Chang: A Drama of the Wilderness

Chang: A Drama of the Wilderness
Directed by	Merian C. Cooper; Ernest B. Schoedsack
Produced by	Merian C. Cooper; Ernest B. Schoedsack
Written by	Achmed Abdullah
Starring	Kru; Chantui; Nah
Music by	Hugo Riesenfeld
Cinematography	Ernest B. Schoedsack
Edited by	Louis R. Loeffler
Production; company	Famous Players-Lasky Corporation; Paramount Famous Lasky Corporation
Distributed by	Paramount Pictures
Release date	April 29, 1927;
Running time	64 min.
Country	United States
Language	Silent film; English intertitles

Chang: A Drama of the Wilderness (1927) (also known simply as Chang) is a silent 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.[1] 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,[2] while the film's climax shows Kru's house being demolished by a stampeding elephant.

Release

Home media

Chang was released for the first time on DVD by Image Entertainment on November 21, 2000.[3] Milestone Video would release the film on VHS and on DVD on January 8, 2002[4] and October 29, 2013 respectively.[3]

Reception

Chang was one of the "biggest movies of 1928".[2]

On Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 100% based on eight reviews, with a weighted average rating of 7.6/10.[5] Author and film critic Leonard Maltin awarded the film three and a half of four stars, calling the film "[a] fascinating ethnographic documentary/narrative".[6] Mordaunt Hall from The New York Times praised the film, calling it "vivid and thrilling".[7]

Awards

Chang was nominated for the Academy Award for Unique and Artistic Production at the first Academy Awards in 1929,[2] the only time that award was presented.

References

Hall, Mordaunt (April 30, 1927). "Chang A Drama of the Wilderness (1927)". The New York Times.
Biggs, Andrew (July 21, 2019). "What's past is prologue". Bangkok Post. Retrieved July 21, 2019.
"Chang: A Drama of the Wilderness (1927) - Merian C. Cooper, Ernest B. Schoedsack". Allmovie.com. Retrieved April 9, 2018.
"Chang: A Drama of the Wilderness Silent VHS". Amazon. Retrieved April 9, 2018.
"Chang: A Drama of the Wilderness (1927) Tomatoes". Rotten Tomatoes.com. Flixer. Retrieved April 9, 2018.
Leonard Maltin; Spencer Green; Rob Edelman (January 2010). Leonard Maltin's Classic Movie Guide. Plume. p. 109. ISBN 978-0-452-29577-3.
Hall, Mordaunt. "THE SCREEN". New York Times. Mordaunt Hall. Retrieved April 9, 2018.

External links

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[1] Hall, Mordaunt (April 30, 1927). "Chang A Drama of the Wilderness (1927)". The New York Times.

[BP-20190721-2] Biggs, Andrew (July 21, 2019). "What's past is prologue". Bangkok Post. Retrieved July 21, 2019.

[allmovidvd-3] "Chang: A Drama of the Wilderness (1927) - Merian C. Cooper, Ernest B. Schoedsack". Allmovie.com. Retrieved April 9, 2018.

[amazonvhs-4] "Chang: A Drama of the Wilderness Silent VHS". Amazon. Retrieved April 9, 2018.

[rottomatoes-5] "Chang: A Drama of the Wilderness (1927) Tomatoes". Rotten Tomatoes.com. Flixer. Retrieved April 9, 2018.

[MaltinGreen2010-6] Leonard Maltin; Spencer Green; Rob Edelman (January 2010). Leonard Maltin's Classic Movie Guide. Plume. p. 109. ISBN 978-0-452-29577-3.

[hall27-7] Hall, Mordaunt. "THE SCREEN". New York Times. Mordaunt Hall. Retrieved April 9, 2018.