languages

Chang: A Drama of the Wilderness, also known simply as Chang (from Thai ช้าง, "elephant") is a 1927 American silent documentary film about a poor farmer in northern Nan Province (northern 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.

Plot

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.

Full Movie

Release

Home media

Chang was released for the first time on DVD by Image Entertainment on November 21, 2000. Milestone Video would release the film on VHS and on DVD on January 8, 2002 and October 29, 2013, respectively.

Reception

Chang was one of the "biggest movies of 1928."

On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 94% of 18 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 7.5/10.

Author and film critic Leonard Maltin awarded the film three and a half of four stars, calling the film " fascinating ethnographic documentary/narrative." Mordaunt Hall from The New York Times praised the film, calling it "vivid and thrilling."

Awards

Chang was nominated for the Academy Award for Unique and Artistic Production at the first Academy Awards in 1929, the only time that award was presented.

See also

References

  1. Hall, Mordaunt (April 30, 1927). "Chang A Drama of the Wilderness (1927)". The New York Times.
  2. ^ Biggs, Andrew (July 21, 2019). "What's past is prologue". Bangkok Post. Retrieved July 21, 2019.
  3. ^ "Chang: A Drama of the Wilderness (1927) - Merian C. Cooper, Ernest B. Schoedsack". Allmovie.com. Retrieved April 9, 2018.
  4. Chang: A Drama of the Wilderness Silent VHS. ASIN 6302420512.
  5. "Chang: A Drama of the Wilderness". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved September 20, 2024. Edit this at Wikidata
  6. Leonard Maltin; Spencer Green; Rob Edelman (January 2010). Leonard Maltin's Classic Movie Guide. Plume. p. 109. ISBN 978-0-452-29577-3.
  7. Hall, Mordaunt. "THE SCREEN". New York Times. Retrieved April 9, 2018.

External links

Films directed by Ernest B. Schoedsack


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